What Magic Color are You, You Moron? 
Magic League Responds to WOTC Lawyers
In a stunning revelation last week, legal counsel for Wizards of the Coast LLC (“WOTC”) has decreed that the administrators at Magic-League.com (“MAGIC LEAGUE”), who tout themselves as a place for free online Magic: The Gathering tournament and casual play, “effectively shut down” in the words of MTGSalvation (“MTGS”) user “theanimeguy.”
We asked MAGIC LEAGUE spokesperson Kone Magicleague, via e-mail, to respond to WOTC’s cease and desist (“C&D”) notice. Here was his reply.
from: [email protected]
date: Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 12:27 PM
subject: RE: lol
Dear Mr. Reporter,
The nerve of Wizards of the Coast! Each of their allegations is completely unfounded and false. Check it out:
It recently came to our attention that your group has created a website, www.magic-league.com, that touts itself as the place for “free online Magic: The Gathering” tournament and casual play . . .
You didn’t let us finish, Wizards! At Magic League we provide online magic, in the sense of the fantasy and wonderment that people feel when they take part in our tournaments and casual play. And you’ve got to gather tournaments together, in the sense of organizing them and finding participants. The full sentence is, “We will affect you with this figurative sense of free online magic: The gathering tournaments and casual play will make you feel positively enchanted!”
Who says our tournaments have anything to do with M:TG?? Maybe they don’t!
Whoa there, Wizards. If you visit MagicWorkstation.com, you’ll notice that when you download their program, there’s no evidence at all of text or artwork from M:TG. The program is completely divorced from anything related to your card game, you fascist jerks!
In order to get M:TG text and artwork into Magic Workstation, you have to take numerous extra steps, including clicking on a link from MagicWorkstation.com to a TOTALLY DIFFERENT site which hooks you up. It’s legal invincibility! Take THAT, lawyers!
And learn to spell Apprentice! LOL!
Your use of the “Magic-League” name and “magic-league.com” domain name further evidences your bad faith intent to capitalize on the good will associated with Wizards’ MAGIC: THE GATHERING® trademark . . .
Oh so suddenly you have a monopoly on the word “magic?” What’s next! Are you gonna sue David Blaine now, Wizards? You should! It’s the exact same thing, if you think about it logically.
Man, with that logic, I could make a game called “Or This And To” and sue, like, everyone!
Please provide us with your written agreement to the above, as soon as possible and in any event within ten days.
In 10 days, AND “in any event?” What if the “event” is me getting in a giant car accident, putting me in a full body cast and completely incapable of conveying an agreement, written or otherwise? Do you think 10 days is enough time for a severely injured man to heal?? I’m going to have to learn to walk again! Don’t you care, Wizards?
Since this letter, however, MAGIC LEAGUE has complied with the majority of WOTC’s demands, like explicitly noting on their site that MAGIC LEAGUE is not at all affiliated with WOTC. This is an important thing to call out, since apparently a lot of people thought that WOTC was sponsoring a free site that eliminated reasons why people might give money to them.
