När Gamespy stängde ner våren 2014 stod åstkilliga gamla multiplayerspel plötsligt utan serverbläddrare. Ett gäng Battlefield-fans drog snabbt igång Revive, ett projekt med målet at låta folk fortsätta lira spel som Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 och Battlefield Heroes.

Men nu verkar det vara slut med det. Revive-teamet säger att de fått ett brev från EA:s jurister där de ombeds sluta distribuera EA-ägda spelklienter och EA-ägda varumärken (logs med mera), något som man tänker följa.

We will get right to the point: Electronic Arts Inc.' legal team has contacted us and nicely asked us to stop distributing and using their intellectual property. As diehard fans of the franchise, we will respect these stipulations.

Brevet har en påfallande vänlig och icke-juridisk ton, men budskapet framgår ändå helt klart: "Använd inte våra produkter utan vårt medgivande." Orsaken är at EA värnar om sitt varumärke, att man inte uppskattar att fans tror EA står bakom fan-projekt som Revive. Eller med deras egna ord:

Thing is, your websites may easily mislead visitors to believe that you are associated or affiliated with EA and we’re the only ones that get to wear the Official EA dog tag.

Så här formulerar Revive-gänget saken:

We will get right to the point: Electronic Arts Inc.' legal team has contacted us and nicely asked us to stop distributing and using their intellectual property. As diehard fans of the franchise, we will respect these stipulations.

Over the past 3 and a half years, Revive Network has filled a void in nearly 1 million players' hearts by bringing favorite titles back to life after online services were closed after the GameSpy shutdown. Only a few months ago, we took on the task of bringing multiplayer services online for a fan-favorite, Battlefield Heroes. The public reception for our efforts on this title were massive, and we never expected it to become as big as it was.

At this time, file downloads will be disabled.

This is probably the part where we have to say good bye. Before we leave the battlefield, we would like to thank all of the developers, artists, moderators, and last but not least every single player that helped make all of this a reality. Without you, it would not have become such a great time.

Signing off,
- The Revive Network Team

Och så här skriver EA:s representanter till Revive-folket:

Dear [REDACTED],

I write on behalf of Electronic Arts Inc. and its development studio DICE or, in other words, ‘those guys that make Battlefield’.

We’ve noticed that Revive Network has several projects and websites devoted to being a Medic by reviving older Battlefield games, including Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield 2, and Battlefield 2142. It’s great to see your enthusiasm for these titles. Not to brag, but we too get the nostalgia chills when booting up these classic entries in the Battlefield franchise.

We need a favor though: we must ask that you stop throwing down Ammo Crates. In other, more legal-styled terms, please stop distributing copies of our game clients and using our trademarks, logos, and artwork on your sites. Thing is, your websites may easily mislead visitors to believe that you are associated or affiliated with EA and we’re the only ones that get to wear the Official EA dog tag. Since you’re Battlefield community members, we know that you are smart and helpful, and will respect that we must protect our intellectual property rights in the franchise.

Please drop us a line to let us know you’re on board with this. Should you have any questions regarding all this, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at [REDACTED]@ea.com.

Thanks,

[REDACTED]

IP Counsel

Electronic Arts Inc.