Slingerland Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Cool article on Gamasutra about making your fangame "suit proof." You guys probably know about all this shit (like, I sure as hell already knew), but it's just neat to read a lawyer who specializes in game copyright protection speak on the subject. Clone Games and Fan Games - Legal Issues I don't know how much this article applies to us, because SEGA has always been cool and left us alone. How nice of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asuma Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Yeah, Capcom doesn't mind either. Hell, they even have a fangame or two on their Capcom Unity thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ila Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Still though, I'm going to advise anyone who actually takes that article seriously to not follow the "ask permission" advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asuma Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Yeah. It's always best to make sure. I just remember Ace Spark e-mailed Capcom a while back. Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to ask. They worst they can do is well, sue. But, I doubt they'll go that far. Mostly like you get a 'no' as a negative response. It would nice if had a sticky of like an official word from Sega or whoever. Nintendo however, is another story. If I recall, they tired to stop, MMFG like, twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DimensionWarped Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 No one asks for permission when drawing a piece of fanart. It just isn't expected. The same should apply to a fangame, which is only different in terms of degree... that is to say, the amount of borrowing going on and the amount of work that goes into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shonumi Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Hmm, I'd like to "ask permission" just to see what would happen. I'm kinda curious as to the actual response I'd get (or lack thereof?). Nice article though. Anyway, I'd only imagine that they would take legal action against you if it was worth their time and money. In such a case, your fangame would potentially have to be comparable or even better to the products of the game company e.g. the likes of Chrono Resurrection. But given the general nature of fangaming, that can be long shot by any means. Unlike the RIAA, however, game companies don't like to piss off the people that love what they make/distribute, which may be why I can't find many examples of them suing fangames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giglamesh Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Yeah, Capcom doesn't mind either. Hell, they even have a fangame or two on their Capcom Unity thing. So let me get this right. if you use sprites, backgrounds etc, from a game, putting "All rights belong to sega / capcom" or "All content owned by sega / Capcom" in the game , can't be a way to make it "safe" so to speak? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ila Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Yeah. It's always best to make sure. I said NOT to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasei Honoo Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Listen people gosh I've had to talk about how I'm not making any money off these games to my friends so many times its annoying. Friends worried about me getting sued or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Mecha Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 My greatest concern is not the copyright of the characters, but the content themselves. We've been using sprites and music that is illegally ripped from illegal copies from trademarked game. But then again, I'm not sure about these myself: I've seen Insomniac games use a megaman sprite from MM7 in their Ratchet and Clank Future: TOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candescence Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 My greatest concern is not the copyright of the characters, but the content themselves. We've been using sprites and music that is illegally ripped from illegal copies from trademarked game. But then again, I'm not sure about these myself: I've seen Insomniac games use a megaman sprite from MM7 in their Ratchet and Clank Future: TOD. Holy crap, are you serious? That's certainly grounds for a suit, considering the commercial nature of that game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DimensionWarped Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Not if it's used for tributary or parody purposes. And certainly not if they sought permission to do so ahead of time. Insomniac is big, so I'd wager they had it all planned out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techokami Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Nintendo however, is another story. If I recall, they tired to stop, MMFG like, twice.Nintendo never tried to stop MFGG before; some "watchdog" group saw the use of Mario on the site and fired off a C&D to the emulationzone webmaster, and many people now think that C&D was illegitimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asuma Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 So, pretty much what happened to that Chrono Trigger hack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DimensionWarped Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Not even sure what you are trying to reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asuma Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 There was Chrono Trigger hack was was suppose to have been released sometime late last year or early this year. A "Watchdog" to Square a lie that the group intended to sell that hack. Square then issued a C&D. Supposedly, that watchdog as jealous noob or just an ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ila Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Evidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slingerland Posted December 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 It happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candescence Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Are you talking about Crimson Echoes? Because I remember nothing about a watchdog telling Square that they intended to sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techokami Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 So, pretty much what happened to that Chrono Trigger hack?No, that was Square/Enix going after someone using the Chrono Trigger IP. They've shot down a Chrono Trigger fangame in the same way, too. However, if you use Final Fantasy, they don't seem to care...That's not to say Nintendo hasn't done anything similar. There was a Metroid II remake that was to be in 3D using... I think it was one of the Quake engines? But Nintendo shot it down, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flame6753 Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 I seriously don't care lol. Any fan game that I make isn't going to be blasted within the fangame community like other ones that were shut down. If someone tries to contact me about my game to take it down, It'll be after my game is finished and available for download, and by that time I'll just ignore them lol. "Oh, I really don't check my email that often"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rael0505 Posted December 14, 2009 Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 Think Azu was referring to that canceled 3D Chrono Trigger remake. edit: it was called Chrono Trigger Resurrection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asuma Posted December 14, 2009 Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 No, I was talking about that hack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron C-T Posted December 14, 2009 Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 Slinger's pic goes perfectly with his post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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