Why isnt Blizzard Sueing DoTA 2?

[Marshmalo]

It seems DoTA 2 has stolen so much intellectual assets from WC3 I'm surprised Blizzard arnt attempting to sue them.

If you look at their heroes, such as the Moon Rider, she is pretty much an exact copy of the POTM, their Elven Rangers is a copy of sylvanas, they even use the name "Windrunner". Drow Ranger is a copy of the Dark Ranger etc...

I know they wanted to make the characters as similar as possible to the wc3 game Dota but they could have at least been abit more original instead of just straight out copying the ideas from Blizzard.

I hate to see this kind of fraud between games, there's really no need for it.

EDIT: Just saw their copy of the goblin Alchemist aswel, really sad that a company is so lacking in creativity.

 

[Lordkoon]

As far as I remember many years ago when Dota was in its development and early stages it was like a footmen wars - standard heroes + custom ones. I think the standard ones are pretty much gone by now. Perhaps they want to revive some of their conceps on Dota 2.
Anyway according to the law concerning nonphysical assets as long as they keep it 'a refference' it is free to go. For example League of Legends release champion skins that are refferences on other games/movies/franchises all the time.

Besides if a game creates a mechanic involving for example 'rage' as main sourse of the hero, it doesn't mean noone ever can make it too.

 

[Arcisal]

Then Games Workshop should sue Blizzard for copying Orcs.

Or Penguin Books should file a lawsuit against them for emulating Tolkein's elves in their game.

Just because it "looks" the same, doesn't mean it actually is. Drow Ranger looks so much like Sylvannas because the original Dota model was Sylvannas. If they were to change it, it would be an outcry from the Dota community.

The only thing Blizzard could possible sue them for is the word "Magnataur", which Valve has already changed into Magnoceros to prevent such from happening.

 

[The_wand_mirror]

Yeah i also asked myself this question once but i guess tolkien would win.

 

[Edhel-dur]

Actually it happened a while back.

Valve wanted to buy ownership rights for DotA2. Immediately Blizzard and Pendragon made a public announcement that they have intellectual rights to DotA. Eventually Valve and Blizzard cut a deal, through which Blizzard let Valve get copyrights for the now DotA franchise. Pendragon laid the issue to rest as well, and returned working for Riot Games, as his quick money making scheme failed.

 

[DZerpic]

I think they could've changed the chracters a little more though. A reference is OK but the DotA characters are just the same in all but their names. I understand if the DotA community raged against a change but I, not having played DotA 1, feel discouraged to play it because of this.

 

[Edhel-dur]

You're not making any sense.

I played DotA many years, and I feel discouraged just because I am bored with Dota, so I see no reason for picking up DotA2.

So DotA is a MOD for Warcraft 3, a game made by Blizzard. DotA was developed by many people including Eul, Guinsoo and Icefrog. However, the entire DotA community pitched in to help balance and further improve DotA. Because of this, no one had clear legal rights to DotA.

Thus, Valve picked up Icefrog, and developed DotA2, and bought rights. Valve had a discussion with Blizzard, who wanted to make Blizzard DotA, and they agreed that Blizzard DotA will change name to Blizzard All-Stars, and that Valve who has Icefrog and the support of the DotA community, can continue developing DotA2 without legal issues.

DotA2 isn't supposed to be a reference. DotA2 was created because the DotA community wanted the same game on a better engine.

 

[DZerpic]

I meant I feel discouraged to play DotA 2. Maybe that's the part that didn't make any sense. I didn't know the story of DotA and how it became DotA 2, thanks for enlightening me.

If the community just wanted DotA to be a complete game instead of a mod then great for them. My first impression of DotA 2 wasn't good because of the copied characters. I felt discouraged to play it.

