As a business, game development is fraught with legal concerns and issues, especially on copyright, terms of service, and licensing fronts.
0
votes
2answers
227 views
Is it legal to reuse a 3D model as long as it has a new texture?
If I create a 3D model and texture for a client, say a house. Can I reuse that same 3D model, but apply a new texture and then legally use that in my own game? Is that enough of a difference?
...
1
vote
3answers
249 views
What do I need to do legally to protect my game with copyright?
I am in the process of writing a game and I'm wondering what the copyright laws about publishing this game are.
I do not (for now) intend to make money from this. The beginning of my code contains a ...
0
votes
2answers
190 views
Pac-Man - Public Domain? [closed]
I've googled this and haven't come up with anything. Can I create a Pac-Man game and not get in trouble with?
Like can I sell it, and be able to make money without having to pay someone else ...
2
votes
4answers
180 views
What can I do to get audio into my game legally?
If making a game of my own, what should or what can I do to get audio in game? I understand that just going on the internet, and finding random tracks and putting in my game may raise a whole load of ...
-5
votes
1answer
40 views
Copyright concerns regarding game development [closed]
In recent time, us game developers face a lot of copyright issues such as:
Using back ground images on blender as it may violate the copyright of the owner of that image
Sampling even tiny portions ...
6
votes
2answers
447 views
Legal issues concerning using superheroes in games
Before proceeding on with the idea of developing a mobile game that involves superhero characters from both Marvel/DC Comics, I am taking a serious dip into looking into things from a legal point of ...
3
votes
4answers
476 views
What revenue models can I use for a non-commercial game [closed]
I don't have any budget to buy commercial licenses but the libraries I use offer non-commercial free licenses.
How far can I go in regard to monetizing my game without it being considered commercial ...
1
vote
3answers
296 views
Is Free2Play w/ cash shop “non-commercial”?
I'm new to game development and considered using the Unreal Development Kid for a test game. The website states it is free for non-commercial use. I know that games that can be obtained free of charge ...
-4
votes
1answer
111 views
Can I use Nyancat for my game? [closed]
I tried to find the information regarding the copyright/ownership of the Nyancat but couldn't find anything concrete.
Can I use Nyan as part of the name of my game?
Can I use the Nyancat graphics ...
0
votes
1answer
190 views
Can I use an effect similar to “The Matrix digital rain” in my game? [closed]
I've created an animation (a series of textures) based on cmatrix program written for Linux terminal, which is distributed via GNU GPL license. I'm using standard latin letters and numbers (nothing ...
8
votes
1answer
270 views
What should I do about legal considerations for an indie game?
Apologies if there's a bit too much background information here, not sure what's relevant but figured I needed to outline the financial situation to differentiate this from other questions whose ...
3
votes
1answer
141 views
Google Play 3rd Party Payment Allowed?
Does Google allow 3rd party payment solutions to be enabled in developers' apps (i.e., Paypal, carrier/SMS payment), especially in countries where Google Checkout isn't present? Or does this violate ...
11
votes
3answers
742 views
Releasing a game without really having an officially registered company
I'm thinking of releasing my iOS game without formally registering a company at all. I'm not sure I even want to create a company.
ITunes wants to know the copyright holder of my title. I have 2 ...
3
votes
1answer
265 views
It's possible to release a communist 1st person shooter in USA? [closed]
I would be interested if it's possible to release a 1st person shooter where a main character is a leader of revolution millitary army that is planning to invade USA and overthrown the capitalist ...
3
votes
1answer
125 views
License for a casino game with virtual money (chips)
Do I need a specific license for operating a casino game (lets say poker Hold'em or video slots) that players are supposed to play with virtual money (chips) only? I am speaking about games like Zynga ...
6
votes
3answers
484 views
Can you use well known buildings in your game?
Is it legal to reference a real city in your game and use the same architecture of well known shops and buildings?
For example, I'm sure you can't create an exact 3D model of McDonalds, put it in ...
