« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites  (Read 9230 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Hot_Dog

  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • *
  • Posts: 3006
  • Rating: +445/-10
    • View Profile
Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« on: December 23, 2012, 01:03:51 pm »
For this topic, I want to know what's LEGAL, not what I can "get away with."

The game I'm creating, "Slova," which is based on Word Rescue, is going to be free, and I plan to credit the author of Word Rescue, 3D Realms.  Whatever the case, some of the sprites I created are based off of Word Rescue sprites, but I didn't rip them, just did some pixel art.  For other sprites I took sprites off a sprite sheet, turned them into black and white and pixel-edited them.  

Legally, am I breaking any copyright laws?
« Last Edit: December 23, 2012, 01:04:10 pm by Hot_Dog »
Logged

Offline tr1p1ea

  • LV7 Elite (Next: 700)
  • *******
  • Posts: 647
  • Rating: +110/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2012, 01:53:41 pm »
I think you will find that in the calculator world there are a lot of sprites that are *based* off other games. Im not too sure on the legalities however.
Logged
"My world is Black & White. But if I blink fast enough, I see it in Grayscale."

Offline harold

  • LV5 Advanced (Next: 300)
  • *****
  • Posts: 226
  • Rating: +41/-3
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2012, 01:57:35 pm »
It's probably derivative work because it has been significantly transformed.
Logged
Blog about bitmath: bitmath.blogspot.nl
Check the haroldbot thread for the supported commands and syntax.
You can use haroldbot from this website.

Offline AngelFish

  • Is this my custom title?
  • Administrator
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • ************
  • Posts: 3242
  • Rating: +270/-27
  • I'm a Fishbot
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2012, 02:03:30 pm »
What precisely constitutes a derivative work can be very vague. If you took the sprites and modified them, then they're probably considered a derivative work, unless you made a lot of changes. If you made your own sprites based on the design of the previous ones, then they may not be a derivative work, depending on how similar they are. In any case, the best option is to get the author's permission. Second best is to do nothing and wait for any copyright violations to be defended.
Logged
∂²Ψ    -(2m(V(x)-E)Ψ
---  = -------------
∂x²        ℏ²Ψ

Offline Hot_Dog

  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • *
  • Posts: 3006
  • Rating: +445/-10
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2012, 02:05:36 pm »
Quote from: Qwerty.55 on December 23, 2012, 02:03:30 pm
What precisely constitutes a derivative work can be very vague. If you took the sprites and modified them, then they're probably considered a derivative work, unless you made a lot of changes. If you made your own sprites based on the design of the previous ones, then they may not be a derivative work, depending on how similar they are. In any case, the best option is to get the author's permission. Second best is to do nothing and wait for any copyright violations to be defended.

Third best thing is to modify the sprites in question--I just seem to have lost confidence that they might be okay.  At least copying the idea of a game is not copyright, so the "settings" of the graphics are at least safe.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2012, 02:05:52 pm by Hot_Dog »
Logged

Offline tr1p1ea

  • LV7 Elite (Next: 700)
  • *******
  • Posts: 647
  • Rating: +110/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2012, 02:33:00 pm »
You arent selling this game are you?
Logged
"My world is Black & White. But if I blink fast enough, I see it in Grayscale."

Offline Hot_Dog

  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • *
  • Posts: 3006
  • Rating: +445/-10
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2012, 02:33:22 pm »
Quote from: tr1p1ea on December 23, 2012, 02:33:00 pm
You arent selling this game are you?

Not at all :D
Logged

Offline epic7

  • Chopin!
  • LV11 Super Veteran (Next: 3000)
  • ***********
  • Posts: 2200
  • Rating: +135/-8
  • I like robots
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2012, 04:02:55 pm »
I'm using textures for my game directly copied from the actual one O.O
Might have a problem there :P
Logged

Offline TIfanx1999

  • ಠ_ಠ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV13 Extreme Addict (Next: 9001)
  • *
  • Posts: 6173
  • Rating: +191/-9
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2012, 12:22:41 am »
If the spites are direct copies (pallete swapped or not) then you are using someone elses intelectual property.
Most companies don't care about fan games that arent making any money. Especially one on a platform with such limited exposure.
Logged

Offline Keoni29

  • LV11 Super Veteran (Next: 3000)
  • ***********
  • Posts: 2466
  • Rating: +291/-16
    • View Profile
    • My electronics projects at 8times8
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #9 on: December 24, 2012, 06:56:30 am »
And even if it's illegal: They will NOT sue a calculator programmer. They know you are poor compared to companies. If they sue you I will personally write them a very angry letter.
« Last Edit: December 24, 2012, 06:57:01 am by Keoni29 »
Logged
+1/-0 karm for this message
If you like my work: why not give me an internet?







Offline Deep Toaster

  • So much to do, so much time, so little motivation
  • Administrator
  • LV13 Extreme Addict (Next: 9001)
  • *************
  • Posts: 8217
  • Rating: +758/-15
    • View Profile
    • ClrHome
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #10 on: December 24, 2012, 10:57:21 am »
You can always email the authors of the original game. They've been quite friendly to me, and I don't think many groups would really mind an independent programmer working on a calculator as long as there's credit. If you're still not sure, you could ask them for a little legal agreement.
Logged



Offline Hot_Dog

  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • *
  • Posts: 3006
  • Rating: +445/-10
    • View Profile
Re: Extent of Copyright Laws with sprites
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2013, 11:19:57 am »
Quote from: Qwerty.55 on December 23, 2012, 02:03:30 pm
What precisely constitutes a derivative work can be very vague. If you took the sprites and modified them, then they're probably considered a derivative work, unless you made a lot of changes. If you made your own sprites based on the design of the previous ones, then they may not be a derivative work, depending on how similar they are. In any case, the best option is to get the author's permission. Second best is to do nothing and wait for any copyright violations to be defended.

Quote from: Deep Thought on December 24, 2012, 10:57:21 am
You can always email the authors of the original game. They've been quite friendly to me, and I don't think many groups would really mind an independent programmer working on a calculator as long as there's credit. If you're still not sure, you could ask them for a little legal agreement.

You were both right!  I got permission because I'm not trying to make a profit.  Although now it's only the gruzzles that I'm copying, I had no problem simply altering the rest of my pixel work to create my own sprites.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »