Usually fan games are something companies like (it is free advertisement towards their products) as long they don't go too far and claim of being official games or anything like that and don't try to profit (including stuff like Kickstarter would be of course big no no for them.)
Announcement - [NEW ALERT!] Resource Blacklist - The resources you should definitly not use
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I'm not sure that the last 2 posts answered the question Tenes posted.
For the sake of argument, let us suppose that the tile set in question had 10 items on it.
He edits all 10.
It becomes known that item 7 was ripped, but the rest are okay.
If he deletes item 7, he is now using only resources which are legitimate.
Why does he have to delete all 10 items? -
That doesn't mean that it's safe to assume that it will be... It will always be safer to ask, instead of go on thinking that "companies usually let it slip", then suddenly have a company hunting you down... We shouldn't tell people that "hey! companies let that slip normally so don't worry", as that's just encouraging them to use rips...Usually fan games are something companies like (it is free advertisement towards their products) as long they don't go too far and claim of being official games or anything like that and don't try to profit (including stuff like Kickstarter would be of course big no no for them.)
Never Assume, especially in cases of possible legal problems. -
Can he proof that the other 3 are OK? Then it would be no problem using those.He edits all 10.
It becomes known that item 7 was ripped, but the rest are okay.
If he deletes item 7, he is now using only resources which are legitimate.
Why does he have to delete all 10 items?
Unfortunately in a lot of cases it's not possible to proof that the others are OK - you could only say "I haven't found a game were they were ripped from", and that doesn't help if one year later the obscure game where those were ripped from is identified.
The only way to proof that those other tiles were allows edits would be something if those tiles were RTP-Based or on some similiar, well known other source. And if the original source is well-known, he wouldn't need the problematic edits but could go directly to the originals and edit them. -
Usually fan games are something companies like (it is free advertisement towards their products) as long they don't go too far and claim of being official games or anything like that and don't try to profit (including stuff like Kickstarter would be of course big no no for them.)
Edit:
Correct.
Wrong.
It isn't the rule, it's the exception.
Thus usually companies don't like such things.
Gee what was I thinking saying that this was "correct"?
Why does he have to delete all 10 items?
You should avoid ANY asset by a guy who does plagiarism, just so YOU can stay safe.
That's what I do. -
Ok,after I read everyone's comment I guess it is best for myself to make my game clean as much as possible.
So can you help me If this work is okay to use? or If it need some edit? or just throw it out?
here is the work I am talking about
I think I based It on avadan ship variantation (the streampunk one) but I'm pretty sure It doesn't contain ripped part.
I can only pray that I don't need to throw it out :(
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Oh well, re-creating the ripped part by yourself so it is no longer a ripped part. Then you try somehow prove that?
You would basically need to at least have video footage of entire process of yourself doing what looks basically the same tile.
I think 32x32 pixel art etc is too simple to prove in court that effectively while making 1000x1000 picture exactly same pixel by pixel would be not believable to not be a rip. -
But as far as I know Quintet, the company that made the ship for the game Terranigma is no longer alive (since more than 10 years actually). So, in this case, who has the right to sue/demand you for making use of an edit of pixelated tiles (Avadan's one)? (especially in a non-commercial game)...
I'm not trying to justify it but think of it like classical music that is used in many projects (let's say... Catherine) because their composers are dead (the only thing they have to pay is the orchestra that will play/record the notes). -
Again, it doesn't really matter if it's commercial or not... A rip is a rip, and if the entity that owns it doesn't allow any usage of the said material, you can't use it.especially in a non-commercial game)...
@Dread -
That doesn't mean that it's safe to assume that it will be... It will always be safer to ask, instead of go on thinking that "companies usually let it slip", then suddenly have a company hunting you down... We shouldn't tell people that "hey! companies let that slip normally so don't worry", as that's just encouraging them to use rips... -
This thread inspired me to make my own icon set, since I was using "The Big Icon Set" before. Thanks!