0
votes
1answer
126 views
Game loosely based on a copyrighted story [duplicate]
I want to make a game based on a copyrighted book. It's not about recreating it strictly with all details, but rather about building something new around the general idea (possibly incorporating some ...
14
votes
3answers
956 views
Set up indie game studio (UK) - how?
I am UK based and am looking to set up my own game studio - essentially, just myself working from home, looking to build casual game apps. I want to ask you guys what steps or process i need to go ...
0
votes
1answer
117 views
Having Your Own Copyrighted App Automatically After Publishing
I have a question regarding for the game app and in business. You see, I decided to publish an app to Google Play. When I published it, does this app automatically declared that this app is ...
17
votes
1answer
252 views
Process of getting DEJUS rating (Brazil)?
I would like to get DEJUS rating for my HTML5 game on the Firefox
Marketplace, so that I can tell Mozilla to make the game available
to users in Brazil. I want the game to be rated as: Livre (general)
...
0
votes
0answers
144 views
Copyright of some arcade classics [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How closely can a game resemble another game without legal problems
So suppose I'm currently developing a variant of a snakes game for the iPhone, and you decided to ...
2
votes
4answers
257 views
Is “forcing the user” to accept the terms an acceptable design in a smartphone/iPhone game?
I am about to release my first iPhone game, has been a long project and I involved several people. My lawyer strongly recommended me to add a "terms and conditions" page at the beginning of the app ...
-1
votes
5answers
655 views
Is a programmer liable for copyright infringement in other people's mods to his games?
If a programmer (P) releases a game, and a modder (M) releases a game modification which includes copyrighted content, can P be held liable for the copyright infringement in the mod?
9
votes
3answers
506 views
From release to business
Let's say that I've finished programming an indie MMO game similiar to Tibia.
I've got a stable server application that is ready to launch, i've got a tested bug-free working client application that ...
5
votes
3answers
953 views
Can Google Translate's audio files be used in a game?
For my game, I need text-to-speech. Since it's Android, I decided to settle for MP3s, since the range of words spoken is few.
For my prototype, I'm using Google Translate to generate the audio since ...
1
vote
2answers
302 views
Is it acceptable to say “Inspired from … game”
For a game I'm developing, I would like to use "inspired from ... game" to acknowledge and praise that game. But I'm not sure if this is a good idea from a legal point of view. They might think my ...
-3
votes
2answers
242 views
Can I legally make a free clone of a game and use the same name? [closed]
I gather from Is it legally possible to make a clone of the game? and How closely can a game resemble another game without legal problems that I should not try to profit from a clone if it is using ...
8
votes
8answers
1k views
Is it illegal to use a commercial song in your game (that you intend to sell)
If I were to buy, say this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fumBcKC6RE, strip/find/get the instrumental, and use that instrumental in a game I'm making, as a theme, say for a recurring boss ...
10
votes
4answers
516 views
Legal considerations when starting a game development team
I am about to start a project with two other developers and an artist, who I still haven't found. I'm not sure how exactly should we handle that from a legal perspective, though.
Are we supposed to ...
5
votes
3answers
163 views
Which Open Source Licenses can address concerns for an Open Source Game Engine?
I am on a team that is looking to open source an engine we are building. It's intended as an engine for Online RPG style games. We're writing it to work on both desktops and android platforms.
I've ...
1
vote
0answers
104 views
Basing a game on WW2 unit, am I allowed to use the Unit name?
I'm looking into making a Twin Stick Shooter based on a Unit from WW2, would I be allowed to use the Unit name, without getting into any legal issues?
2
votes
1answer
101 views
Cloning a Game - Dev diary while using original assets
I'm currently cloning a game and still using the sound and graphic assets of the original.
I know that I may not distribute those assets but what about publishing a video of my progress as part of a ...
-1
votes
1answer
79 views
Farseer Physics Engine and the Ms-PL License [closed]
Am I able to produce code for a game which uses the Farseer engine and release my code under an open source license other than the Ms-PL?
