Reality Factory

I don't care if the file could be tracked or not, its always best to be completely honest.

Yeah. I always use freeware or "paid-up" versions of shareware and trial software for game assets. I always check the licenses too. You can't be too careful, even though I bet most of these things are untrackable.
This is one of the biggest reasons why I like to be as original as possible when creating content. When downloading free sound effects and stuff it's hard to find a reliable license, especially if you download it from findsounds.com or something, and if somebody catches you then you're in hot water. My friend gave me a sound effect collection that he said was useless for what he wanted, and I got it back home and read the back of it and it said "Commercial use is prohibited." You gotta watch out, they have you at every turn. :/

I've also noticed that when companies offer a free version of their software, they normally have a modified license, i.e. you can't use it for commercial stuff.

yes, which reminds me, I'm using a borrowed Milkshape license and need to get my last five dollars to pay for my own

As game designers we should all encourage proper software use and distribution. If we don't then we have no right to complain if people use or copy the games we are making in a way we don't want them to(anyone remember Psycos "School of the Dead" being pirated for profit?). Also its a thing called morals and ethics to be honest and fair.

MakerOfGames wrote:(anyone remember Psycos "School of the Dead" being pirated for profit?).

Care to enlighten me? That must've happened before I got here.

When Pysco released his first ever finished game project titled "School of the Dead" a group of people kept contacting him about buying a license or the game(*edit:property rights*) from him(I cant remember which). That is until they found out that his game was free. When they realized that all email contact to him stopped and it is presumed that they are illegally publishing it somewhere for profit. Its a terrible story to have to tell and was horrible to watch unfold on the forums here.

Oh.. I hadn't heard this either... Very unfortunate... Those kind of things really make me mad...

Ouch, Now I see why he's a bit defensive of his work...

Reverse piracy. Ouch.

I just edited my post about the piracy, changed it to game(property rights) because it wasn't just someone asking for a copy. They had the intent to sell it. I assume you guys already understood that anyhow from your responses. It was a horrible thing to happen. It is actually one of the contributing factors for me to end posting about my game project. I work to slow on it and I fear that all the info I would talk about would be stolen. I do trust you guys here, I just don't trust the unnamed passer's and all around pirates who flourish off of things like this.

That's why I registered copyright on all my stuff! SO TAKE THAT PIRATES! ALL MY TERRA TROOPER STUFF IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT!!!

Agentarrow wrote:That's why I registered copyright on all my stuff! SO TAKE THAT PIRATES! ALL MY TERRA TROOPER STUFF IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT!!!

It may be copyrighted, but in fact a copyright is only useful when enforced. Meaning that, you need to track down the pirates or have people kind enough to notify you of the pirates so you can take legal action upon them for your copyright to be worth anything.

Also, I am not sure what you mean by register copyright, here in the United States a copyright does not have to be registered and is effective immediately as the author declares it to be copyrighted. A copyright also only applies to all intellectual property which is defined as specific ideas and thoughts. For example I can copyright a game that uses aliens and humans, but others can still use the premise of aliens and humans, they just cannot create a likeness of my game.

*I am pretty sure I have those facts correct, but because I haven't read over them for a few months since my computer ethics class last semester, they may be incorrect. Please research the specific information that you need to know instead of taking my word for it.
^This is another example of legality as I have just freed myself from all legal bindings of use of the information I have provided above.

I know we are going waaaay off topic, but i'm interested to find out of this is actually right. I've kind of thought that, but someone told me different a while back, so i'm very curious to know.

I was gonna post my notes, but then found this..
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/

Copyrights are effective immediately it states.

As for what can be copyrighted that can be found here:
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wwp

MakerOfGames wrote:I don't care if the file could be tracked or not, its always best to be completely honest.

how do you track it anyway?