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Gamers claim Modern Warfare 4 site, blackmail Infinity Ward photo

This story is absolutely brilliant. While most of us can only see as far ahead as Modern Warfare 2, a gaming community with the dual gifts of foresight and shamelessness have seized a sneaky opportunity, deciding to register the domain name modernwarfare4.com with plans to blackmail Infinity Ward and get free copies of the game when it presumably comes out in 2013.

Visiting the Web site provides the following message for those who desire the domain name:

Hello!

If you are reading this, you may well be the web administrator for Infinity Ward.

If you are, there is a chance that you may well require this domain. Don't worry, you can have it - in exchange for a little 'good will gesture' for the little gaming community that owns this domain and has been playing your games for years.

What we'd like is a copy of the game that this domain would be used for, - one copy for each and every member of our gaming community.

If you wish to discuss this further, drop me an email - welovecod@ziip.co.uk or goto www.ziip.co.uk and leave a message to Jester.

Many Regards :)

James
Apparently, the gaming community in question has sixty-two members, so that's quite a few copies of Modern Warfare 4. Despite the absolute gall, you have to admire the devious nature of the plan, not to mention the long-term dedication this requires. If we only get a Modern Warfare once every two years, this is going to be quite a lengthy campaign. I want to hate these people ... but I can't stop myself respecting them.

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67 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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next 50 comments

mo0man's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:03
mo0man
You've got a typo in your URL

Also, I want to copy this, only for l4d4, if only to confuse the shit out of people with the URL
andycadaver's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:05
andycadaver
/sign
Daxelman's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:06
Daxelman
Only modernwarfare4.com?

How about infinityward.com/modernwarfare? Nobody thought they could just do that?

Isn't Modern Warfare trademarked anyways?
Tron's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:09
Tron
there's no proof that there will be a modern warefare 3, much less a 4. for all we know, infinity ward could rename the series to something else, or go in another direction with the call of duty franchise.
SyntaxError's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:11
SyntaxError
@Daxelman:

You can't do that because infinityward.com is the root domain for Infinity Ward (they own it). It's kinda like registering destructoid.com/something-or-other for one's own nefarious intentions.
grassr00ts's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:12
grassr00ts
Modernwarefarefour.com. Nuff said
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:13
DeusPayne
All they're doing is guaranteeing that they'll use the subname for their domain, or just go off a separate domain much like daxel suggested. Domain sitting doesn't work because there's literally infinite domains to use.
Scroll's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:15
Scroll
Some people are stupid and some people attempt to blackmail/boycott video game companies. Wait is there a difference?
Mirax's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:19
Mirax
That's the best thing I ever heard.
SyntaxError's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:20
SyntaxError
@DeusPayne:

If it does work, you would have struck gold. My professor registered a domain name that has something to do with climate change. Dunno if he sold it, but the last offer was $1000.

On another note, some lucky dude who registered "sex.com" (probably way back during the boom of dial up in the mid-late 90's) became $14,000,0000 richer after selling the domain. Proof that sex (quite literally) sells.
mo0man's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:23
mo0man
WHY ARE ALL YOU PEOPLE COMMENTING SERIOUSLY ON THIS? Are you working on a higher level of meta than me, or are you just idiots?
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:25
Chronic Logic
Well Infinity Ward already acquired Modern Warfare 3. And the site says "No announcements regarding Modern Warfare 3 are available at this time, nor is this Modern Warfare Title confirmed to be in development" So maybe Infinity Ward is making Modern Warfare 3.
cornagandarub's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:25
cornagandarub
This is a pathetic attempt by the creators of this domain. Who really would think they would get free copies of a game for this?
PKN's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:26
PKN
One court order and the name is Infinity Ward's. Companies have won back the right to their own trademarks before.
WarZombie's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:27
WarZombie
Doesn't anybody else think this is funny? You have to be kidding me if you think these guys are actually serious, but if they are, then this story just became funnier. I mean, it's not going to work, but it's humorous nonetheless.
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:27
Tubatic
we love cod ?

I'm sure you do guys... hurr
Slowey's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:33
Slowey
ok ill give them props for their work and idea. I personally thinks its stupid and wont work, but I like their thinking.
PhazonYoshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:34
PhazonYoshi
Modern4fare?

Also, this is great. If I were Activision, I'd be all like "YEAH! Sure, have 2!"
Rankcanine's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:36
Rankcanine
i find this hilarious myself.
rockydil's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:42
rockydil
Economically speaking, it wouldn't cost Activision too much (a couple thousand in lost sales, standard costs of producing each game, some admin and overhead to mail them out) to to this. Even though it's definitely stupid and ridiculous, a huge company like that being extorted by "the little guy" makes news. News = PR. PR equals interest. Interest = sales. I wouldn't be surprised to see them do it (and deliver a charming press release about it).
Nerdy Suit's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:43
Nerdy Suit
THESE GUYS WON'T WIN, I PROMISE YOU.

The only way these clowns get anything from Infinity Ward is if Infinity Ward feels extra nice and wants to hook these guys up for being ballsy. Otherwise, these guys have no legal ground to stand on to hold the domain name even though they may currently own it.

Do you think these are the first guys to have thought of this? This happens all the time and it never works when going against a big company.

I had a professor who, at the very early ages of the internet, reserved the domain names for McDonalds, Gatorade, Target, and a few other high-profile company names or products.

He first asked for a certain amount of money. They said no. He kept lowering his price. They said no. He finally got to the begging stage and was even willing to exchange the domain name for sample products.

