TalkBloodBowl.com going offline, or... GW really effin' up here

A message from the site owner of TalkBloodbowl.com (the Blood Bowl forum almost every member of the Blood Bowl community used), which absolutely surprized me.

Greetz

Wow...that's such bad judgment. Sites like that help GW games thrive, particularly Bloodbowl which has nearly no support from GW and remains one of their more popular games (I believe BB hosts some of the largest GW tournaments because it's so easy to get into). Sites like TBB are why bloodbowl has thrived like that.

I'll certainly be sending a letter to GW express my disappointment in their attack on their community. From the perspective of an admin at the Herdstone, this really does worry me for the future.

Another one bites the dust.
Are there no limits to, what GW will do to scare custumers away?
A sad reminder of what can happen, if people are not careful to not violate, what the Sheriff of Nottingham regards as copyrighted.

And why such a hostile approach? Tell people what is wrong and offer them guidance to change it.

Email sent.

It's especially disappointing considering TBB was a website providing the support GW should have to their fans.

Wow. I knew they were bad, but not that bad... that really sucks.

Pillz

I am surprised.

I would also be surprised if the site doesn't adhere to the rules under it's new management though (should someone take it up). I don't imagine this will be the end of them...

id like to take the time and thank the users who have taken their time
and talked about the book not quote it.

and remind those that still wish to quote misfire tables, wargear, and details on effects
we knows were you live

It's hard to understand how the guys who investigated this could have screwed up so badly. I mean, if they just asked him about the donations, i'm sure the explanation would have been satisfactory. I guess they could argue that he's making money out of their intellectual property, but i mean, come on, its not like anyone who donates $5 to the site is going to spend less on BloodBowl products, if anything it'd be the other way round?
Jesus, they suck.

Its no suprise to me they are so bitter about any one knowing anything about them!

If I wasn't as Busy as I am I would take the content put it online in a Russia server and say true to sue me. I know the law P

But as already said this has a double blow effect by killing Pro GW sites they kill of there customers!

Its almost like the Advanced Order system which gets you a massive 3-5 days lead on the rest (if your lucky)

I think they saked everyone in marketing personally.

well, they doing more and more to kill the hobby. I'm writing my protest to them today and I think other people should do it. At the end of the day its US that make it possible for them to earn money.

so this is what the sudden crackdown on copyright infringement has been about.

although i'm sure this won't happen to the UE while our loyal moderators continue to keep the law(however sensible or ridiculous that law may be)

I find it unbelieveable that GW would seek to alienate their fan base and customers in this crass, heavy handed and totally unnecessary manner.

This site was hardly a major risk to them, and rather than misuse their ideas and material for personal gain or defamation, was actually supporting their game/products and engendering interest in the hobby, to which (I would have thought) would have brought them more money, not less.

Using this 'slegehammer to crack a nut' approach really does not make them look good, and I have the utmost sympathy for the TBB owner and its users.

Wonders whether they will ever notice, the nuts they crack are their own (small but still....)

The sad thing is, in a perfect world this guy wouldn't have too much to fear from the lawsuit against him, as it is very poorly thought out (the only thing he did wrong was use a trademarked name in the domain name... which actually is just free advertising for GW). However GW can just do the same underhanded move any big company can do, which is just stalling in the courts until the defendant goes broke from legal fees.

They just keep shooting themselves in the feet don't they? As others have said, this sit is actually indirectly giving GW money by keeping the game alive. In the real world, most companies have to do their own advertising, not just leech of off the work of their consumers (and for those companies that can depend on their consumers word of mouth, they usually don't stop that free advertising). GW needs to wake up, and realize how lucky they are, before they drive too many consumers away, or a competitor arrives in the market.

Customer loyalty does have a limit.

[end rant]

MUTATE: fyi I don't play BloodBlowl and have never visited the site before, therefore I am hoping I don't appear to have any bias. It is purely my disgust with how people in power can be so bad at doing their jobs.

MUTATE THE SECOND: Never mind that I said the guy was at fault for using a trademark, a quick Google search reviled that there are exceptions to using trademarks in domain names, one being that it is a non-competing use. Since this site does not compete with GW (in fact it greatly helps them) it would fall under an exception... however, I am an Economics student, not a Law student, so I may not be entirely correct in my assumptions here.

Source http://www.avivadirectory.com/domain-law/ see "number of exceptions"
Please note, this does not prevent GW from stalling in the courts to run the defendant broke, that would be for some consumer rights or human rights group to deal with.

I wrote a letter to them, lets see if they will answer to it. I think others should othe same. If they start getting lots of protest letters after every stupid move like that, maybe they will really re-consider next time.