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Craigs

Using resources without permission

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Call me an idiot, but I'm not sure how that copy write stuff for wads work. I'm not sure what it means when "Authors may NOT use this as a base for modification."
Are they refering to the resources in it, such as textures, sprites, music, etc.? Or are they talking about the actual levels that the wad contains?

I've noticed that a lot of wads, such as RYLAYEH and Kama Struta use music and textures from other wads without the original author's permission, and people don't give a damn.

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If it says "may not" then I always assume it means anything and everything in the WAD unless otherwise specified. Of course, I always find it bloody ironic if the permission says "not" when half the resources in the WAD are obviously ripped anyway.

I suppose it is a legal situation. Generally, everyone has the copyright to any original work they produce unless specific conditions exist. However, I don't expect anyone to get sued over one person using another person's WAD to start their level and then release it. The community may not be too kind to you though.

Personally, I've never had a problem with anyone (should they be insane enough) using my resources - levels, graphics, sounds, whatever - so I try to make sure and change the permission to "may". All I expect is a mention in any text file for a WAD that uses my stuff.

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Enjay said:
Of course, I always find it bloody ironic if the permission says "not" when half the resources in the WAD are obviously ripped anyway.

Indeed, it's lame. No reason to follow suit, though. You're just ripping the initial source just like the other guy did.

I suppose it is a legal situation. Generally, everyone has the copyright to any original work they produce unless specific conditions exist. However, I don't expect anyone to get sued over one person using another person's WAD to start their level and then release it. The community may not be too kind to you though.

It's legal, but perhaps more importantly here, a matter of respect; just because you think resources should be shared and you even share yours it does not mean other people think the same, and there's no justification for not respecting what they request about their add-on.

Personally, I've never had a problem with anyone (should they be insane enough) using my resources - levels, graphics, sounds, whatever - so I try to make sure and change the permission to "may". All I expect is a mention in any text file for a WAD that uses my stuff.

Same here; I think that's the best way to go. On the other hand, I have no qualms about reporting people who don't respect the license of another's release, which often results in their stuff being deleted off a server, their page getting shut down, getting losered here, or stuff like that.

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Rule of thumb: if it's kristus, don't use it.

(kristus you know I'm only teasing ;))

But in all seriousness, remember that using a texture or an idea is not illegal; but making a gay compilation of different graphics, sounds, maps and other intellectual property and not giving credit is not a good idea.

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Csonicgo said:

using a texture ... is not illegal

Actually, using something that someone else has created without their permission is illegal.

Really, this stuff isn't complicated in principle. If you have made something that is in some way a creative work, then you have the right to stipulate how and if anyone else can use it. If you haven't, you don't have that right.

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myk said:

A few things in reply to me.

In case I wasn't clear I wasn't defending anyone who copies resources or saying that it was OK. I was just trying to say what the likely outcome of a person doing so would be. A few of your points seemed to be countering an implication I hadn't intentionally made.

myk said:

Same here; I think that's the best way to go. On the other hand, I have no qualms about reporting people who don't respect the license of another's release, which often results in their stuff being deleted off a server, their page getting shut down, getting losered here, or stuff like that.

I don't think I've ever reported anyone, but I agree with the principle of what you said. I personally have no problem in using stuff from any source I like for my own amusement but I certainly wouldn't intentionally rip stuff from another WAD and publicly release it with my own stuff if I thought the owner of the original work objected to that happening. For stuff that is OK to use, I will credit the original author.

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Enjay said:
A few of your points seemed to be countering an implication I hadn't intentionally made.

Pardom me if that seemed personal (perhaps the generic "you" was too intrusive); it counters such implications in any context where they may be considered. While not specifically dispelled, they are certainly not implied in your first post.

It's just that often the issue tends to shift merely to the legal level, which often seems something remote, (will they sue us?,) while the direct relation with other add-on makers is often forgotten till someone complains of misused resources or such. But it seems important to me to note that it's not just a matter of the (immediate) effect ignoring copyrights might have on our project, be this a legal issue or just flames, but also that disregarding those copyrights degrades the community directly, since we're snatching each other's offerings from our hands, not acknowledging that we're dealing with other community members (as opposed to just "stuff to use"), and making each other less respectful and less respectable.

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No problem. On a re-read, I thought it could be taken from what I said that I was putting across the point that it was OK to rip resources because the consequences were not especially serious - legal or not. That was not my intention, so thanks for sparking me to clarify.

myk said:

it's not just a matter of the (immediate) effect ignoring copyrights might have on our project, be this a legal issue or just flames, but also that disregarding those copyrights degrades the community directly, since we're snatching each other's offerings from our hands, not acknowledging that we're dealing with other community members (as opposed to just "stuff to use"), and making each other less respectful and less respectable.

Agreed.

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Enjay said:

No problem. On a re-read, I thought it could be taken from what I said that I was putting across the point that it was OK to rip resources because the consequences were not especially serious - legal or not. That was not my intention, so thanks for sparking me to clarify.


Agreed.


Unless it's a resource wad.
(Hey, Erik Alm did it with Gothic DM)

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Craigs said:
Unless it's a resource wad.

Using something with prior permission is not called "ripping".

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