S
supern00b
Guest
What is the name of your state?Hello everyone, I have recently been faced with an issue of copyright that I would like your feedback on.
This discussion to apply to any mods played under Steam.
For the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to call myself an "in-game photographer". In the past I have spectated clan and 1 vs 1 matches, and have taken photos and caught some pretty neat pictures in the process. These photos could be at creative "angles", posed pictures (player jumping through air).
Here would be an example: Sample Photo
This photo will never be recreated. It is a picture of a moment in a fixed place and time, and could never be reproduced again.
I may even use some of these "photos" in derivative graphic designs. These could be in the form of wallpapers, banners, web interfaces, forum signatures, etc.
The problem I am trying to resolve is this. When a photographer takes a picture of the Trump Tower in New York, does Donald Trump own that picture? Generally, you would assume a photographer owns that picture since it is a "visual interpretation" of the Trump Tower. Then that photographer could go and make posters, edit the photo, etc and make money from it.
What if I were to do the same thing, but using in-game screenshots? I understand that the game-maker owns the engine,models, textures, etc. The game-maker would in no way be able to reproduce the photos that I took. The photos were taken in multiplayer action, and I am capturing moments in time.
So where is the line drawn? I have no plans to commercially use the in-game photos, I have only used them as part of clan site articles, gallery features, etc.
Who owns the in-game photo? And why would it be different copyright then a photo of Trump Tower?
And more importantly, what kind of agreement could a graphics designer (and big fan of the game) and a game company come to if I were to create commercial posters using game images and my creativity? If any?
On a related note, if I designed a custom level/map, who owns that? Me or the game developer? If I create custom models and skins, who owns that? And most importantly, who would own "in-game photography" of my custom level/map and/or custom models?
The thing is, how far can they enforce this? What if I write a song with Counterstrike lyrics? Or using samples of gunshots in a mix? Or fabricate a replica of a sentry gun out of steel? What if I create artwork in Photoshop based on TFC and someone wants to buy it in the form of a printed poster?
Valve, the developer of Half-Life and mods based on it, Counterstrike, TFC, etc. includes part of the EULA;
This discussion to apply to any mods played under Steam.
For the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to call myself an "in-game photographer". In the past I have spectated clan and 1 vs 1 matches, and have taken photos and caught some pretty neat pictures in the process. These photos could be at creative "angles", posed pictures (player jumping through air).
Here would be an example: Sample Photo
This photo will never be recreated. It is a picture of a moment in a fixed place and time, and could never be reproduced again.
I may even use some of these "photos" in derivative graphic designs. These could be in the form of wallpapers, banners, web interfaces, forum signatures, etc.
The problem I am trying to resolve is this. When a photographer takes a picture of the Trump Tower in New York, does Donald Trump own that picture? Generally, you would assume a photographer owns that picture since it is a "visual interpretation" of the Trump Tower. Then that photographer could go and make posters, edit the photo, etc and make money from it.
What if I were to do the same thing, but using in-game screenshots? I understand that the game-maker owns the engine,models, textures, etc. The game-maker would in no way be able to reproduce the photos that I took. The photos were taken in multiplayer action, and I am capturing moments in time.
So where is the line drawn? I have no plans to commercially use the in-game photos, I have only used them as part of clan site articles, gallery features, etc.
Who owns the in-game photo? And why would it be different copyright then a photo of Trump Tower?
And more importantly, what kind of agreement could a graphics designer (and big fan of the game) and a game company come to if I were to create commercial posters using game images and my creativity? If any?
On a related note, if I designed a custom level/map, who owns that? Me or the game developer? If I create custom models and skins, who owns that? And most importantly, who would own "in-game photography" of my custom level/map and/or custom models?
The thing is, how far can they enforce this? What if I write a song with Counterstrike lyrics? Or using samples of gunshots in a mix? Or fabricate a replica of a sentry gun out of steel? What if I create artwork in Photoshop based on TFC and someone wants to buy it in the form of a printed poster?
Valve, the developer of Half-Life and mods based on it, Counterstrike, TFC, etc. includes part of the EULA;
I do want to make clear that I have no intentions of selling my work, and I am not intending to set a court precedence. I appreciate all intelligent and educated responses. I am writing an essay on the matter and all mature contributions are appreciated."6. USER GENERATED CONTENT
"User Generated Content" means any content made available to other users through your use of multi-user features of Steam and may include, but is not limited to, chat, forum posts, screen names, game selections and player performances. You expressly grant Valve the complete and irrevocable right to quote, re-post, use, reproduce, modify, distribute, transmit, broadcast, and otherwise communicate, and publicly display and perform the User Generated Content in any form, anywhere, with or without attribution to you, and without any notice or compensation to you of any kind."