IS it copyright -

(system) #1

I used the wolfenstein game enegine to create my well own mod of the game, as its a free game engine, i changed some skins and sounds and backgrounds, all still free to download, and now when i host it
some guy called zero comes on and says copyright copryright copyright, obviously a little wierdo and he said

So where’s the link to the source code of “your game”? It’s a GPL-license and you cannot release new binaries without distributing a link to source with them. You’re currently violating copyrights.

first im thinking, iv never said it was “MY GAME” and what ever hes going on about its a free engine and i havnt changed any binaries? so im really confused and maybe you guys can tell me is it copyright or is this guy paranoid?

(Runeforce) #2

If you distribute a compiled version of the GPL release of the ET engine with your mod* (like f. ex. et:legacy) you have to inform the recipient where he can find that source, whether you changed it or not. You can do this in a textfile packaged with the binaries*.

It’s not a copyright issue, but a licensing issue. You can find a brief overview if the GPL v. 3 here.

And if I am not mistaken, if you are using the original (non-gpl’ed) engine, its proprietary license prohibits you from distributing it (without written consent by Bethesda Softworks/Id Software.) This is a copyright issue and a license issue!

If you are not distributing any binaries or dll’s (or other OS’ equilant) you should be safe.

*To further complicate things prohibitions in the proprietary license (and the fact that proprietary licenses are not allowed to be incoorporated in the GPL) prevents you from distributing the games asset files (and modyfied versions) together with the GPL’ed version of the engine.

You can overcome this by distributing them, the engine and the assets, seperately.

(Dragonji) #3

You have to release your code if you’re basing your mod on ET source code AFAIK.

(rorgoroth) #4

This is hilarious, but also incredibly painful.

Sorry, but I don’t think you have the mental capacity to actually mod this game let alone change this “free engine”. Basically you edited some of the games assets and repacked them in the original pk3’s, right?

(Runeforce) #5

To further complicate things prohibitions in the proprietary license prevents you from distributing the games asset files (and modyfied versions) together with the GPL version of the engine.

You can overcome this by distributing them, the engine and the assets, seperately.

(system) #6

so if remove everything but the pak0 which i edited i would be allowed to host this as a skin pack instead of having it as a skin pack but including the game with it, so basicly i will be putting the pak0 into like a etpub folder so it just changes the skins- but i cant host the dll files them selfs. right got its - TWISTED 2 KILL - skin pack.

(Runeforce) #7

Right. And you have to inform the recipient where he can find the source code for the engine version you are giving him, either on your website close to your engine binaries download link, and/or packaged in with your engine binaries. Or else that guy will not stop talking about GPL violations.

Before you distribute the engine, be sure it is a GPL’ed version you are distributing i.e. NOT the version from Splash Damage’s website. Or else that guy will not stop talking about copyright violations.

(ETJump-Zero) #8

You have to release your code if you use the ET-GPL release (with the engine code). If you use the original ET-SDK that was released back in 2003 or so, you don’t have to.

Since the guy was actually distributing renamed original ET.exe as his own game & also the assets I guess this applies here:

And if I am not mistaken, if you are using the original (non-gpl’ed) engine, its proprietary license prohibits you from distributing it (without written consent by Bethesda Softworks/Id Software.) This is a copyright issue and a license issue!

So it really was a copyright issue even if the “copyright”-word was just used as a way to make him understand one should not share GPL’d binaries without a link to the source. (As he clearly wouldn’t be able to understand what a GPL-license is)

I really dislike people that take someone else’s work and release it as their own, on a game server host’s map redirect server as a .pk3 because it does not allow anything else but .pk3s.

Atleast the link is down now.

(system) #9

who cares what you think all you have done trying get copyright people on me haha !! man you make me laugh you have stalked me for 2 days you sick pedophile leave me alone.