My concern is with the following section from the license:
...
-1
votes
2answers
274 views
How do I protect my game's IP?
I have developed a game and I'm not sure what the best way to protect it is. Any information would be appreciated. The game works a lot like darts same strategy but with a different board and ...
-2
votes
2answers
202 views
Is there a way to legally create a game mod? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How closely can a game resemble another game without legal problems
Some questions about it:
If I create a funny version of a copyrighted game and sell it (crediting ...
1
vote
1answer
321 views
Can I use remade sprites in my game? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How closely can a game resemble another game without legal problems
Can I use remade sprites in my game?
I am making a game and I used some sprites, but I didn't copy ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
Legal concerns with orchestrating a music submission contest
My team and I are getting pretty far along in the development of our latest game and have been thinking about audio. We decided to host an audio submission contest where we will offer a little cash ...
3
votes
2answers
495 views
How is an HTML5 game sold?
(I know this site doesn't give legal advice, but what I'm dealing here with isn't anything serious at all. Also, I apologize to JP for being annoying over this.)
Someone found a game I made on the ...
16
votes
4answers
2k views
Can I use popular classical music as my game's soundtrack?
Can I use popular classical music in my game as a soundtrack? I'm concerned about copyright protection. I don't plan to make money off of my game.
Will I break some law if I do that?
3
votes
2answers
209 views
Can I name a team with the name of their city to avoid trademark issues?
I was wondering, if you want to make a NBA game on smartphones, without the license held by EA, the first solution seems to name your teams with a different name, such as "Chicragro Brulls" (this is ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Is it legal to use car manufacturers' names in a game?
Is it legal to use car manufacturers' names in a game?
For example:
to describe Audi's quattro drive system?
to display a rendering of an Audi?
to include a photo (to which I have rights) of an ...
2
votes
2answers
520 views
Legality of AngelCode's BMFont
Is it legal to use a bitmapped version of a proprietary font (such as Arial) in a commercial app?
I'm using AngelCode's BMFont to generate a bitmapped version of a few various system installed fonts ...
3
votes
5answers
239 views
Free texture sites – is it safe to use their content
There are multiple free texture sites, like: texturemate.com or plaintextures.com. I am wondering how safe it is to use their content? I imagine that the texture could be withdrawed from the site, ...
1
vote
1answer
765 views
Am I allowed to release an app I developed with Xcode on windows?
I want to develop an app for the iOS app store, but don't want to invest in a mac since they start very expensive. So I considered running Xcode via VMware using OSX Lion on my windows 7 computer. ...
10
votes
4answers
469 views
Does using an licensed game engine prevent you from open sourcing a defunct work?
I'm curious as my previous company is asking us (people who developed the game) on what to do to the game since it's no longer financially viable.
My suggestion was to open source it so people can ...
4
votes
3answers
182 views
Where can I find affordable legal advice for game software related inquiries?
I am working on simulation middleware which is applicable for game engine implementations.
What I would like to do is to make it freely available for use for all non-commercial purposes, while at ...
2
votes
3answers
213 views
Are there any good ways to know if a resource is patented trademark or illegal to use?
This is something that I worried about for a long time. While making games, it is hard to tell for sure if any of the resources are copyrighted unless a person is clearly aware that they are to a like ...
1
vote
4answers
287 views
To what extent it is legal to declare support of third party commercial products' assets?
Is it legal to say that MyGame supports other (specific) games' textures, sounds and models?
I'd like to get involved into an open source game project and implement support for Quake's weapon models ...
3
votes
2answers
435 views
Should I develop the game first or get NDA?
So I have been working on my game for a while now. And I now I have other people contributing to the project. I fear that someone will tell their friends and/or family then my 'great' idea is lost.
...
36
votes
4answers
3k views
How closely can a game resemble another game without legal problems
Majority of games build on successes of other games and many are downright clones, so where goes the limit of emulating before legal issues come into the field. Is it down to literary or graphic work ...
