Help | Not sure what to call this

[tmacfanmike]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

I am an owner of a MineCraft server and one of my old staff members added 2 hubs to our server since we needed them. They were his personal hubs that he builds for fun and he gave them to us. He also added a chat plugin to clear and lock the chat. The chat plugin is available to anyone who wants to use it since it is posted on the official plugin website for Bukkit the .jar file that our minecraft server runs on. I believe that we have a right to use the hubs since he gave them to us in the form of putting them on our server for us to use. He also threatened to come to my house and make me the reason he spends another night in jail since he will be in Florida in 2 weeks since he is looking for a college. So there is the whole story shortened down and he is threatening to sue me and the other owner for us "stealing" his builds although he placed them on the server for us to use. So is he able to sue me for these things or is he not able to. I am not worried at all I just want to be safe and not have anything on my record since I am looking for a job. Thanks in advance

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

I am an owner of a MineCraft server and one of my old staff members added 2 hubs to our server since we needed them. They were his personal hubs that he builds for fun and he gave them to us. He also added a chat plugin to clear and lock the chat. The chat plugin is available to anyone who wants to use it since it is posted on the official plugin website for Bukkit the .jar file that our minecraft server runs on. I believe that we have a right to use the hubs since he gave them to us in the form of putting them on our server for us to use. He also threatened to come to my house and make me the reason he spends another night in jail since he will be in Florida in 2 weeks since he is looking for a college. So there is the whole story shortened down and he is threatening to sue me and the other owner for us "stealing" his builds although he placed them on the server for us to use. So is he able to sue me for these things or is he not able to. I am not worried at all I just want to be safe and not have anything on my record since I am looking for a job. Thanks in advance

What do the terms of service of your site say about material posted on your site?

 

[tmacfanmike]

What do the terms of service of your site say about material posted on your site?

This is a server for a game and it is a custom made map. There is no terms of service of my knowing.

 

[quincy]

So you did not set up any terms and conditions or codes of conduct for your server?

Generally, the creator of a hub will hold the rights to the hub, absent any agreement to the contrary. Was the staff member paid to create hubs for your server?

I imagine it will be up to you to show that the former staff member gave you rights to use the hubs for your server, with no conditions placed on their use. He could potentially sue you but I am not sure, if he is looking to go to college soon, that he will have the time, or the funds, to follow through with a suit.

What are these two hubs worth to you and your MineCraft server?



(I am not sure what the threat to come to your house and the "another night in jail" is all about ...)

 

[tmacfanmike]

So you did not set up any terms and conditions or codes of conduct for your server?

Generally, the creator of a hub will hold the rights to the hub, absent any agreement to the contrary. Was the staff member paid to create hubs for your server?

I imagine it will be up to you to show that the former staff member gave you rights to use the hubs for your server, with no conditions placed on their use. He could potentially sue you but I am not sure, if he is looking to go to college soon, that he will have the time, or the funds, to follow through with a suit.

What are these two hubs worth to you and your MineCraft server?



(I am not sure what the threat to come to your house and the "another night in jail" is all about ...)

Well he told the other owner that he is putting them on there for use. But now he is saying that he had to sign a legal document for us to use them although isn't verbal contract is a contract. They were more of a gift since our spawn builder was not around. He was not paid nor did he ask to be paid, it was 2 hubs that he put on the server with his own computer. Since we have our main builder back we are replacing the main one because our builder made a custom map.

 

[quincy]

Well he told the other owner that he is putting them on there for use. But now he is saying that he had to sign a legal document for us to use them although isn't verbal contract is a contract. They were more of a gift since our spawn builder was not around. He was not paid nor did he ask to be paid, it was 2 hubs that he put on the server with his own computer. Since we have our main builder back we are replacing the main one because our builder made a custom map.

It would have been better for you if you had a written agreement with the hub owner, documenting the "gift" to your server. While oral contracts can be valid, proving their existence and the terms of the contract can be difficult.