Legal Matters
by Stuart Norman · in General Discussion · 03/20/2002 (11:39 am) · 12 replies
If someone plans to create a mod/game is it illegal to use textures/ sounds etc from other games? I'm thinking the answers probably yes but i just thought i'd ask anyway :)
-Stuart
-Stuart
#2
If you make a mod for a game, and use its models and textures, thats fine.
However, if you make a mod for a game,a nd use another games models and textures, thats not.
I know this as a member of a mod team was threaten by legal action by the counter strike team over using their models in VTMR.
But this only depends on who the other game is owned by. Asking first solves the problem.
03/20/2002 (12:27 pm)
Well yes and no.If you make a mod for a game, and use its models and textures, thats fine.
However, if you make a mod for a game,a nd use another games models and textures, thats not.
I know this as a member of a mod team was threaten by legal action by the counter strike team over using their models in VTMR.
But this only depends on who the other game is owned by. Asking first solves the problem.
#3
Its a shame really. A lot of perfectly good artwork, sound effects, models, maps, etc are "locked up" due to these agreements. If you tell your users the must buy the other game, that seems fair and it is a sale that the original company would otherwise have missed. These draconian EULAs seem to be just corporate obstinance, but perhaps there are legit reasons for it.
03/20/2002 (3:23 pm)
Its probably illegal. Read the EULA of the game your interested in. It will probably prohibit you from creating any sort of "derivative work", along with all sorts of other restrictions. Basically most EULAs allow you to play the game and thats it. The Quake 3 EULA even has clauses in in that say you can't make extra levels or mods! Clearly they don't enforce that, but they could if they wanted too.Its a shame really. A lot of perfectly good artwork, sound effects, models, maps, etc are "locked up" due to these agreements. If you tell your users the must buy the other game, that seems fair and it is a sale that the original company would otherwise have missed. These draconian EULAs seem to be just corporate obstinance, but perhaps there are legit reasons for it.
#4
03/20/2002 (4:17 pm)
yeah money lol
#5
Now, the mod community generally gets away with it for a good reason: most mods are FREE. The issue is if you are making money off of someone else's content, then they'll come after you. Or if you use their content not in a mod for their product.
Best bet: avoid it at all costs.
03/20/2002 (6:09 pm)
The general answer is you can't use content that hasn't been specifically made available for you, or for general consumption.Now, the mod community generally gets away with it for a good reason: most mods are FREE. The issue is if you are making money off of someone else's content, then they'll come after you. Or if you use their content not in a mod for their product.
Best bet: avoid it at all costs.
#6
If say you mod Half life into, star trek, star wars, or warhammer40k, then teh licence owns my shut you down. They did with a quake warhammer40k mod.
Remember boys and Girls, Games Workshop are EVIL scum.
03/20/2002 (6:34 pm)
Another thing is licences.If say you mod Half life into, star trek, star wars, or warhammer40k, then teh licence owns my shut you down. They did with a quake warhammer40k mod.
Remember boys and Girls, Games Workshop are EVIL scum.
#7
03/20/2002 (6:59 pm)
well then again if you take a product and improve onit greater then 10% it becomes a new product by law, if that wasnt possible then we all would still be living in the stone age.
#8
03/23/2002 (3:44 pm)
eh, what law is that? if that was true everyone could use the unreal 2 engine for free, no?
#9
Stuart
03/24/2002 (1:24 pm)
How about if i wanted to feature a certain product in my game. Like having my main character drive a BMW or a Jaguar. Do i have to ask the car manufacturers permission?Stuart
#10
We need a resident lawyer type to do an IRC Q&A for us :)
03/24/2002 (1:41 pm)
Yes, you would have to ask permission to use the cars.We need a resident lawyer type to do an IRC Q&A for us :)
#11
mod makers always want to make their favorite book/movie/toy into a game. it always amazes me how they continue to start up star wars mods, only to have them shut down. george lucas has a copyright on the word "droid" for chrissakes. if gl can copyright a word he didnt make up, and would want to, doesnt that give people a hint? its hard for me to understand, because the backstory is the easiest part of the game to make. i know good writing isnt easy, all you writers hold the flames, but when youre creating an entire game, wouldnt you want to go ahead and do something original? i know that its tempting to make that star wars game "the right way", but its just not doable.
03/24/2002 (2:07 pm)
you dont need a lawyer. just assume you cant use it, and you'll be right. unless you get express permission, no brand name or whatever is usable. gran tourismo doesnt have damageable cars because the car makers dont want their cars in some video game all smashed up. if SONY has to kiss their ass, what do you think an indy will get? mod makers always want to make their favorite book/movie/toy into a game. it always amazes me how they continue to start up star wars mods, only to have them shut down. george lucas has a copyright on the word "droid" for chrissakes. if gl can copyright a word he didnt make up, and would want to, doesnt that give people a hint? its hard for me to understand, because the backstory is the easiest part of the game to make. i know good writing isnt easy, all you writers hold the flames, but when youre creating an entire game, wouldnt you want to go ahead and do something original? i know that its tempting to make that star wars game "the right way", but its just not doable.
#12
If you've played both the retail version, and the downloadable version of Counter-Strike, you'll notice a difference. The weapon names are changed, presumably due to legal issues. Hechler & Koch own the MP5, including the IP. The other guns are owned by Sig, H&K, Magnum Research Inc., Fabrique Nationale, Benelli, Steyr, Ingram, Colt, Accuracy International, and Kalashnikov. Most of those are foreign, so rather than going through all the hassle tracking the owners down and paying royalties, they just changed the names. - That's what I assume at least :) I could be wrong.
03/24/2002 (2:09 pm)
Yes, the car companies own their cars' IPs.If you've played both the retail version, and the downloadable version of Counter-Strike, you'll notice a difference. The weapon names are changed, presumably due to legal issues. Hechler & Koch own the MP5, including the IP. The other guns are owned by Sig, H&K, Magnum Research Inc., Fabrique Nationale, Benelli, Steyr, Ingram, Colt, Accuracy International, and Kalashnikov. Most of those are foreign, so rather than going through all the hassle tracking the owners down and paying royalties, they just changed the names. - That's what I assume at least :) I could be wrong.
Torque Owner Josh Albrecht