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Master Thesis, 20 credits.
Master of Law Program.
Department of Law,
School of Economics and Commercial Law.
Göteborg University, March 2005.
A Legal Analysis of
Cheating in Online
Multiplayer Games
Author: Joel Zetterström
Supervisor: Kristoffer Schollin
Examiner: Ulf Petrusson
Center for Intellectual Property Studies
A Legal Perspective on Cheating in Online Multiplayer Games Joel Zetterström
”Just how seriously should you as a developer take
the possibility of online cheating? If your game is
single-player only, then you have nothing to worry
about. But if your game is multiplayer only, the
success of your entire product is at stake… Cheating
undermines success.”
1
- Matt Pritchard, Game Software Developer.
“Cheating is the bane of online gaming: be
paranoid”
2
- Shawn Hargreaves, Game Software Developer.
“We as well as everyone else gains on having a cheat
free product.”
3
- Lars Gustavsson, Lead Designer at DICE.
“There are a handful of people out there that get a
rise from destroying other people's play experience.
You can't get rid of it totally. We just try to address it
as it comes up.”
- Minh “Gooseman” Le, Creator of Counter Strike.4
Copyright: Joel Zetterström, 2005.
Notice: This essay may be freely copied, printed and distributed as long as it is done free of charge.
Feel free to quote as much as you like, but please credit the author.
If you wish to contact the author, send an email to; joelzetterstrom@hotmail.com
1 Pritchard, http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20000724/pritchard_pfv.htm
2 Hargreaves, http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/ConsoleOnline.pdf
3 DICE made Battlefield 1942, the quote was regarding their upcoming FPS Battlefield 2. Reinius,
http://www.bfcentral.se/?s=article_show&id=525&pn=9
4 Rolston, P 4. http://www.avault.com/articles/getarticle.asp?name=gooseman&page=4
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A Legal Perspective on Cheating in Online Multiplayer Games Joel Zetterström
Abstract
This Master Thesis deals with the legal issues of cheating in online multiplayer games,
particularly in the three major game genres; First Person Shooters, Real Time Strategy
and Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing games. The industry is growing rapidly as
Internet connectivity increases, and is thus forced to face new challenges; specifically the
problem of cheating in online games. This paper examines and analyses legal strategies
that can be used to combat cheating, ending with conclusions on how and when they can
be used most effectively to limit the amount of cheats in computer games.
Because of the global nature of the Internet and the gaming industry, the legal focus is
placed on the United States and the European Union. Law differs from country to country,
but international conventions provide a common ground – especially regarding
Intellectual Property rights. The European Union have produced a number Regulations
and Directives that the member countries are obligated to uphold nationally, thereby
creating a somewhat harmonized legislation that can be used to make legal predictions
valid for all member states. This is augmented with a US perspective, which probably is
the single biggest market for computer games.
The first part of the thesis describes the phenomenon of online gaming in order to provide
a sufficient background on the subject for the uninitiated reader, but also to examine the
mechanisms of, and structures behind, cheating. The second part examines the processes
of how cheats are created and the legal measurements that can be used to prevent such
creations, specifically copyright laws. The third part focuses on the spreading of cheats, if
and how such spreading can be stopped with legal means. Trademark laws together with
rules about the takedowns of websites containing illegal material are analyzed and
discussed. The fourth part deals with the use of cheats in the games, and how such use
can be stopped with contractual means. The validity of wrap agreements, i.e. electronic
contracts, with specific examples is examined and their effectiveness evaluated. Part five
of the thesis contains a brief examination about cheating as a crime, and criminal law
pertinent to the subject is provided. The sixth part compares the phenomenon of cheating
in cyber sports to that of regular sports, and if lessons learned in the sports world about
cheating (specifically doping) can be carried over to cyber sports. The thesis ends in a
conclusion part which discusses the findings of the above mentioned chapters in an effort
to find the most effective legal strategies that can be used to limit cheating in online
computer games.
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A Legal Perspective on Cheating in Online Multiplayer Games Joel Zetterström
Table of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................... 3
Table of Contents............................................................................................................ 4
Chapter 1: Preface........................................................................................................... 6
1.1 Foreword............................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Scope of the Essay................................................................................................. 7
1.3 Method and Material............................................................................................. 7
Chapter 2: Introduction................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Why Cheating is a problem................................................................................. 10
2.2 Background – Online Multiplayer Gaming.......................................................... 12
2.3 Online and offline play, clans, and the professional scene.................................... 13
2.4 Cheats in Online Computer Games...................................................................... 14
2.4.1 Exploiting Bugs............................................................................................ 16
2.4.2 Defining Cheats – The grey area................................................................... 17
2.5 Why do People cheat?......................................................................................... 19
2.6 A brief look at the computer gaming industry...................................................... 21
Chapter 3: Copyright and the creation of Cheats............................................................ 23
3.1 Copyright and Computer Programs...................................................................... 25
3.1.1 Are videogames protected by copyright?...................................................... 27
3.2 How are cheats created?...................................................................................... 28
3.3 Modifications...................................................................................................... 31
3.4 Alterations of Copyrighted software – the European Union................................. 34
3.5 Alterations of Copyrighted software – the United States...................................... 36
3.6 Moral Rights and Cheats..................................................................................... 39
Chapter 4: Trademark issues and the spreading of Cheats.............................................. 43
4.1 About brands in the gaming industry................................................................... 46
4.2 The structure of the spreading of cheats............................................................... 49
4.3 Stopping the spread of cheats using trademarks................................................... 50
4.4 Responsibility of Online Service Providers regarding Hacks – the US.................53
4.5 Responsibility of Online Service Providers regarding Hacks – the European Union
................................................................................................................................. 55
Chapter 5: Contractual Obligations and stopping the use of Cheats............................... 58
5.1 Enforceability of wrap agreements – US.............................................................. 60
5.2 Enforceability of wrap agreements – Europe ....................................................... 63
5.3 Maximizing enforceability................................................................................... 67
5.4 Stopping the use of cheats with software............................................................. 70
5.5 Validity of anti-cheating clauses.......................................................................... 72
Chapter 6: Cheating – the Crime?.................................................................................. 77
Chapter 7: Looking Towards the future of Online Gaming............................................ 80
7.1 A cybersport organization?.................................................................................. 83
Chapter 8: Conclusions................................................................................................. 85
Chapter 9: Sources........................................................................................................ 88
9.1 Table of Articles.................................................................................................. 88
9.2 Table of Books.................................................................................................... 91
9.3 Table of Cases..................................................................................................... 91
9.3.1 US Cases...................................................................................................... 91
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