KeSPA & 12 Pro Game Teams
Express Regret at Blizzard’s one-way interview saying final split with KeSPA
KeSPA tries to resume negotiations for e-Sports fans
Korea e-Sports Association (President Cho, Ki Haeng, www.e-sports.or.kr) said “Although, KeSPA has negotiated with Blizzard sincerely and faithfully for last three years, U.S.-based game developer Blizzard confirmed final split with KeSPA through a media interview without any prior notice. We expressed our deep regret to that.” Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime told a Korean media on April 23 in its headquarters in Irvine, California, U.S. that IP rights negotiations with KeSPA finally reached an impasse, so the company is looking for a new partner”.
Choi, Won-Je, the Secretary-general of KeSPA, told “Because Blizzard had asked NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) on the negotiations, we didn’t comment on this matter to keep faith”. “However, Blizzard said it seized the negotiations one-sidedly through interview and it significantly distorted the truth about the reason of split. That’s the reason to indicate our stance,” added the Secretary-general.
▶ All pro game teams including Broadcasters agree to take joint action
All board members of KeSPA including Ongame Network and MBC Game reached an agreement to set the KeSPA as a contact point to negotiate and take joint action against Blizzard’s issue as well. KeSPA and pro game teams express their stance on this issue like below.
▶ Controversial on accepted range of original IP rights in e-Sports
e-Sports is a kind of future-oriented industry dealing with game. It can be considered that e-Sports is located between ‘Game industry’ and ‘Sports Entertainment’. It is not only a place for satisfying customers and generating revenue for game developers, but a place of PR and Marketing for enterprises.
It needs a mutual cooperation among game developers, e-Sports organizations and associations when a game to be developed as an e-Sports title because of the characteristic of e-Sports above. However, if game industries assert their rights to maximize the pursuit of profits after their games become core e-Sports title, it can be serious obstacles for e-Sports to take roots as future-oriented entertainment industry.
KeSPA has expressed its position of being willing to pay for a rational level of usage fee and appeal its support of marketing and promotion for product line-up of Blizzard with continuous investment such as sharing all contents which belong to KeSPA like pro gamers, broadcasting and sponsorship.
However, Blizzard has asserted not the right as a copyright but unreasonable demands as following.
- Set the contract term for using its games to 1 year
- Prior approvals about all league operations such as contracting sponsorship, marketing materials, broadcasting plan
- License fee for running of league and all license fee of sponsorship inducement
- Ownership of all broadcasted programs, program videos
- Right to audit KeSPA
Through 3-year negotiations, KeSPA requested Blizzard to withdraw or change some unacceptable conditions to protect the rights and interests of professional gamers, teams and e-Sports fans. Even KeSPA suggested positive cooperation including marketing supports etc, Blizzard has stuck to their principle, not to resume the negotiation, till the KeSPA accept all conditions. But recently, Blizzard distorted the truth of breakdown, claiming KeSPA didn’t admit Blizzard’s IP rights request without unveiling its excessive demand conditions.
▶ The IP rights negotiation process between KeSPA and Blizzard
In Feb, 2007, Blizzard sent ‘official document to forbid Starcraft broadcasting contract’ to KeSPA through its law firm. Then after, KeSPA has negotiated with Blizzard about all the conditions including broadcasting rights. Actually, during 3 years, KeSPA met Blizzard just few times and Blizzard postponed or resumed the negotiations one-sidedly by reason of launch schedule of Starcraft2 .
On June, 2009, KeSPA and Blizzard resumed the negotiation before the releasing Starcraft2, but Blizzard seized it again unilaterally. Then after, KeSPA requested to resume the negotiations and meet Mike Morhaime directly but Blizzard kept the silent regarding and urged to accept the conditions.
▶ KeSPA tries to resume negotiations to protect right to see of e-Sports fans
KeSPA said there still remain many problems on negotiations with Blizzard, it will readily resume negotiations again at any time to protect right to see of e-Sports fans and continue its development with a broad view. KeSPA already sent an official document to CEO Mike Morhaime to request of resume negotiations. KeSPA and all pro game teams plan to hold joint press conference sometime soon if it needed. Fin.
