For those who are not really aware of KeSPA's business, here's the timeline of KeSPA and its major events in (South) Korea

1. KeSPA (Korean e-Sports Player Association) was founded.
2. Blizzard didn't pay much attention to KeSPA.
3. KeSPA tried to sell tickets to offline audience for the final match of Ongamenet Starcraft taurnament.
4. Blizzard said, 'No, you can't do that.'
5. KeSPA then started to take money from two major game channels, Ongamenet and MBC Game, for broadcasting Starcraft matches in Korea
6. Blizzard got mad a bit about this.
7. Only GomTV contacted Blizzard directly to request for broadcasting matches online.
8. Blizzard asked only 1$ for the contract fee.
9. GomTV created GomTV Classic and began to broadcast games.
10. Around Season 4, KeSPA told GomTV to pay money for the broadcasting.
11. GomTV argued that KeSPA didn't have any rights to do so by mentioning its contract with Blizzard.
12. KeSPA pulled their progamers out of GomTV Classic matches.
13. Eventually, GomTV went out of business.
14. Blizzard got really mad.
15. Blizzard set in motion to protect its property as well as intellectual property of Starcraft.
16. Blizzard tried to negotiate a contract with KeSPA.
17. KeSPA refused, argueing that e-sports are like other sports such as basketball and soccer, and we don't pay money to the creator of the soccer ball for soccer games. Starcraft is for the public use like the soccer ball.
18. Michael Morhaime, the president of Blizzard, visited Korea to meet progamers while promoting new Starcraft2 beta in Korea.
19. KeSPA threatened each progamer team not to meet Michael Morhaime.
20. So Michael Morhaime couldn't meet any progamers and had to return to U.S. in vain.
21. Blizzard constantly tried to negotiate with KeSPA, but KeSPA kept refusing for the same reason.
22. Blizzard finally announced that there'll be no negotiation with KeSPA.
23. Blizzard provided GomTV with the rights for broadcasting all the matches using Blizzard games. Also Blizzard informed that all the matches from KeSPA after the end of August, 2010 will expire, so KeSPA will not be able to have any matches using Blizzard games, otherwise be sued by Blizzard.
24. KeSPA furiously reacted to the 'sudden' terms. (Actually, it seemed like threatenening Blizzard)
25. Ongamenet and MBC Game hurriedly tried to negotiate with GomTV
26. In fact, there's no difference for them because they are going to pay GomTV the same money which they've been paying to KeSPA.
27. The only weapon that KeSPA has now is progamer teams that belong to KeSPA.
28. KeSPA prohibited progamers (including SlayersBoxer and NaDa) from playing, or even trying, Starcraft 2.
29. Consequently, the current high ranking players are usually retired progamers and amateurs.
30. GomTV prepared for the broadcast of GSL(Global Starcraft 2 League).
31. The scale of the league surpassed by far that from KeSPA.
32. KeSPA is now trying some media manipulation saying bad things about Starcraft 2
33. Recently, KeSPA forced NaDa to quit playing during the Starcraft2 event match that was held in Germany.
34. KeSPA gave an excuse that it was because of a network problem.
35. KeSPA changed the excuse that NaDa had another event to attend to at that time.

Most of these are known facts that have happend and are happening in Korea.
I read the original version which was in Korean posted in Ruliweb.com and I got somewhat upset about the whole story, so i decided to trasnlate it into English so that many can learn about how KeSPA has been doing to fans, progamers, and Blizzard.

I have lots of question to ask so I'll just make it simply.

1. Whats with Blizzard and KeSPA???
2. Did KeSPA really ordered NaDa to stop playing during the IEM???
3. Why replays of TLO vs NaDa during the IEM are not released yet???
Although I aint good in SC2, I'm curious about what really happened as the topic was all over teamliquid.net [http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=146083] and theres even some korean forum users who screeshoted what people posted on that forum regarding to the incident of TLO vs NaDa.

Quoted from the same thread. lulz. KeSPA seems to be intent on clashing with Blizzard for moolah.

What benefit do they have while clashing with Blizzard? ...

and why KeSpa programer cant try SC2?

is it under the contract that they cant play any other blizzard games?

and wtf....everything evolve ...that include Starcraft as well....

KeSPA told GomTV to pay money for the broadcasting.

KeSPA refused, argueing that e-sports are like other sports such as basketball and soccer, and we don't pay money to the creator of the soccer ball for soccer games. Starcraft is for the public use like the soccer ball.

isnt this 2 phrase contracting?

You got the message wrong. Kespa means that we dont pay money to the creator of the soccer ball (god knows who, for starcraft, its Blizzard) for soccer games. But you pay money to the soccer teams, etc etc for broadcasting, sponsorship and others (in this case, the pro gamers, Kespa, etc etc).

I agree with Kespa, they are protecting the rights of the gamers, you guys need to understand that in Korea, they practically live from the money they earned in gaming. Its professional over there, its a career. So they expect to get paid when they play games especially during live broadcast.

For this case, Blizzard doesn't want Kespa to earn any money on this. Its unfair I guess.

But Kespa is wrong to compare soccer with SC2. SC2 is an intellectual property owned by Blizzard. And now Kespa wants SC2 so that they can make money out of it without the consent of the owner of this said property. Its like someone goes to you and take your presentation and then present it somewhere else for profit.

If they really wants to look after the welfare of their progamers, they should go and negotiate with Blizzard and come to a solution to all this problem.

7. Only GomTV contacted Blizzard directly to request for broadcasting matches online.
8. Blizzard asked only 1$ for the contract fee.

I think Blizzard just purely doesn't want KeSPA to survive. They've only asked 1$ for the contract fee from GomTV. Don't tell me KeSPA can't afford to pay that 1 buck to solve all the problem? Or maybe KeSPA dint even bother to request for the rights to broadcast it? Anyway, I think this will end up in a lawsuit.

Hmm, I agree, there is an A and B opinion regarding this.

But Blizzard should handle this properly, they need to know that fans and gamers are their source of income...

But the way I look at the situation now is pointing to this, Blizzard are bullying KESPA.

7. Only GomTV contacted Blizzard directly to request for broadcasting matches online.
8. Blizzard asked only 1$ for the contract fee.

I think Blizzard just purely doesn't want KeSPA to survive. They've only asked 1$ for the contract fee from GomTV. Don't tell me KeSPA can't afford to pay that 1 buck to solve all the problem? Or maybe KeSPA dint even bother to request for the rights to broadcast it? Anyway, I think this will end up in a lawsuit.

KesPa is really a pain in the ass.

i want pro korean gamers on the scene!

haha oh wow.

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Added on August 24, 2010, 1:44 pm

blizz negotiated, kespa turned them down. read.

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Added on August 24, 2010, 1:46 pm

while it is true they are a pain, pro gamers or kespa needs money to live too. you want pro korean playing but are you willing to feed them food/shelter etc?

all that said, i dont agree with kespa especially on how things are being handled by them