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Glider (bot)
Encyclopedia
Glider, also known as WoWGlider or MMOGlider, was a bot
created by MDY Industries, which interoperates with World of Warcraft
. Glider automates and simplifies actions by the user through the use of scripting to perform repetitive tasks while the user is away from the computer. This allows the user to acquire in-game currency and level-ups of the character without being present to perform the required actions. As of 2008, it has sold approximately 100,000 copies.
. In July 2008, the court entered summary judgment holding MDY Industries liable for tortious interference
and copyright infringement
, based, in part, upon the legal premise that users of the World of Warcraft client software are licensees rather than owners of their copy of software.
Public Knowledge
, a public interest group which filed an amicus
brief in the case, criticized the decision, saying it makes the loading into memory of legally obtained software an act of copyright infringement subject to high statutory penalties, if the user has violated the software's license agreement
in any way. The court did not hold this view and found that Glider infringed upon Blizzard's intellectual property by making an illicit copy of the World of Warcraft client in order to avoid Blizzard's anti-cheating software, Warden, and ordered MDY Industries to pay Blizzard six million dollars. In finding this, the court agreed with Blizzard that World of Warcraft is licensed, not sold.
Following the judgment, Blizzard petitioned to enjoin MDY Industries from distributing Glider or releasing its source code
. In March 2009, MDY Industries suspended Glider sales and operations pursuant to an injunction. On December 14, 2010, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
issued its ruling. They agreed that users were licensees rather than owners of the software. They changed the ruling on copyright, stating that users were in breach of contract concerning the end-user license agreement (EULA
), but that this did not constitute a violation of copyright. Nevertheless, they ruled that the bot violated the DMCA. MDY requested that the case be sent back for review, but as of August 2011, the court had yet to hear or agree to any review. MDY's owner, Michael Donnely stated in a release on the official forums that given the manner of the ruling and the statements by the court, that it was highly unlikely that MDY was going to be able to bring glider back in any form. He stated that they were looking at their options, and that he would speak with the lawyers working the case; but due to the cost of the case it wasn't likely that there was much that they could do. By Sept 2011, mmoglider.com the official "Glider" homepage had vanished, being replaced by a redirect to World of Warcraft.
Internet bot
Internet bots, also known as web robots, WWW robots or simply bots, are software applications that run automated tasks over the Internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone...
created by MDY Industries, which interoperates with World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
. Glider automates and simplifies actions by the user through the use of scripting to perform repetitive tasks while the user is away from the computer. This allows the user to acquire in-game currency and level-ups of the character without being present to perform the required actions. As of 2008, it has sold approximately 100,000 copies.
MDY v. Blizzard
While MDY Industries asserts that the software is meant to overcome design flaws in the World of Warcraft environment, Blizzard contended in a 2006 United States federal lawsuit that the program's use violated their terms of serviceSoftware license agreement
A software license agreement is a contract between the "licensor" and purchaser of the right to use software. The license may define ways under which the copy can be used, in addition to the automatic rights of the buyer including the first sale doctrine and .Many form contracts are only contained...
. In July 2008, the court entered summary judgment holding MDY Industries liable for tortious interference
Tortious interference
Tortious interference, also known as intentional interference with contractual relations, in the common law of tort, occurs when a person intentionally damages the plaintiff's contractual or other business relationships...
and copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
, based, in part, upon the legal premise that users of the World of Warcraft client software are licensees rather than owners of their copy of software.
Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge is a non-profit Washington, D.C.-based public interest group that is involved in intellectual property law, competition, and choice in the digital marketplace, and an open standards/end-to-end internet....
, a public interest group which filed an amicus
Amicus curiae
An amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it...
brief in the case, criticized the decision, saying it makes the loading into memory of legally obtained software an act of copyright infringement subject to high statutory penalties, if the user has violated the software's license agreement
Software license agreement
A software license agreement is a contract between the "licensor" and purchaser of the right to use software. The license may define ways under which the copy can be used, in addition to the automatic rights of the buyer including the first sale doctrine and .Many form contracts are only contained...
in any way. The court did not hold this view and found that Glider infringed upon Blizzard's intellectual property by making an illicit copy of the World of Warcraft client in order to avoid Blizzard's anti-cheating software, Warden, and ordered MDY Industries to pay Blizzard six million dollars. In finding this, the court agreed with Blizzard that World of Warcraft is licensed, not sold.
Following the judgment, Blizzard petitioned to enjoin MDY Industries from distributing Glider or releasing its source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
. In March 2009, MDY Industries suspended Glider sales and operations pursuant to an injunction. On December 14, 2010, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
issued its ruling. They agreed that users were licensees rather than owners of the software. They changed the ruling on copyright, stating that users were in breach of contract concerning the end-user license agreement (EULA
Software license agreement
A software license agreement is a contract between the "licensor" and purchaser of the right to use software. The license may define ways under which the copy can be used, in addition to the automatic rights of the buyer including the first sale doctrine and .Many form contracts are only contained...
), but that this did not constitute a violation of copyright. Nevertheless, they ruled that the bot violated the DMCA. MDY requested that the case be sent back for review, but as of August 2011, the court had yet to hear or agree to any review. MDY's owner, Michael Donnely stated in a release on the official forums that given the manner of the ruling and the statements by the court, that it was highly unlikely that MDY was going to be able to bring glider back in any form. He stated that they were looking at their options, and that he would speak with the lawyers working the case; but due to the cost of the case it wasn't likely that there was much that they could do. By Sept 2011, mmoglider.com the official "Glider" homepage had vanished, being replaced by a redirect to World of Warcraft.