UT Content: Maps, Copyright, Licenses (from "combining maps")

[papercoffee]

I did it... for my personal fun I combined DM-Stalwart with DM-Deck16 I fused them where the sniper point of Deck16 is. Build another fuse point and re-textured all a little bit. Then I put portals in the map. Now it named DM-Deck-Stalwart-Ultima... but I never released it because I didn't build the original maps.

So I think I made it like Hook described it ...but with a whole map.
or wait ...is there a import button (long time not opened the UED)... na I copied it.

[Feralidragon]

I did it... for my personal fun I combined DM-Stalwart with DM-Deck16 I fused them where the sniper point of Deck16 is. Build another fuse point and re-textured all a little bit. Then I put portals in the map. Now it named DM-Deck-Stalwart-Ultima... but I never released it because I didn't build the original maps.

You know that stock modified maps can be released without any permission requirements, pretty much like any other cross-UT series resource, right?
It's a good practise asking permission to people who made the map, but in that case you didn't need to worry.

[Creavion]

You know that stock modified maps can be released without any permission requirements, pretty much like any other cross-UT series resource, right?
It's a good practise asking permission to people who made the map, but in that case you didn't need to worry.

Jep. Thats true. This should also apply for official bonus pack stuff.

I remember on an other forum some years ago. Somebody wanted to modify and re-release ONS-Torlan, somebody else came along.. bla bla you have to ask Hourences first. Bullshit. Not in this case. It was a stock map (unlike DM-Redkin for example which is an community map).

[papercoffee]

Wait ....I can upload my fused map ??? And it isn't "illegal" ???????
D'aaaaaah....


Ok I finish my re-texturing and show the result ....hehe

[TheDane]

no asking for anything is needed, only adviced not to make people mad, but when making ANYTHING based on just a single class or function from Uscript you cannot obtain copyright at anything:

We just LOVE the idea of you using and distributing content or script from any prior Unreal branded game developed by Epic in your Mod. Therefore we grant you a license to use content from any prior Epic Games Unreal� game in your Mods. For the sake of clarity Epic retains all copyrights and you will not gain any ownership whatsoever in any Epic content or script nor can you use any Epic content or script outside the scope of the rights granted here. Any attempt to do so will bring about the wrath of our attorneys.

full EULA here:

http://www.unrealtournament3.com/eula/eula_us.php

a funny little quote from the EULA:

6. Cheating. Nobody likes a cheater. It's a disgraceful way to earn a win and really is an insult to those players who earn their wins in on-line games the old-fashioned way-WITH TALENT. We're pretty hard on cheating in on-line games using the Software because it sullies the overall gaming experience and is JUST PLAIN LAME. With that in mind, if you are caught cheating in an on-line game using the Software we will immediately and permanently ban your account. At that point, this License is automatically terminated and you must immediately delete this software from your PC. Failure to comply with this last bit (deleting the software) may bring on the wrath of the lawyers. Trust us-you don't want that.

[Creavion]

edit 2: forget my crap below


I dont want put your eula extraction into question but you know, several maps have been ported from UT1 to UT2004 or from UT2004 to UT3 over years? Countless of those maps. Also some 1:1 ports from UT3 to ut2004 (latest map I have seen: WAR-Downtown for UT2004`s Onslaught). Somebody rebuilt even some Unreal Championship 2 (Xbox only) maps for UT2004 (with original textures and some other stuff) and presented it even on epics board. Its true, is an other story if you would port e.g Deck 16 to Quake 3 or an other game. Its very unlikley that epic would ever act up against that, specially NOW where the ut series seems to be rather dead anyway. The ports were done in the past years. If nothing happened until now, nothing will happen in the future. Moreover most mapper who port any ut map to an other ut game note the original mapper anyway. At the end nobody cares on such terms. And what paper wants to do there is the most harmless thing he could do.

@Paper: Do not worry about that. Note the original mappers (only a matter of form), that you "just" combined some existing maps and thats it. Ok, if you dont (heavily) modfiy this work, its surely nothing to be proud about but nothing would happen, more than ever within EVEN the SAME OLD ut game.

[TheDane]

you get me all wrong. My intentions was to make it CLEAR that he is not obligated to ask permission at all before releasing the map, man, i'm waiting to see how it turns out as i like both of those maps

My intentions was to stop people from adding a copyright notice to their mods/maps. It's simlpy illegal and against the EULA to claim copyright over anything you create in UT.

[Creavion]

Ok... my bad :>
In extreme situations my english seems to fail from time to time. An other case where I am somehow glad to be wrong.
Thank you for clarifying.

[Feralidragon]

Actually you can claim the ownership of any work you do under UT.

You forget that what we do is "open source", and as such, you can aplly an open source licence to it as long it doesn't violate Epic's license over your mod or map.

Between modders and mappers instead of "copyright", you have what is called "intellectual property". I just can't steal your Universal Soldiers and claim as mine, nor you can't steal NW3 and claim as yours for example, "if" we both applied an open source license of usage to them like Shadow did, as a few other guys (and Shadow already got contacted by Epic to cancel the SDK, and it wasn't because of the license, but because of some features of the SDK itself which Shadow proved to be under their license, which Shadow obviouslly won the cause, so that pretty much proves my point as well).

In case we don't apply any licence to it, then we can steal each others works for instance (although that wouldn't lead anywhere), and the Law can't do nothing about it, because for all the effects we threw them away, so it all comes to the common sense and morals of the community itself.

So as long you place something "made by X, under X license, copyrights blah blah Epic", your work is protected, none of the other coders can take your work without your permission, except Epic, as they can if they want to, simple as that.


So in resume:
Epic --> Master owner of everything you do, you can't state otherwise
Other mappers/coders --> As long you protect it under an open source licence, which doesn't anyhow violates Epic's licence, then you are the owner by Law, next to Epic (Epic is always 1st place)

[TheDane]

i'm not sure we are alowed to change the license form of which it is released in from Epic? They grant us rights to use it, but i think it ends there? And because i write additional claims in a readme file doesn't mean that when the file hits ut-files.com that the readme is even included in the package?

[Feralidragon]

i'm not sure we are alowed to change the license form of which it is released in from Epic? They grant us rights to use it, but i think it ends there? And because i write additional claims in a readme file doesn't mean that when the file hits ut-files.com that the readme is even included in the package?

You can't "change" their licence, but you can add a new one as long it doesn't collide with any of Epic's licence, and you can use some official licences which obbey those rules.
Like I said, Shadow applied one of those licenses to his SDK, and when he was contacted by Epic to cancel it, it wasn't anyhow the licence he explicitly presented, but some features Epic "thought" to be only possible by changing the engine itself).

If a file of yours gets to ut-files and doesn't come with the ReadMe, and if it original had a ReadMe which explicitly said to keep the original package intact, then ut-files is violating your rules, which you can demand by Law, as long they don't contradict any of Epic's rules, plus Epic's licence isn't that restrict regarding other licences, so you can apply another one easilly.

Just keep in mind that Epic is the ultimate owner of your stuff, that's all, not any other coders or mappers.

[Creavion]

Topic splitted and moved to offtopic.

[Myth]

License or no license, permission or no permission if you take an existing map and release it as your own, you're officially a lamer.

(you can replace the word map whit any other intellectual property if you wish)

[papercoffee]

But .....but .....I don't want to release it as my own... I did only merge the maps and re-textured it. What I get now is a bigger and tougher "Deck-Stalwart Ultima"

[TheDane]

nothing wrong in releasing this, realy. I'm looking forward to it, it's two of my favorite maps put together. Just put in both authors names and all should be happy?