New Blizzard EULA can force Arbitration out of court

While true, this has been in place at Blizzard for at least 13 years. Blizzard was one of the leaders on this, not a new convert and it has nothing to do with Microsoft.

I agree it undermines consumer rights, and is important to discuss, but this is not a new change. People really don’t pay attention to what they agree to. We don’t own our Battlenet account, games, items, or anything else. And we don’t have the right to sue them generally speaking depending on country.

Most of the threats I see for legal action are people who got banned for breaking the rules and policies they agreed to. Polices that say their revokeable license will be revoked for breaking the rules and that they are not owed any compensation for that.

The other big real thing that all companies are responsible for is protecting our personal data (real names, addresses, financial information, etc.) Failure to follow privacy rules or failure to disclose a breach in a timely way that conforms with laws, an result in a major legal liability. Blizz has always been good about that, but other companies like Sony Playstation have been deal huge losses in court.

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https://youtu.be/5YU8xw_Q_P8?si=v46qfXHDGEFU_l4i

This video by Louiss Rossmann does a decent job of explaining how it’s not a typical change to the EULA.

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He looks kind of silly to make a video about Blizzard ownership of accounts that has been in place for 20 years. Forced arbitration for at least a decade.

Blizzard has never let you play their games if you don’t agree to the terms.

This guy wants clicks but he did not do his research. I am disappointed. I hoped for a more research based video :frowning:

IT IS NOT A CHANGE TO THE EULA. Anyone who has ever read it knows that. It is not consumer friendly in any way, but it is not new.

I am glad people at least are looking at what they agree to now, but they should have been doing that all along. They would have known they don’t own the account and that they have to go through arbitration if they had even glanced at the EULA in the past 10 years. Yes it sucks for consumers and I hate it too, but it is not new.

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My general feeling is that if I have to get courts involved in my game-playing, I’ve started taking the game far too seriously.

“This Guy” absolutely knows what he’s talking about, and you trying to dismiss him as “clickbait” is a bit hilarious, considering he’s gone in front of CONGRESS to argue Right to Repair and Ownership laws.

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Given the current state of Congress, especially in the house of representatives…that’s not the achievement you think it is.

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He may have done that but he is totally 100% wrong that these are some sort of new changes to the EULA.

They are not. They have been in place for more than 10 years. People just becoming aware is a good thing, but he is wrong to present it as EULA changes. You would think someone would look that up first. Like, even go back a few versions?

Yes, things like farm equipment that the company tried to prevent farmers from repairing? Right? Those are physical things you use.

You don’t own Blizzard’s game code, a Battlenet account, or items, or anything else. You have a revocable license to access the server. Like buying a ticket to an amusement park.

He sounds like a decent guy doing good things, but he is wrong that this is something new. Or maybe that is just how some players who never read the EULA are taking it?

Software did this decades ago and it is not consumer friendly at all. The worst offenders are companies like Microsoft who make you pay a sub to use basic office software. That is why I still have my old Office CD and can install my own!

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The man is very knowledgeable on this subject he goes to congress and to state houses about right to repair…and Underhanded practices, and changing of the terms of service after you acquire the product…he knows it’s been going on for a long time you just look silly Because you have no idea what the man has done , for the right to repair legislation and underhanded terms of service…

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No, what in the world? I don’t get those. There is nothing that has changed about your “ownership” of the account, games, or items in games. You don’t own them, NEVER HAVE. You only own any physical media like CDs, boxes, or books.

This would be ridiculous to even try some legal action and they are preying on the uninformed, if it is even true. Blizzard would just be like - this has been here for decades shows EULA versions.

I don’t care what he has done on those very important issues. Yes, you should have the right to repair your car, tractor, computer, or other physical device. THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE BLIZZARD EULA REGARDING OWNERSHIP.

You have NEVER owned your Blizzard Battlenet account, game licenses, items, or anything else. Never.

He is right to make people aware of it. He is wrong to act like there was some sort of change.

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No ( naughty word)

I never said otherwise…

Then if you if you don’t know what he’s done it looks kind of silly of you to comment he doesn’t know what he’s doing or knowledgeable on the subject… (pertaining to underhanded terms of service abuses)

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head desk

See the title of the thread for why I am frustrated. It is very important people pay attention to EULAs and their rights. Making people think these are new changes is disingenuous.

I object to the “NEW” part that people are coming to the forums with. None of this is new!

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But it is a new terms of service that you have to agree with. It’s not the old terms of service, what would you call it? The terms of service that came out march 21st that you had to click accept, what old terms of service.?

Yeah no… I don’t have FB or any other service linked to my Battlenet account so none of my details could be shared in any way. Not even accidentally.

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He doesn’t in this case. There are no new changes to the terms.

Well, he’s wrong here. There’s nothing new in the terms.

People here are up in arms like this is brand new and giving shocked Pikachu face, listening to videos where some dude who takes care of physical property issues suddenly decided to get involved with digital items and toss out misinformation.

It would be fantastic if people would research and think for themselves in such matters.

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Yes, you agreed to the EULA every time it changes. If you don’t agree you don’t access the account. This is how it has always been for 20 years. The ownership has not changed in 20 years. The arbitration clause has not changed in over a decade.

If anyone even read the first paragraph of the EULA before they clicked all these years they would know that!

Blizzard did not try to add something new to take away rights - people never had rights to begin with. They just never read what they agreed to.

This is a good conversation and it is important consumers know what they have rights to. I am just frustrated it is being framed as “new”. They did not just add these things. If you agreed to it a decade ago, then nothing has changed in those respects.

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Never said otherwise

Never said otherwise

Ok, well then. Seems we agree on something. I need more coffee. Want some?

:coffee:

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Na, not from you

Nothing new?..Blizzard even bolds the text and makes it all caps. To show it’s new or at least updated…

No offense but I’m not sure why this is so important to focus on and argue about. Old or not, new or not, it seems like most people should be willing to set that little bit of inaccuracy aside for the sake of moving the conversation forward.

K, so, it’s old…and still bad.

We should talk about that part.