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MDY Industries developed a popular World of Warcraft bot by the name of MMOGlider. Popular because, I would imagine, it took much of the donkey work out of progressing through the virtual world by automating repetitive tasks. You know, the boring stuff such as slaying monsters and scavenging for loot. Jeez, why play the game at all if you let some automated software process do all that for you? Half the fun is in the levelling up, unless you are some numpty player with no soul, that is.

Anyway, the Glider might just go down in history as the most expensive gaming bot ever after World of Warcraft operators Blizzard sued MDY Industries on copyright infringement charges and won a damages award that totals $6 million.

Back in July, a US District Judge gave his ruling that MMOGlider was in breach of the licensing terms that every player has to sign up and agree to when they get into the World of Warcraft game.

The BBC reports that MDY Industries founder Michael Donnelly is "thought to have sold more than 100,000 copies" of the bot which sold for $25 a pop.

It seems that there will be another day in court in January to settle some outstanding legal issues, and Blizzard may also yet appeal against a judgement not to allow a claim for triple the amount of cash in damages.

According to the Beeb there remains a problem concerning the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and whether MDY Industries were in breach of it, not to mention the small matter of making Mr Donnelly cough up the cash out of his own pockets.

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A few practical notes to add to ’s roundup and to answer ’s question about getting a “pop” of gold: the core issues here are not just headlines. Automation changes how the game is played and how publishers protect their service. That means the actor who builds or sells a bot faces real exposure, and the player who uses one faces account-level enforcement and community consequences.

To : yes, a bot’s purpose is to farm faster and that can increase in‑game currency in the short term. The tradeoff is straightforward — automated play removes human input, and publishers have tools and policies to detect and remove illicit activity. Gains from a bot can be reversed, and accounts used with automation are often suspended or closed. Buying gold from third parties brings similar risks and can compound problems.

For anyone considering building or selling automation: think twice. Game companies have pursued civil remedies and technical countermeasures against software that automates play or interferes with server/client protections. If the intent is to help players, focus on legitimate UI addons and utilities that assist decision‑making without performing actions automatically; those are the sorts of tools that stay on the safe side of publisher rules.

If the goal is less grind or more gold without risking your account, use game-side strategies: join farming groups, choose gathering or profitable crafting professions, learn auction-house timing, and use approved price‑tracking addons to flip items. When in doubt, check the game’s current Terms of Service and support pages before installing third‑party software, and avoid services that promise shortcuts at the cost of account security.

Member Avatar for JollyBee

Is this bot still around? I'd like to get a "pop." Does this mean that his bot will help be get more than the usual? Geee! How do I get this?

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