MDY Industries developed a popular World of Warcraft bot by the name of MMOGlider. Popular because, I would imagine, it took much of the donkey work out of progressing through the virtual world by automating repetitive tasks. You know, the boring stuff such as slaying monsters and scavenging for loot. Jeez, why play the game at all if you let some automated software process do all that for you? Half the fun is in the levelling up, unless you are some numpty player with no soul, that is.
Anyway, the Glider might just go down in history as the most expensive gaming bot ever after World of Warcraft operators Blizzard sued MDY Industries on copyright infringement charges and won a damages award that totals $6 million.
Back in July, a US District Judge gave his ruling that MMOGlider was in breach of the licensing terms that every player has to sign up and agree to when they get into the World of Warcraft game.
The BBC reports that MDY Industries founder Michael Donnelly is "thought to have sold more than 100,000 copies" of the bot which sold for $25 a pop.
It seems that there will be another day in court in January to settle some outstanding legal issues, and Blizzard may also yet appeal against a judgement not to allow a claim for triple the amount of cash in damages.
According to the Beeb there remains a problem concerning the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and whether MDY Industries were in breach of it, not to mention the small matter of making Mr Donnelly cough up the cash out of his own pockets.