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Are we talking legal or moral grounds here? I mean, if by mistake we use an item without u crediting it, we can fix that. Are saying it's so litigious lately that attempting to occasionally skirt the rules is no longer wise? And is this retroactive to older makers?*Wonders abut items like "forever's End*Again, it doesn't really matter if it's commercial or not... A rip is a rip, and if the entity that owns it doesn't allow any usage of the said material, you can't use it.
@Dread - -
Let's keep it simple.
If a company states in the End User License Agreement, that you can use assets of their games, in a certain way, to make fan-made content, then it is okay to do so.
If you got NOT such permission, you got no right to do such a thing. Making a free games makes no difference.
If someone makes an asset and shares it, requesting just credits on terms, then you HAVE to give credit to them. It doesn't cost you anything and it is the least you can do.
If someone shares something in public domain, you don't have to give credit. But since moral ground question kicks in, tell you what; I give credit no matter what.
Well, please allow me to explain this using an example. You made a song. It took you three months of hard work to perfect it. Let's say that this means that it took you about 300 hours. I am not kidding.Tiles take about the same amount of working hours. Then you made another, and another and another. You post all of them here, sharing them with everyone. You just love to see your name (or nickname) in game credits.I mean, if by mistake we use an item without u crediting it, we can fix that.
So suddenly, "by mistake" 50 games pop up using your assets, without giving you any credit.
How do you feel about that mistake?
So to keep it simple, you are obligated NOT to make such mistakes.
I would feel really ashamed if I would do such a mistake anyway.
The fear of that shame, is enough motivation for me to be extra careful. -
Agreed.Let's keep it simple.
If a company states in the End User License Agreement, that you can use assets of their games, in a certain way, to make fan-made content, then it is okay to do so.
If you got NOT such permission, you got no right to do such a thing. Making a free games makes no difference.
If someone makes an asset and shares it, requesting just credits on terms, then you HAVE to give credit to them. It doesn't cost you anything and it is the least you can do.
If someone shares something in public domain, you don't have to give credit. But since moral ground question kicks in, tell you what; I give credit no matter what.
Well, please allow me to explain this using an example. You made a song. It took you three months of hard work to perfect it. Let's say that this means that it took you about 300 hours. I am not kidding.Tiles take about the same amount of working hours. Then you made another, and another and another. You post all of them here, sharing them with everyone. You just love to see your name (or nickname) in game credits.
So suddenly, "by mistake" 50 games pop up using your assets, without giving you any credit.
How do you feel about that mistake?
So to keep it simple, you are obligated NOT to make such mistakes.
I would feel really ashamed if I would do such a mistake anyway.
The fear of that shame, is enough motivation for me to be extra careful. -
Don't trust any resource without a proper reference, especially when you put so much work onto it. There are simply too many people out there who don't respect the work of others and having such a behaviour here in the rpg-maker community hurts double.Ok,after I read everyone's comment I guess it is best for myself to make my game clean as much as possible.
So can you help me If this work is okay to use? or If it need some edit? or just throw it out?
here is the work I am talking about
I think I based It on avadan ship variantation (the streampunk one) but I'm pretty sure It doesn't contain ripped part.
I can only pray that I don't need to throw it out :( -
This is a really important topic, for game creators and artists alike. Thanks for gathering everything, Avery!
As you can see with some of the comments, if you ever start going the route of using rips for your games or for making your own art, even if you go later "legit", all your future work will be forever tarnished and this is just not worth it. This community is a small one and people will very often recognize rips rightaway. So, stay professional :)
If you download art, either write in the filename the proper name of the artist or, if you download a lot from the same artist, create a new folder with the name of the artist. Have a wordpad txt file or something like this open WHILE you create the game. As soon as you use a tile or sprite etc. in your game, write down the artists name in your textfile under the proper category (like graphics or sound). Don't just start after you have finished the game writing your credit list, it will be that much harder. -
I do one easy thing. I got dropbox, so screenshots are autosaved into a dropbox folder.If you download art, either write in the filename the proper name of the artist or, if you download a lot from the same artist, create a new folder with the name of the artist. Have a wordpad txt file or something like this open WHILE you create the game. As soon as you use a tile or sprite etc. in your game, write down the artists name in your textfile under the proper category (like graphics or sound). Don't just start after you have finished the game writing your credit list, it will be that much harder.
