Who owns Dota? Blizzard Vs Valve

So i decided to create this thread for the sole purpose of discussing the matter that is currently going on between Blizzard and Valve who are fighting about the rights to the name Dota (and other ways to spell Dota as well as the full name, Defense of the Ancients). Feel free to share your opinion while the matter gets resolved between the two of them.

Personally i think the name belongs to neither, even if i am a Valve fanboy, though i'd say it belongs more to Valve than Blizzard because Blizzard claims it is their because the mod/game is build on WC3. I think this is a stupid claim with no hold in it, first of all, they didn't make Dota, they only hosted the means to make it playable. Second, the guy currently working on Dota work with Valve, if anyone should tell who has more rights to the name it should be him, if not the guy creating Dota (can't remember his name but knows he works at Riotgames now).

So what about you guys, any view on this, or am i the only one who cares about whether or not the name goes to Valve or Blizzard?

It belongs to no one, like you said. The person that actually came up with the title of DotA was Eul, everyone else just sort of jacked it from him and now they are fighting for the name. I'm not a judge, so I cant just say with certainty who the name rightfully belongs, or doesn't, belong to. There are points that all parties have though.

Guinsoo was the guy behind DotA for a while, then he passed it to IceFrog. Suddenly DotA leaves wc3 and Guinsoo gets angry and started the whole deal. Honestly, Guinsoo has no right to do that, he passed it down to IceFrog, it is then IceFrog's material to do what he pleases with it.

Money money money money.

Neither has the right to own it but... lets hope it is VALVe who wins in the end.

I keep reading that Eul is working with valve aswel any truth to that?

I thought Eul just disappeared into the history of WC3 never to be seen again.

Apparently, Gabe Newell has also stated that Eul is working with Valve, but I've not seen any confirmation of this that couldn't possibly have been forged.

Icefrog! Icefrog now works with Valve so... Valve owns the IP.

All I know for sure is that he was attending Digipen in 2010 and was in his last year, or at least someone who claimed to be Eul.

I read that Eul was working for Valve. Not sure how reputable the article I read was, though. It did cite Gaben, wherein he said "Icefrog and Eul are both on board with us" or something to that effect.



But Icefrog isn't the undisputed owner of the DotA trademark. Technically, Blizzard owns more rights to DotA through their purchasing Guinsoo and Pendragon's rights to DotA than Icefrog does.

I agree with valve, blizzard is just icefrog's inspiration.