Are WoW players really that easily confused?

http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/rek15/til_valve_apparently_used_the_name_dota_for_the/

Casual gamer means you don't know the history of DotA and that DotA is a Blizzard Mod.
Its' not DotA 2 its DOTA 2.
Valve can't patent DotA.
That wouldn't be confusing to a casual gamer nope.
Why not DOTA? DOTA 2? Valve can't count?

I wouldn't give up the Dota name for free either. Especially when I'm making my own Dota game.

Most likely, Dota2 will get renamed. And possibly all new characters.

DOTA isn't a blizzard mod, it was a mod created independent of blizzard, using a blizzard game.

If you make a house with a hammer, the people who made the hammer don't own the house.

Im pretty sure the 'confusion' claims, stem from valve's defense being calling the game 'Dota' rather than Defense of the Ancients. By just using the 4 letter term as their official name, it's confusing because it implies it's the direct sequel by having its name be the same as the abbreviation of the WC3 mod, but they technically can't own the WC3 mod so it can't technically be a sequel to something they don't own the rights to. In other words, yes, it's confusing because they are implying it is a sequel with the title without owning the rights to the original.

ITT: Someone with little to no experience with brand control.

Brand familiarity can make or break an advertising campaign. It's dangerous, from a business perspective, for a word to elicit multiple thoughts when spoken. When you hear "DotA" or "DOTA" or however you wish to capitalize it, what do you think of first? That reaction is what's worth fighting over, especially when it's already established.