5 replies to this topic

[Dave]

There are Star Wars Galaxies emulators being developed now (at least one is open source) that are attempting to serve the SWG client software (what you get in the game box) on free servers. I'm very interested how this will play out legally. The intellectual property is in the client software. You buy user rights to that when you buy the box. The servers, run by Sony, are an additional charge. Here's the thing: the 'emulator' server code is not proprietary. It's being reverse engineered to play a version of SWG that no longer exists. The original Sony servers are pre-CU (before the Combat Upgrade, which changed various facets of the game). The servers went through another huge change with the New Game Experience. There are no pre-CU Sony servers. They don't exist. The emulator teams are developing a game experience that is wholly different than the current paid SWG servers.

Server emulators have been shut down before. This situation is different because it's emulating a game experience that does not seek to replicate the current Sony servers. Moreover, LucasArts' intellectual property is not being abused because the users still have to buy the game. All the IP stuff (images, etc) is in the game box. If a server emulator doesn't charge a fee, who is being wronged, legally speaking?

[Dave]

Interesting legal point perhaps: It is specifically against the SWG EULA to reverse engineer any communications between the software and the server, but that refers to the user and the Sony (SOE) server. So I interpret that as it does not apply to communications between the user and another server, which SWGemu would be.

I'm sure there are other considerations I haven't thought of, but I don't yet see anyone's rights being harmed in any way.

[Deb]

Lucas will make up an epic (as he goes along) about a poor lonely farmboy whose money has been stolen by the Empire Internetz People.

There will be 9 stories.

[Dave]

"Luke...I am your server side database."

/got nuthin

[Meathe]

Interesting legal point perhaps: It is specifically against the SWG EULA to reverse engineer any communications between the software and the server, but that refers to the user and the Sony (SOE) server. So I interpret that as it does not apply to communications between the user and another server, which SWGemu would be.

I'm sure there are other considerations I haven't thought of, but I don't yet see anyone's rights being harmed in any way.

Except the whole reverse engineering the communications between client and server. Without doing that, you have no idea what the protocol is that the clients and server communicate with.

Lets, for the sake of argument, say the clients and servers speak Bocce. The EULA is an agreement between you not to listen to any conversations spoken in Bocce. In writing the server emulation software, you'd have to be cunning enough to listen in - and clever enough and decypher the syntax of Bocce after some intense analysis...

At that point the EULA kicks in. Basically, Lucas & Sony want you to rent a protocol droid instead.

(someone should remind me never to post after three martinis)

[Dave]

Good point, but in this case it is a dialect no longer in use (pre-CU). Essentially, it's abandonware. Wouldn't that make a difference?