Illegal to play certain Custom Maps

Custom Games
1

Hey Guys,

I am a little bit confused. In the past days I’ve seen more and more threads, videos on YouTube and certain posts about custom maps that are making my worry.

So it seems to be true, that every custom map that has content themed on other Games/Movies/Stories might get straight up banned by Blizzard if one of these owners complains?

This on other hand means, if people continue playing games like… :

Any Dragonball, Pokemon, Digimon related map. Naruto, Bleach, Fight of Character, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, even Gem TD (some people seem to have developed it as a mobile game), Legion Td (?), 300, A Song if Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones), Alien, Angel Arena, Takeshis Castle, Warhammer, Hunger Games, games with certain music (like Run Kitty Run has Numb from Linkin Park), and so on…

… these maps might be banned? I just mentioned some of them, by far not every map but this sounds weird.

Did I understand that correctly? Please tell me no. Because based on this “themes” there have been so many custom games that were just fun to play. It provided variety and a bigger spectrum of games.

If that’s correct, where’s the point in developing future maps with this content?

Will we have to do the same thing as Blizzard is doing it in WoW? Developers have to rename everything in a silly way? Like “Haris Pilton” as a direct example or if people are interested; Here’s a collection of things Blizzard has “redone” https://www.wowhead.com/guide=3320/references-to-games-in-world-of-warcraft.
That’s actually quite ironic.

2

Blizzard is not exempt from copyright law. If the owner of an IP has their lawyers complain about a map being shared through one of their games, they would probably take it down rather than have their lawyers fight it out in court. Anything that can be interpreted as a parody is a potential loophole, especially if the name isn’t 100% the same (e.g. the Paris Hilton Easter egg you mentioned).

3

I don’t think Blizzard is going to go on a genocide against custom maps with names and even content from other things. I do believe they’ll take down said maps if the owner of the property complains to them. Same with Youtube. You’re fine until someone complains.