I am Worried About something (Copy rights)

[Your Computer]

Except copyright laws really only apply when a profit is being made. If copyright issues really extended to custom-made, free content then sites like YouTube wouldn't exist. This is why agendas like SOPA have been shot down.

Typically, if say a mod of a game uses a song from so-and-so, as long as they are credited for their work then there is no issue. Again, usually only as long as no profit is being made.

You are forgetting the uploaders of the custom-made content are generally the authors of the assumed content. In which case it is obvious that they are permitting YouTube, and only Youtube (unless they specify a license other than the Youtube license), to host their content. This does not in anyway imply, except by explicit declaration of a differing license, that downloading the content with, for example, a browser plug-in and distributing the content thereafter is in anyway intended by the author of the content. In cases where the uploader is not the sole owner and author of the content and has no permission to distribute said content, YouTube reserves the right to take down the content (and lock or delete the YouTube account).

If you haven't noticed (though many people often don't care to read things like EULA), mods tools are released with the assumption that the user will develop content only for, and use content from the game which, the engine the mod tools were designed for and for personal, non-commercial use only. These things do not state that it is perfectly fine to include content which you have not created and have no rights to. After all, these things explicitly acknowledge local and international laws.

[Traggey]

So what if they are small bits of a product? The company whom developed the product paid money for artists to create these assets, most EULA's for games tell you strictly NOT to reverse engineer any content within the product, doing so will terminate your rights to the game.

I've said this a million times before, upon purchasing a product you do not buy the game, you buy a license to play the game, you do not own nor have the rights to use any of the content within the game for other purposes.

[Danny Boy]

I strongly advice you do not use these ''ripped'' models unless you have permission to do so.

Ok then... How do I contact Valve then? thats the problem. I now know that it might be considered illegal to use this models. But yet again I have no modeling skills, there are few free custom models out there and even fewer if not none of them are similar to those I need to do my custom story. the few I have found were ripped from their original game and I in my ignorance though there wouldn't be any copyrights issues because if my custom story being a non profit project!

Whats bothering me right now is that my custom story in the state it is right now. is completely dependent on those custom contents. I could very much delete must of the ripped models I have (most of it being just game props like lamps, TVs, fire extinguishers, etc) the problem is that some are indeed required for the story of my custom story. and without it... well we have to rethink completely the custom story and to be honest I am sick of delaying it! damn I have Dark Room 2 on my shoulders almost a year now! I am sick off it and I want to see it finished!

On another not: I sometimes see this forum as hypocritical and even contradictory. I know what you (Traggey) said about that the moderators might miss some contents or that you may forget them. since well you are only Human like the rest of us. I now see people just talking about copyrights and how wrong piracy is and whatnot. when a few months from now some of the people that now laugh at people who use models provided by websites when some of those actually helped me whit the "ripped" models that now I am using on Dark Room 2. This as made me greatly confused since one of the moderators (Your Computer) actually helped me apply a texture to a "ripped" model before I knew how to do it myself.

I am not saying that piracy isn't wrong or the opposite. All I am saying to you Traggey is that in a way the forum mislead me on the initial production of DR2. And now where I am Almost finished whit the mod I see you guys locking almost all custom story whit ripped models and now I have no Idea what to do. So I hope this helps you understand my situation instead of just saying that you advice me not to use those models.

[Traggey]

I strongly advice you do not use these ''ripped'' models unless you have permission to do so.

Ok then... How do I contact Valve then? thats the problem. I now know that it might be considered illegal to use this models. But yet again I have no modeling skills, there are few free custom models out there and even fewer if not none of them are similar to those I need to do my custom story. the few I have found were ripped from their original game and I in my ignorance though there wouldn't be any copyrights issues because if my custom story being a non profit project!

Whats bothering me right now is that my custom story in the state it is right now. is completely dependent on those custom contents. I could very much delete must of the ripped models I have (most of it being just game props like lamps, TVs, fire extinguishers, etc) the problem is that some are indeed required for the story of my custom story. and without it... well we have to rethink completely the custom story and to be honest I am sick of delaying it! damn I have Dark Room 2 on my shoulders almost a year now! I am sick off it and I want to see it finished!

On another not: I sometimes see this forum as hypocritical and even contradictory. I know what you (Traggey) said about that the moderators might miss some contents or that you may forget them. since well you are only Human like the rest of us. I now see people just talking about copyrights and how wrong piracy is and whatnot. when a few months from now some of the people that now laugh at people who use models provided by websites when some of those actually helped me whit the "ripped" models that now I am using on Dark Room 2. This as made me greatly confused since one of the moderators (Your Computer) actually helped me apply a texture to a "ripped" model before I knew how to do it myself.

I am not saying that piracy isn't wrong or the opposite. All I am saying to you Traggey is that in a way the forum mislead me on the initial production of DR2. And now where I am Almost finished whit the mod I see you guys locking almost all custom story whit ripped models and now I have no Idea what to do. So I hope this helps you understand my situation instead of just saying that you advice me not to use those models.

These rules are quite new to the forums. I can not in any way help you with your development, valve has customer support just like everyone else which could probably direct you to whom you need to contact, I do not have that information.

[Your Computer]

On another not: I sometimes see this forum as hypocritical and even contradictory. I know what you (Traggey) said about that the moderators might miss some contents or that you may forget them. since well you are only Human like the rest of us. I now see people just talking about copyrights and how wrong piracy is and whatnot. when a few months from now some of the people that now laugh at people who use models provided by websites when some of those actually helped me whit the "ripped" models that now I am using on Dark Room 2. This as made me greatly confused since one of the moderators (Your Computer) actually helped me apply a texture to a "ripped" model before I knew how to do it myself.

As mentioned, the decision to close topics with content that they don't have permission to use is a recent decision. Note, this is only limited to these forums. No moderator here can stop you from distributing or advertising them else where (unless perhaps one of us is also a moderator "else where" and the same rules apply). While it may appear hypocritical given the actions taken, the responsibilities of a moderator are those given to them by the administrators.

[ElectricRed]

Do these rules also apply to the ModDB? If not, then you could always post the download link there.

When Dark Room 2 is done, just set up a page on ModDB and notify people in your thread to download it from there. This way you won't actually have a link to it. (I'm sure most people would know how to find it as long as you told them where to go.)

Would that be acceptable?

[Danny Boy]

Do these rules also apply to the ModDB? If not, then you could always post the download link there.

When Dark Room 2 is done, just set up a page on ModDB and notify people in your thread to download it from there. This way you won't actually have a link to it. (I'm sure most people would know how to find it as long as you told them where to go.)

Would that be acceptable?

the rules also apply there.

[Traggey]

I won't alow any distribution of such materials over the forums, also the same rules apply for ModDB.

However they really don't seem to give a crap over there because there's tons of this stuff avaible.

[Kman]

I won't alow any distribution of such materials over the forums, also the same rules apply for ModDB.

However they really don't seem to give a crap over there because there's tons of this stuff avaible.

As long as you don't go out of your way to say stuff like "MY MOD FEATURES MODELS AND CONTENT FROM A TON OF OTHER GAMES" I doubt you'd really get in trouble.

[HateSolstice]

You guys are also forgetting the existence of the Fair Use act. That actually covers quite a bit of what's being debated.