Legal Opinion: Is Removal of Language Support Illegal?

[Jeatalong]

I guess a bunch of people now have a half decent reason to learn Russian now


I find it funny as heck.

[Marius]

It could be a decent language learning tool. Play a game in English for a month, then switch to a different language.

Hmmm... the Mass Effect Language Learner. Take advantage of your obsession in a productive way.

[Novocaine]

Honestly, Activision-Blizzard lately seems hell bent on pissing off customers just to gain profits.

It's so easy to forget when they do something good for their consumers yet when they do something justified as bad it gets dragged out and beaten to death.

I don't think recalling language on cheap keys was a good idea, but I also don't think buying a cheap Russian copy of a game to save a few dollars is a good idea either. You take the risks you should expect that there's a chance to get burned. Learn from it.

Funny that, since activision took them over it's been a slippery slope for blizzard. I wonder what the cause could have been

Quoting other people without any input of your own is so cool man.

[Bluefire]

Look at it this way..
Them taking your game away is still better than someone trying to force you to install origin to play a game

And hey.. with a $0 price tag for an english version of the game.. Im not to unhappy with D3.. I mean beyond the always on connection, annoying quests/npc's, lag spikes and other server issues... Sure it was a badly handled release.. but I feel I got decent value for my $0.

[Slipoch]

The way I look at something like this is by comparing it to other products.

If you bought a microwave or a car in china then imported it to Australia because it had english settings (whether or not they are listed on packaging). Then the company that made it forced an update on you that took away the english settings to try to pressure you into buying a region specific (and more expensive version) version of that car or microwave.
Well there would be a massive outcry, the ACCC would get involved and kindly tell them to take a running jump.

The fact that they screwed with people's settings and limited an already bought product after the purchase is a very dodgy practice, one that apple regularly demonstrates. I would suggest that under Aus law it may be illegal due to our import, consumer and competition protection laws (it already was capable of running in english, if someone actually imports a game in another language thats a completely different situation)

A common misconception is that games released in russia make a loss, this is commonly not the case (amnesia made 2x their entire production budget releasing just in russia), profit is still made, admittedly not the ridiculous profits of Aus, but decent profit nonetheless.

We have a company releasing a version of a game and then artificially limiting it after the fact.

Regards,
Slipoch

[Ralph Wiggum]

But hang on, if the purchase originated overseas, and the product was never meant to be sold/used in Australia, would the ACCC be involved? I would honestly be surprised if they do.

[Mekon]

Indeed. The ACCC only regulates Australian retailers, distributors and providers.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent statutory authority. It was formed in 1995 to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974 (renamed the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 on 1 January 2011) and other acts.

The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in the market place to benefit consumers, business and the community. It also regulates national infrastructure industries. Its primary responsibility is to ensure that individuals and businesses comply with the Commonwealth's competition, fair trading and consumer protection laws.

In fair trading and consumer protection its role complements that of the state and territory consumer affairs agencies which administer the mirror legislation of their jurisdictions, and the Competition and Consumer Policy Division of the Commonwealth Treasury.

http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/54137

It should be obvious that something bought overseas (and personally imported) is not governed by local trade practice laws. Although you are personally responsible for ensuring said item is compliant with local laws.

[gigs.1890]

Maybe Blizzard are sick of the franchise and want to make sure there's never any demand for Diablo 4

[Submariner]

Is it possible that Blizzard saw some dealers selling these cheaper versions to english speaking countries, then flipped the language switch?

[Marius]

The reason I didn't cover our own consumer laws is that as Mekon said, they only apply to businesses trading in Australia.

A Russian serial key site, even if you can access the website in Australia, is not trading in Australia.

Some of the affected people may well have remedies under their own local laws, but I'm not going to go learn French, German, Italian, Brazilian and Russian law just to write an article.

It's so easy to forget when they do something good for their consumers yet when they do something justified as bad it gets dragged out and beaten to death.

I don't think recalling language on cheap keys was a good idea, but I also don't think buying a cheap Russian copy of a game to save a few dollars is a good idea either. You take the risks you should expect that there's a chance to get burned. Learn from it.

The issue is what they do as good - and they do some things very good - is usually fairly limited. I mean, how many people pre-ordered from GAME? I don't know, but probably not many, given their troubles were caused by people not buying from them in the first place.

Conversely, how many people have been affected by this? A lot, which is why I wrote about it. Also, I didn't really go against Blizzard that much... lots of people are saying Blizzard defrauded the key sites, but that's simply not correct until proven, and no one's done that yet. I think that is the main original contribution of my article to this debate.

[Marius]

Is it possible that Blizzard saw some dealers selling these cheaper versions to english speaking countries, then flipped the language switch?

It's possible that the sites violated some contract prohibiting this.

We don't know what happened exactly.

The problem with Blizzard's action in that case, is that it had flow-on effects to people who didn't buy from the key sites. The issue's kindof like piracy and DRM. Some of the aims are legitimate, but also has impacts on innocent people.

[Joshsux]

I don't understand why it would be Illegal? Here me out, and I'm likely to be ignorant and wrong, And not have fully understood this topic, but here is the short version -

They make something, They want you to buy it, They can do what they like.

Isn't it that simple? It doesn't have regional / language? Sucked in, you brought the wrong copy, what they wanted to do worked, Stop you from buying CD Keys etc.. What's the problem? Why would it be illegal? They made it, they can do exactly what ever they like with it.

Surely that's how easy it is to understand ? Yeah I'd feel **** buying a cd key or something and it not having English, But serves yourself right for buying a key and not the actual game in the first place... Next time buy from somewhere you are guaranteed it'll be in English? Obviously they don't want people buying the English copy from all over the world, I see no big deal about it.

CD Key sites are stupid in my opinion in the first place, and I applaud them for trying to stop there cheap crap-tactics

[Otto-matic]

The main point being is that they did buy the game (a key for the game is still the game) and it was available in English.

It would be illegal if Blizzard said to their suppliers that it would work in English. Removing this would then be fraud on Blizzard's part since it no longer works in English.

[Submariner]

If I was buying the game, for example, in Russia, I would be asking why the game is so cheap. BTW on the D3 forums they are saying that the Russian limited version was $30 (online store called it the Russian version) and the full version was $80. If you are a typical low income Russian, speaking Russian, you get the game for half price. Why do I get the feeling that the people complaining could afford to buy the full priced english version.

[Slipoch]

My point in my above statement is not that they bought or imported the game from another country, the point is that once they had said game it was manipulated AFTER the customer took legal custody of said product.

Now if that happens in Australia and due to the independant nature of software, if that product was altered, well blizzard have no legal right to do so or to limit how you use their software, they can limit access to their servers but they cannot stop/hinder you from using it. This would be a restriction on competition (overseas competition is allowed for under these laws). They have changed the product not only from what was advertised, but they have altered it AFTER you had it home and had it working in Australia something it is clearly capable of.

If nissan could access your car remotely and wiped the gps system on your imported car AFTER you had been using it for three years simply because they wanted you to buy the exact same but 'australian' model it would be considered illegal, why is this not?

Hell we have laws protecting reverse engineering from the 80's, hack the damn thing and get english going again, should still have the files somewhere.