Blizzard tests the reach of copyright law

Blizzard make similar claims in their lawsuit against me.  They weren't central to any
argument, though, so they didn't get a lot of attention.  They also stated that a mode of
operation can be a protected part of a work (i.e. multiplayer mode vs. single player), and
that it is a violation of the DMCA to enable such a mode except as intended by the copyright
holder.  I believe they prevailed in that claim.

One of their stronger supporters made many similar comments here.  The general point being
that programs should only be used as intended by their original authors -- despite licensing,
fair use, or practical considerations.  In some locales there are so-called moral rights for
authors (like restricting the location a painting can be displayed, or preventing public
destruction of a sculpture, or requiring certain types of people to be cast as characters in
plays).  I would hate to see the US adopt this, especially in a software context.  It
certainly isn't in the written law, and I hope that the courts don't turn it into case law.