He didn't get a damn thing. After some legal motions, they got their domain names and he got absolutely nothing.

Morale to the story: You can reserve domain names and own them...but if you buy a domain name of an existing product or company (that is popular enough to be able to reasonably assume that the person knew about the product/company) or of a product that is obvious enough that it will eventually exist (e.g. Modern Warfare 4) then you will not legally be able to keep the domain name. So no...don't bother reserving the Halo 12 domain name.

Infinity Ward will get their domain name back and these guys will get nothing...unless Infinity Ward just wants to be nice.
perri's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:46
perri
If only I was so clever...

I hope infinity ward pays em.
Nerdy Suit's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:46
Nerdy Suit
Here's another morale to the story:

If you think you have a good idea...someone else has probably already thought of it...

...and this one failed for a reason.

gg. try again, clowns.
killah2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:55
killah2010
they could just make another damin like modernwarfare4game.com
just like they did with mag
Gyrael's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 12:59
Gyrael
This is embarassing.
wanderingpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:12
wanderingpixel
Wow. Amazing.
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:15
falinter
i just registerd http://jimsterling.com/

.... wait who the fuck is jim sterling
Nerdy Suit's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:18
Nerdy Suit
@Perri

These guys are not clever. They are the 992,923,533,123,421 person to have thought of this.

@Kiranio

It's not embarrassing because Infinity Ward and Activision know that they can just get the domain name back whenever they want if they decide that want to make a MW4 without paying or giving these guys a single thing. These companies are smarter about these types of things than you guys think.

These clowns should be embarrassed for thinking they were the first ones to come up with this idea and not doing research to realize that it wouldn't work.
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:25
AgentMOO
Domain squatters are scum
ill will's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:31
ill will
Not only will they not get anything, they're also breaking the law. This is an old ploy known as 'cybersquatting' and it's illegal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybersquatting

"Cybersquatting (also known as domain squatting), according to the United States federal law known as the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else. "
Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:32
Magnalon
They had the perfect opportunity to squat on this domain for good and they made themselves look like assholes.

If only they stated: "We're holding this domain in protest of the MW2 price hike", people would be ALL about them.
Swizzler121's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:46
Swizzler121
doesn't sound like blackmail, blackmail is when you take something of theirs and don't give it back until they do something, this is simply stating that if infinity ward wants to buy that site, they must pay in copies of Modern Warfare 4, which should be out by next june.
DJDuffy 's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:49
DJDuffy
hmmm does this mean we should buy modernwarefare5.com??
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 13:56
Holyetheline
They said on their homepage that now they are going to make real demands?

"As I have recieved emails calling me a blackmailer, we have decided to wear balaclavas and make some real demands.."

Wonder what those could be?
phantomile's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 14:00
phantomile
@falinter: That web site scared the crap out of me. Look at that guy's face.
ArcticFox's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 14:01
ArcticFox
Amusingly enough, this story popped up as I was studying for my Entertainment Law Final. What follow is US Code, so as you can see, what these kids are doing, is completely against the law

From the Lanham Act, which is a part of US Trademark Law: (15 U.S.C. § 1125(d)): Cyberpiracy prevention: Cybersquatting (domain squatting) -- bad faith intent to profit from a mark, including a personal name which is protected as a mark under the Act and “registers, traffics in, or uses a domain name” that is a distinctive or famous mark and that is identical or confusingly similar.
Cartman's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 14:12
Cartman
Time to get into the vault again, I guess.
ChickenNow's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 14:19
ChickenNow
It's called cybersquatting, these douchebags didn't even do their homework.

Did they seriously think they were the first to try this? What a bunch of morons...
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 14:21
Monodi
Uhhhh...
Narishma's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 14:38
Narishma
Some guys tried to pull shit like this with Quake Zero, id software instead just changed the name of the game to Quake Live and got a new domain.
shogunu's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 15:09
shogunu
Ha, ha, ha!!!

What a bunch of retards :))
I can't believe that out of gaming community of 62 individuals nobody ever heard of cybersquatting, or at least figure out by themselves that this might be wrong (hint: blackmail) :D

They must be 12 year olds or idiots, or both.
-Ghost-'s Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 15:41
-Ghost-
You guys are getting pretty angry over this, why? They're probably not even serious about it.
Izuel's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 15:53
Izuel
About the headline image.
MW4 is and will always be known as Mechwarrior 4, not some silly run of the mill fps generic thrash. Oh and it's bad behavior to try to earn on others names.
BonkersBM's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 15:56
BonkersBM
@ nerdy suit
Don't worry, you can have it - in exchange for a little 'good will gesture' for the little gaming community that owns this domain and has been playing your games for years.

no blackmail there.. a goodwill gesture

i see you are easily swayed by our clown pic, as you keep mentioning it.

@ ghost. correct we are not. we are a fun gaming community. emphasis on the fun part. you may not get our humour..
parrothead's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 16:14
parrothead
This is pretty funny
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 16:24
Justice
Wow they are idiots!
ration's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 16:45
ration
these guys are idiots, you should've blackmailed them after the 3rd game

comes out
Johnny Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 16:46
Johnny Justice
I predict, before work can begin on Modern Warfare 4 we will have world peace thus making it impossible to base a game on "modern warfare".
theredpepperofdoom's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 16:48
theredpepperofdoom
Activision could just call the fourth Modern Warfare game 'Tony Hawk: Call of Duty Guitar Hero 10'.
ration's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/29/2009 16:57
ration
technically the game isn't even announced, therefore cybersquatting laws don't

apply, right?
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