Copyright and you! ModDB as you may not be aware does have a strong copyright stance, we need to protect you the members from possibly having a legal bat hit across your head and same for ourselves. Staff are always on the lookout for people stealing others work and claiming its there own as well as other shady happenings, as a point we are asking for your help to keep the site clean of thieves.
Examples of copyright violation are:
- De-compiling/Disassembling content for use in another games engine.
- Use of another games art assets in a mod without the consent of the artist.
- Claiming work is yours when it was made by some one else.
- Taking work from a mod or game and using it in another without consent.
As a important note even if you credit the author of the content used, permission is still needed to use it. Crediting will only cover you if you have permission in the first place.
If users are found to have uploaded content with stolen assets, they will have their account suspended aswell as all their mods, addons and downloads removed, this is a minor slap on the wrist in comparison to large companies reactions that can include legal costs and fines in the hundred of thousands.
If you see a mod with stolen content, please contact us with a link to the content claimed to be stolen for investigation.
Regards
ModDB Content Management Staff
Hmm sounds like what I did?>
o.O mmm?
Wait, wait, ALL mods, addons and downloads?!
ONLY STOLEN content should be deleted, IMHO. No need to be carried away! O.o
Removed not deleted, removed items can be restored if needed.
Well, IMHO, only stolen content should be removed & deleted, plus all downloads / promotional images containing the stolen content.
If nothing stolen was found elsewhere, there is no need to delete or remove it, the community, new members, and guests passing by only (i.e. not intending to register or just searching for something particular) can profit from completely legal content.
Deleting (or removing) it along with the stolen one, even temporary, won't do anybody good - hidden things won't help guests find what they're looking for.
So I'm against removing all the content unless it's proven to be stolen or it contains any stolen assets (then the whole download should be deleted and the author/co-authors, etc. should upload their own if they'd like to redeem themselves).
Discretion is taken on what content is removed.
It's a fine bloody line isn't it.
not really. The "simple copyright test!":
ask yourself: did you make it? Yes/No (the asset, code, IP/etc)
If no, ask yourself: did you get permission to use it? Yes/No?
if the answer to the 2nd question is no, you're STEALING! Easy as cake! :p
FIANLY! The devs say it!
May justice be served.
It is a very fine line. Free, fan made projects so far we have found are supported and fine, we have had no issues in 7 years. What we want to make clear however, is that if you use content / ip by another and they do not wish you to, it will be removed immediately should the creator request it be.
Avoid possible issues by always making your own work and ideas reality, its more creative, more challenging, more rewarding and more fun.
We have no issues with fan made projects that dont rip content from games or mods, when they start using models maps that have been used in another game this is were we will intervene.
What about reusing sound effects from different games for new sound packs? Personally I think those types of assets are much harder to create than things like models and textures because they require more specialized software and hardware, which is why a lot of game companies just purchase them instead of creating their own. Do you think any of this makes a difference?
Mmm... you sure?
I remember myself reporting a mod that used and released many many assets and code without my persmission. Nothing happened and I think understand why:
There's no way for you guys, for example, check whether a mod uses stolen code or check if I'm saying the truth or I am just lying.
Copyright means a lot... really a lot and you guys needs to consider the ban/remove/delete ideas really really carefully, or you will be in legal isuess related to the right to freedom of speech and expression.
For IE: there's a mod that uses a soundtrack from a movie. A well known sound track. Let's suppose I report it (I won't) and give you reasons, would you delete and ban the user?
Also, releasing a sound without permission it's the same as porting a model from another game. There's copyright issue.
There's a legal issue when you a) steal the content b)you harm third parties and c) you make profit. And law depends on different countries. Might be a legal problem there and not there.
But... as you said: the idea is creating _original_ content and being polite: asking for permission, ask the authors, let them know what you are going to do. If you create something and you upload it, doesn't mean it is a public domain asset.
about time... Something like that happened TWO bloody time to us...
I personally think that the content should just be removed and the owner of such stolen content should get a personal warning along with their content being removed. a lot of the time especially with new type developers are not aware of such copyright issues and may not find it fair to have their accounts suspended with out a notice other than this one which will disappear in the news feed. i agree its nicer than what most major companies might do. but i still feel a 1 time personal warning before a suspension might be a little more fair.
warnings are issued we don't ban accounts left right and center, as for use of others works comes down to morals and 99% of people would have been brought up knowing its wrong to take something and call it theirs and same for calming work is theirs when its not.
I completely agree with ModDB. Only those who do the wrong thing need to be worried. People who do steal, or use without permission (stealing...), are quick to take credit for work that is not theirs, and even faster to deny they did anything wrong in the fist place when caught. Suspension first, then needles in the eyes until they confess!... lol
Make their eyes BLEED!
Gettin content from one mod to another should be legal if the owner approves it in your mod , and you give him credit. Otherwise its like the original.
I of course approve of this and thank ModDB and it's staff for watching out for us. Have had our content stolen numerous times and it's never mattered whether the work was copyrighted or not.
I'm sorry for asking this question, but IP has been popping up more and more lately, what exactly does it mean in this context?
I cannot give a proper definition but here are a few examples.
Prey is a IP and only 2k/Apogee/Whatever can develop Prey game's( or really anything Prey for that matter ) and are entitled to it.
Same goes with Duke Nukem, Grand Theft Auto, etc (obviously not all the same developer's).
Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
IP is intellectual property, have a look here for a description
En.wikipedia.org
We cant do much on IP issues as it upto the owner of the ip to shut down projects not us.
Ha, this is great I wish more ppl would take it serious.
There is not much you can do about IP stealing, besides some IP aren't IP since they are easy and common ideas which can pop up to anyone.
There should be a article how to protect your self with a license as for example Creative Commons and how to grant permission for others to host files use or not to use specific materials under specific conditions.
Ok i accept , the First mod i did , have's some stuff used without permission , i delete this mod right? but can you reeactivate our group? the group is not violating anything!