About copyrights...

[Justoneguy]

Hi!
I have been thinking lately about the line of copyright law. I have stopped downloading music, movies etc. illegally, because I felt that God told me it was a sin. But let's say that I'm making a freeware fangame with my friend (I'm ONLY composing the music for it and my friend is programming and making every other thing), but still, the game also contains copyrighted material from commercial game (like some sprites/graphics). The question is: am I allowed to have that game on my hard drive

Thanks!

 

[pshun2404]

You are allowed to copy for personal use...just not for distribution or sale. If it is a work where you are intending to publish, you must obtain the owners permission with one exception...in the case where an opinion (where you give the name of the person or source) is being questioned or disagreed with, you have a right to your own opinion (under the 2nd Amendment) which trumps copyright laws.

I can say. So and so said this, but I disagree and here is why...and I do not need permission (but always guard against slander and libel)...as for music sampling and video captions you must obtain permission to either distribute or sell (in this case they get a cut)...

Paul

 

[Justoneguy]

Hi Paul, and many thanks for the reply!
As I said, the music is original and made by me in completely legal/purchased program.
My friend makes the programming and some graphics, but still all graphics and sound effects aren't made by him (they are from copyrighted and commercial versions of that franchise because its a fangame.) The game is absolutely free and no money is being made with it. Still, my friend also has published the game on sites like Youtube and Yoyo games for free download. The game does credit the original game company at the beginning.

But when I make the music for it, I'd really like to also test and play the game too.

Thanks!

 

[sorednax]

isnt the 2nd amendment the right to bare arms?

 

[OGM]

The game has to stay on your hard drive. The game can be distributed if you receive the express written permission of the copyright holders of all the elements in question.

 

[Justoneguy]

Hi!
Thanks for the answers, but I'm not the leader of game making. I dont do anything else than the music. The leader, programmer, artist etc. HAS distributed it on internet, but he asked me to be a beta tester.
I dont know if he has premission or not, all I do is the beta testing and composing.

Thanks!

 

[ebia]

Hi!
Thanks for the answers, but I'm not the leader of game making. I dont do anything else than the music. The leader, programmer, artist etc. HAS distributed it on internet, but he asked me to be a beta tester.
I dont know if he has premission or not, all I do is the beta testing and composing.

Thanks!

You know what he's doing. You know that it's not legal. Contributing work to it makes you complicit in that. Downloading and playing the game also makes you complicit in that.

Should you get too stressed about that? Not really. The fact is that the laws we have were not designed for the Information Age and aren't appropriate.

 

[Justoneguy]

Thanks for the answer ebia! I understood that myself too... One day I was thinking all the time that if Im making sin, but thats just what sin is: thinking if this is or not. And I think that God meant by "don't steal" about really stealing someones work by just stealing or downloading, but since we're making a fan game, doesn't the original creator get some free advertising? And I'm pretty sure that sega won't get any financical loss from fangames

 

[JesusIsTheSonOfGod]

If I want to listen to music, I go search them up on Youtube. And if I want to make a playlist of songs, I favorite them. The thing that I love about Youtube, is that it can play all my videos on the playlist in order without me having to click on them. I can be away from my computer while Youtube plays the videos.

Do what I did. That's my best advice to you.

 

[parsley]

Most software has a lengthy use agreement (that you agree to by clicking that you have read it) -- that includes no modification of the software is allowed. That is true in almost all commercial products. You will need to check the software, and also check the copyright office site, but I can almost guarantee you that the commercial company spent time and many lawyers writing up their policy to make sure people did not modify their software.

Stick to open source programs when getting creative.