I see something I like,I take a screenshot that shows the URL, the terms of use and if possible the asset.
If not I take another screenshot with the asset and its url proving that the terms refer to it.
I go to the screenshot folder, I take these screenshots, put them into a folder named Terms. I cut = paste terms, into the folder I will save the assets I want, so along them, I have a reference on what the terms are, AND the URL to revisit it and check if terms are changed. I find this long term handy and neat.
Then When I select any needed assets, I add credits to a text file.
Finally, I create from the start the credits text.
This way I am sure that I miss nothing. ;) -
Hmm, not a bad idea.. I usually use the text version, but it can sometimes get confusing; for example if i use a Creative commons texture for a title screen I'm not always sure how to do documentation. for example, if i use part of a fire texture in a beam, but that beam is only part of a title screen, does that need to be listed? I listed it int he info, but wasn't quite certain how to apply the cc so..I do one easy thing. I got dropbox, so screenshots are autosaved into a dropbox folder.
I see something I like,I take a screenshot that shows the URL, the terms of use and if possible the asset.
If not I take another screenshot with the asset and its url proving that the terms refer to it.
I go to the screenshot folder, I take these screenshots, put them into a folder named Terms. I cut = paste terms, into the folder I will save the assets I want, so along them, I have a reference on what the terms are, AND the URL to revisit it and check if terms are changed. I find this long term handy and neat.
Then When I select any needed assets, I add credits to a text file.
Finally, I create from the start the credits text.
This way I am sure that I miss nothing. ;) -
Did ya still need some links/pictures to verify ropped things on the big iconset?
If yeah then...
Anyway, I'm totally behind that. There still will be many people accidentaly or not, using ripped or stolen things, but having a list might already prevent some from accidently getting those. It's especialy hard on foreign sites though, when you can't communicate a lot and you see ripped/stolens tuff there, or even have people using them, not knowing more, too.SpoilerThere are a few things I caught which are commercial icon that were ripped.
For examples the icons of evolution stones in pokemon. http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Evolutionary_stone
As well as icons for pokeballs, which should be more obvious xD
There are several more pokemon icons in there, too, all over the place, like the berries, the items, etc.
There are also a few icons from Ocarina of time, like the compass and an egg:
http://i.imgur.com/qyxFjOE.png (compass int he middle, far right)
http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Weird_Egg ( the egg )
Then there's a huuuuge section near the last part, that consists of all kinds of symbols. The first big batch of pins are all from the game TWEWY (The World Ends With You), all apparently even in the right order. Here you can see all the pins listed witht he pic and their in-game abbility. http://twewy.wikia.com/wiki/Pin_List_%28w/_Thumbnails%29
That's at least what I could spot right away, I thought might be interesting for you if you are looking for y few sources. -
I think both is important. Having references on what is ripped but also on what is free. I am collecting tiles and sprites like crazy and try to get a system into it but its not easy and many references that were there in the past are outdated or gone. Even when I find parts inside a game it is hard to say if the creator has done the parts or not (like some of the tiles in deadly sin... I had no idea that those parts where originally made by Mack and that they were free for commercial use as well). Is the RPG-Maker Community dying? To me it appears that many have left already...Anyway, I'm totally behind that. There still will be many people accidentaly or not, using ripped or stolen things, but having a list might already prevent some from accidently getting those. It's especialy hard on foreign sites though, when you can't communicate a lot and you see ripped/stolens tuff there, or even have people using them, not knowing more, too.
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Lately I stumbled over a discussion of the "VX Ace Pre-order Pack" on Steam (http://steamcommunity.com/app/220700/discussions/0/35219681445052707/). At the moment I have this packaged listed as (pirated unless ace was ordered before march15). Now I wondered if legal Ace Users are eligible to use this package no matter when they actually bought Ace.