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In their engaged fight for their rights, Blizzard/Vivendi Universal attorneys have now forced the popular German Blizzard fansite hosts inGame and Webguidez to shut down a bunch of partly very long existing and well-known Diablo, WarCraft and WOW fan domains. These are:
- www.Diablo.de
- www.WarCraft.de
- www.WorldofWarcraft.de
- www.World-of-Warcraft.de
"inGame" and "Webguidez" couldn't convince Blizzard/VU that these domains should remain dedicated to the large fan community, and so these domains will be shut down during the next days.
The following German fan domains remain accessible (for now):
- www.Diablo2.de
- www.inDiablo.de
- www.inWarCraft.de
The official News quote from Diablo2.de:
Quote:... und das ewige Licht leuchte ihnen
Scorpion - 16:43
Werte Trauergäste, liebe Freunde und Verwandten der Verblichenen, geschätzte Diablo2.de und inWarcraft.de Fans, liebe Gäste
Wir sind heute hier zusammengekommen, um die verstorbenen Domains www.Diablo.de und www.WarCraft.de zu Grabe zu tragen und ihnen, die so unerwartet von uns gingen, die letzte Ehre zu erweisen. Herr, gib ihnen die ewige Ruhe, und das ewige Licht leuchte ihnen.
Vor einigen Tagen hat sich Blizzard Entertainment, Rechteinhaber an Diablo und Warcraft, mit uns in Verbindung gesetzt und die Ãbergabe der ihnen zustehenden Domains gefordert. Alle Versuche Blizzard Entertainment bzw. den Publisher Vivendi Universal Games davon zu überzeugen, die Domains in Community Händen zu belassen waren vergeblich und so haben wir uns darauf geeinigt, die Domains innerhalb der nächsten Tage zu übergeben. Aber nicht nur ingame. ist von dieser MaÃnahme betroffen, sondern ebenfalls unsere Kollegen von der Firma Webguidez, die ihre Domains www.WorldofWarcraft.de und www.World-of-Warcraft.de abgeben müssen.
Aus diesem Grund bitten wir Euch von nun an nur noch die Domains www.Diablo2.de und www.inWarcraft.de zu bookmarken, damit ihr uns auch zukünftig noch wie gewohnt erreichen könnt. Selbstverständlich könnt Ihr auch die Domain www.inDiablo.de bookmarken, da uns die in naher Zukunft nicht streitig gemacht werden kann ;)
Wir hoffen auf Euer Verständnis und werden natürlich weiterhin für Euch da sein und Euch mit News und Informationen versorgen, nur mit neuen Domains.
"Man only plays when in the full meaning of the word he is a man, and he is only completely a man when he plays." -- Friedrich von Schiller
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2 points:
1) InGame itself is not community project of fans (although some of the affiliated sites are, to some extent), but a network run by a company that is just as profit orientated as Blizzard (inGame GMBH).
2) diablo.de was used by diablo2.de, a site that has very little information about Diablo 1. I always considered that domain occupation a little abusive. It prevented pages that actually focus on Diablo 1 from using that domain. inGame advertises on diablo2.de, so the hits they got from diablo.de of course meant additional money for them.
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Quote:Webguidez
They deserved to be shut down. :D
"AND THEN THE PALADIN TOOK MY EYES!"
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Well, I think that it's obvious what is going on here on Blizzard's/VU's part, and I can't remember any bigger fan site that does not host advertising as well, i.e. Diabloii.net or WorldOfWar.net ;)
"Man only plays when in the full meaning of the word he is a man, and he is only completely a man when he plays." -- Friedrich von Schiller
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On the face of it it seems very disappointing and I have to say I'm puzzled
Nobbie, could you explain the motive? Both the conspiracy theory and the motive that Blizzard's PR people would claim
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The motive? I think the motive is occupying all (WOW) domains in all countries :)
"Man only plays when in the full meaning of the word he is a man, and he is only completely a man when he plays." -- Friedrich von Schiller
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Not suprising, really.
It could be that Blizzard wants to be dead certain that people don't get domains like Diablo.de mixed up with an official German-language Blizzard site. Then again, I doubt this is really Blizzard's idea; it seems like it's more of VU telling Blizzard what to do rather than Blizzard asking VU for legal backing.
ArrayPaladins were not meant to sit in the back of the raid staring at health bars all day, spamming heals and listening to eight different classes whine about buffs.[/quote]
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It doesn't sound like the old Blizzard. However, with the fact that ~ 75% of the senior staff has changed since the days of D1... it really could be a Blizzard doing.
Or, they could be having to chase after people who infringe on their trademarks, even for fansites, if I they want to keep them.
Strange that they get a bunch of WoW fansites closed down around the same time as they release their fansite pack...
-Bob
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Vivendi's crusade against Blizzard fansites continues.
www.Diablo2.de, one of Gemany's biggest Blizzard fansites for many years, has to shut down.
The new link is: http://www.indiablo.de
"Man only plays when in the full meaning of the word he is a man, and he is only completely a man when he plays." -- Friedrich von Schiller
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nobbie,Jul 3 2004, 04:09 AM Wrote:Vivendi's crusade against Blizzard fansites continues.
www.Diablo2.de, one of Gemany's biggest Blizzard fansites for many years, has to shut down.
The new link is: http://www.indiablo.de " has to shut down" -> " the new link is"?
1 + 1 = 3?
Trade yourself in for the perfect one. No one needs to know that you feel you've been ruined!
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OK so Vivendi are claiming the domain names rather than issuing Cease and Desists?
The fansites can still operate but at a different address?
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