 

[creyzi4zb12]

I'm siding with BLizzard here. The lore in DOTA 2 (including most characters like Rexxar, Proudemoore, Invoker) is pretty much a complete copy of Warcraft 3 lore (The Ancients, the tree of life, the frozen throne are all in warcraft 3 lore) = And did you all notice that I never mentioned the words DOTA 1?
They should sue Valve not for using the word DOTA, but for all the characters and lore in their game


Keep in mind, Blizzard is NOT suing Valve to obtain any rights for DOTA, they are suing to keep the name DOTA a non trade marked name. If Valve manages to trade mark the title DOTA, Valve has the right to remove all mod titles of that name, and force Blizzard to change the name of their current DOTA game, Blizzard is trying to keep that from happening and leave the name DOTA a non trade marked name. Now I'm not saying Valve would do such a thing, but if Valve does trade mark the name, they hold all rights to a name that originaly started on a Blizzard IP,

Now Valve is working closely with Icefrog, one of the Designers of the mod DOTA, and yes, he should get some sort of rights to the name, but we could say the same for the other designer Ginsuu who went on to make League of Legends, or even the original creator. Honestly, because of the way this IP has grown, it's become one big mess, hopefully the name stays free to use to the public, I've gotta side with Blizzard.

 

[Edhel-dur]

^
Valve and Blizzard have settled on an agreement. Valve can freely use DOTA information for DOTA2, in return they will never claim any copyright on DOTA.

 

[Adiktuz]

I didn't know the story of DotA and how it became DotA 2, thanks for enlightening me.

DotA 2 isn't a continuation or anything of DotA so you don't need to really play DotA in order to appreciate it... It's merely remaking the game into a new engine and adding improvements along the way...

So to me, it wouldn't make more sense if they changed the names or things like that...

If the community just wanted DotA to be a complete game instead of a mod then great for them

Exactly...

 

[Dr Super Good]

I am sure Valve and Blizzard have made agreements over it. They did so for the name (why Blizzard DotA is Blizzard Allstars now).

 

[David]

There are agreements made, also Valve are avoiding making the same heroes as dota and the map isnt bade by Blizzard.

 

[Adiktuz]

^ Uhm, the DotA2 heroes are the same heroes from DotA...

 

[AwzomeWulfzz]

Interesting thread... But I still don't like Dota.

 

[David]

^ Uhm, the DotA2 heroes are the same heroes from DotA...

Models are different.

 

[AwzomeWulfzz]

Models are different.

Yet still same.

 

[David]

They are not.

 

[Adiktuz]

models yeah... because wc3 uses different model extension than DotA2, also wc3 models would make DotA 2 look not so good... but other than that, the heroes are still the same...

Hero names = same
Hero concept = same
Hero skills = same

and oh, quite a lot of the models were created based from the models used on DotA...

btw, the model here isn't really important... no matter how it looks, QoP is still QoP... and so are the other heroes... and oh, how many heroes of DotA have changed models thru the years? and when it happens, no one says that its a different hero now... and DotA2 using different models than DotA is just like that case, on a larger scale...

so in the end, they still used the same heroes, just different models...

 

[David]

But sir, blizzard didn't make dota, they just made wc3, Icefrog made dota with his teams spells and names on the heroes, icefrog works with valve now...

 

[AwzomeWulfzz]

But sir, blizzard didn't make dota, they just made wc3, Icefrog made dota with his teams spells and names on the heroes, icefrog works with valve now...

You might be getting off-topic.

 

[David]

You might be getting off-topic.

I am not getting out of topic, I just told why Blizzard isnt sueing Valve.

 

[Adiktuz]

I never said blizzard made DotA... I cannot understand why you replied with that statement... coz the thing we're talking about the last few posts was about your statement that DotA 2 didn't use the DotA heroes...

or were you confused of this statement?

because wc3 uses different model extension than DotA2, also wc3 models would make DotA 2 look not so good...

I used wc3 there instead of DotA because DotA relies on wc3's engine and as such, the model file extension that it can use is the same as the extension used by wc3, which is mdx/mdl...

There's nothing in it about blizzard made DotA...

PS: IceFrog didn't make DotA, Eul was the one who made DotA... IceFrog just continued working on it after Guinsoo (who succeeded Eul) stopped on it...