Petition to restore Cockatrice server

[Piceli89]

So, I don't know if you guys have already heard about it (or if there's another topic open for this, haven't seen it), but the main Cockatrice server was shut down because of legal disputes with Hasbro about copyright infringement.
Since the software was a very useful tool for us all to playtest online decks for free before buying cards (and I suspect this also was the main point of the problem), I'd suggest you to visit https://www.change.org/petitions/hasbro-drop-charges-against-cockatrice#share to sign in for Cockatrice to be restored; maybe it could change the turning of things, in a way or the other.

Thanks.

[Koby]

Playing the role of Devil's Advocate:
How would restoration of the Cockatrice server not continue to violate copyright law with regards to effectively copying the full card art and frame directly into the client and at real time?

[Dan Turner]

There is no way for them to allow this legally. Cockatrice was in violation of federal law...period. This is wizards trademark, copyright as well as intellectual property that was being used to pretty much counterfeit digital cards. I could see an argument possible if they did not have their own digital product. If you start allowing a dilution of your product via programs such as cockatrice, then it weakens your product as well as the status of their trademark and copyrights.

Sure I love to playtest before I take a leap and buy new cards. I do this via the use of a nice color printer, sticker photo paper and land cards. My group has a playtest binder with playsets of most high dollar staples to test new ideas with, we do this before going out of pocket a few hundred in cards for a deck that may not work in our meta. To be honest we do not view what we do as legal, but we do see it as necessary to continue to be able to playtest and keep our out of pocket cost down by not buying cards that will not be used.

[Madmaniac21]

Just use MWS. EZ game.

[Hopo]

Since I use neither I have to ask: what makes Cockatrice illegal but not MWS?

[Koby]

Since I use neither I have to ask: what makes Cockatrice illegal but not MWS?

Leeching card art from Wizards.com to load into the program.

[ween]

Some possible reasons ...

It's positioned as a virtual table top pretty well in it's documentation and supports multiple CCGs
It's tabletop engine is peer to peer and thus doesn't have a central server to 'shut down' (it can be run through a 3rd party server process as well for those cut off from firewalls and whatnot)

From the Cockatrice thread

[Barook]

What's preventing us to go back to MWS again? Sure, it's worse, but it works.

And why can't a server be set up in a country where the Magic copyright can't be infringed?

[lordofthepit]

Has an online petition ever done anything productive? Besides "raise awareness". Serious question.

[Jamaican Zombie Legend]

I'm surprised Cockatrice lasted as long as it did. That shit pretty much obviated the need to buy real Magical Cards for a lot of people, was widely discussed on the internet, and took potential earnings away from Wizards.

Still is a bitch to lose it, however. It beats the godawful p.o.s. that is Magic Online as far as interface goes (and I still hate MO for being some absolutely idiotic 90's style internet business and that it could never go to a sensible expansion/subscription model over the "virtual property" because so many people are too tied up in it).

Welp, my interest in Children's Card Games has been getting hammered by Wizards as of late. RtR and Gatecrash being kind of shitty, the Seething Song ban, and now this. Still can't even manage to trade together my EDH deck ideas either. Bummer, man, bummer.

[shpishay]

I wonder if someone savvy in Linux would be able to set up a third party server.

I'm not sure that pulling card art from gatherer is the best argument for this shutdown. Anyone can do that with http requests like so:

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=234699&type=card

[Beatusnox]

I actually posted about this on facebook, to quote my post from there.


So hasbro shut down cockatrice claiming 'copyright violations' with a C&D. Found this little tid-bit while looking through some copyright law; "A fair dealing with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work, does not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the work if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of that work or of another work, and a sufficient acknowledgement of the work is made." The fact that hasbro(not wizards, hasbro) issued a C&D means they have had knowledge of its existence. Furthermore, it can be argued that the program existed for the criticism and critiquing of their IP, Magic: The Gathering. While the amount of time that cockatrice has existed may be used to mitigate its use as an outlet to criticism, the fact that a new set comes out approximately every 3-4 months which can alter the game which causes a new 'review' or criticism to be necessary.

[phazonmutant]

I actually posted about this on facebook, to quote my post from there.

I think you're completely misinterpreting what that fair use clause means. Cockatrice in no way provided any substantial criticism or in fact offered any artistic expression. Even if they acknowledge MtG, they're not meeting the prerequisites.


I wonder if someone savvy in Linux would be able to set up a third party server.

Someone already did that at www.woogerworks.com. We'll probably have to find new cards.xml files in sketchy forum posts now (like what MWS people do). It's not that hard to make yourself though - XML is pretty readable.

[xfxf]

Just like mIRC what's preventing anyone from setting up local, regional servers?

[Chikenbok]

Just like mIRC what's preventing anyone from setting up local, regional servers?

Like was already said, there is already a new server up that seems to have more traffic than the old one --

play.woogerworks.com
4747

register at the domain name above.

[shpishay]

Like was already said, there is already a new server up that seems to have more traffic than the old one --

play.woogerworks.com
4747

register at the domain name above.

Sweet! Thanks for the info.

[Phelix]

i guess the ninja way to get a cockatrice clone to function is this:

have a clone of cocktatrice. call its Honktarice.

have a free virtual cardcame. call its Honkers.

allow players to upload their own cards and cardsets, as well as art, into the Honkatrice client.


someone unafilliated with Honkers and Honkatrice will produce a package of all the mtg cards and their art, and share it via anonymous sites/torrents.

this way the owners of Honkers are not liable - only the enduser.

[Kap'n Cook]

Anyone have any information on how to run Oracle and get the sets downloaded?

I had to re-download cockatrice from woogerworks and don't know if there is a link to it somewhere that I can import.

Anyone know?

[thecrav]

Anyone have any information on how to run Oracle and get the sets downloaded?

I had to re-download cockatrice from woogerworks and don't know if there is a link to it somewhere that I can import.

Anyone know?

Don't know about how to scrape gatherer, but here's a link to sets.xml from Reddit:

https://mega.co.nz/#!OpxH1QIB!YHH73SMm50xtPdRDAYvN4z3oBEI5E27LBiaXyR4DFp0