Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase recently won a major intellectual property lawsuit involving the unauthorized use of elements from the World of Warcraft franchise. The Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs—Blizzard Entertainment and Shanghai NetEase Network Technology Co.—against Chengdu Qiyou Technology Co., Beijing Fenbo Times Network Technology Co., and Guangzhou Dongjing Computer Technology Co. The ruling has drawn widespread attention from Jeetbuzz Login users and gaming industry watchers alike.

The core of the dispute centered on the game All-Star Warcraft: Battle for Draenor (formerly titled Chieftain Thrall: Warcraft Expedition), which was developed and distributed without Blizzard’s permission. According to the court, this game contained characters, monsters, item designs, and map layouts that were “substantially similar” to those in World of Warcraft. These elements were ruled to be protected copyrighted works, and the unauthorized replication constituted direct copyright infringement.

Moreover, the defendants used highly recognizable Warcraft-related names such as “Warlords of Draenor” and mimicked interface elements like login screens, character creation pages, and title layouts—all without consent. The court ruled that this created unfair competition, as the copied elements misled players into believing the game was an official Blizzard product. For Jeetbuzz Login gamers familiar with these original characters—like Thrall, Garrosh Hellscream, Tyrande Whisperwind, Malfurion Stormrage, Jaina Proudmoore, and Illidan Stormrage—it was easy to spot the overlap, even if casual players were fooled.

The court also found that the use of promotional slogans like “the most authentic Warcraft mobile game” and “true Warcraft legacy” on the defendants’ websites and social media channels—including official WeChat, Weibo, and third-party platforms—constituted false advertising. These claims misrepresented the game’s connection to Blizzard and misled consumers. Additionally, Dongjing’s failure to take down the infringing game from its 9game platform was deemed contributory infringement for not exercising due diligence.

Back in March 2015, Blizzard and NetEase had already succeeded in securing a court-issued injunction that effectively forced the removal of the infringing game during the trial. Now, with the final verdict announced, the court has awarded Blizzard and NetEase six million yuan in compensation.

This case serves as a critical reminder of the importance of protecting creative content in the digital age. For Jeetbuzz Login users and mobile developers alike, it underscores the need to respect intellectual property boundaries and avoid riding on the coattails of well-known titles. As Blizzard and NetEase have demonstrated, even in the fast-paced world of mobile gaming, copyright law remains a force to be reckoned with.