Blizzard enlists PayPal in fight against WoW gold farmers
PayPal threatens loss of service for all who profit from virtual currency
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Blizzard has enlisted the help of PayPal to help crack down on nefarious World of Warcraft gold farmers. Earlier this month, Blizzard petitioned the online money-transfer service to stop providing service for those who are using PayPal to profit off the selling of virtual currency. Last week, PayPal responded by sending gold farmers this strongly worded warning:
Blizzard has enlisted the help of PayPal to help crack down on nefarious World of Warcraft gold farmers. Earlier this month, Blizzard petitioned the online money-transfer service to stop providing service for those who are using PayPal to profit off the selling of virtual currency. Last week, PayPal responded by sending gold farmers this strongly worded warning: You were reported to PayPal as an Intellectual Properties violation by Blizzard Entertainment Inc.for the sale of World of Warcraft Merchandise. If you feel your sales do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of the Reporting Party, please complete the attached Objection to Infringement Report by January 21, 2011. The completed form should be faxed to the attention of the Acceptable Use Policy Department at [number removed] or emailed to [email removed]. Should you choose not to object to the report, you will be required to remove all World of Warcraft Merchandise from the website [url removed] in order to comply with the Acceptable Use Policy. Gold farming, for MMO neophytes, is the act of playing an MMO solely for the purpose of obtaining gold and selling it to other players who are either too impatient or lazy to do it themselves. Technically, there's nothing wrong with those that wish to spend their waking hours scrounging for virtual currency, but most MMO operators have specific rules about trading said gains for cold hard cash, hence Blizzard's recent actions. WoW isn't the only MMO to have sprouted a gold farming industry, but it is one of the most lucrative markets in which to do business. It's unlikely that this action will stop all gold farming operations, but it might make a few farmers seriously consider closing up shop... or just stop using PayPal. Jan 31, 2010 [Source: WoW Insider]
You were reported to PayPal as an Intellectual Properties violation by Blizzard Entertainment Inc.for the sale of World of Warcraft Merchandise.
If you feel your sales do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of the Reporting Party, please complete the attached Objection to Infringement Report by January 21, 2011.
The completed form should be faxed to the attention of the Acceptable Use Policy Department at [number removed] or emailed to [email removed].
Should you choose not to object to the report, you will be required to remove all World of Warcraft Merchandise from the website [url removed] in order to comply with the Acceptable Use Policy.
Gold farming, for MMO neophytes, is the act of playing an MMO solely for the purpose of obtaining gold and selling it to other players who are either too impatient or lazy to do it themselves. Technically, there's nothing wrong with those that wish to spend their waking hours scrounging for virtual currency, but most MMO operators have specific rules about trading said gains for cold hard cash, hence Blizzard's recent actions.
WoW isn't the only MMO to have sprouted a gold farming industry, but it is one of the most lucrative markets in which to do business. It's unlikely that this action will stop all gold farming operations, but it might make a few farmers seriously consider closing up shop... or just stop using PayPal.
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Jan 31, 2010
[Source: WoW Insider]
Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries.
