SC2Mapster

Would it be illegal to use icons from another shipped product game and use them in my map?

If it's not a Blizzard game, I'd avoid using their assets.

Technically, yes. Any map that uses copyrighted graphics or sounds, that is "found"/"reported" would be removed.

@Molsterr: Go

bahhh lol, damn you copyrights!

EDIT: That being said, I wonder if blizzard really will be ok if I use their icons - say from WoW lol.

I think they said they didn't like us using WoW models.

The answer in that case is to upload them elsewhere (which works for single player maps only).

Quote from Lonami: Go

I think they said they didn't like us using WoW models.

The answer in that case is to upload them elsewhere (which works for single player maps only).

you have it backwards, they said it is ok. [it was in wc3 they said they didnt want wow models.]

@Molsterr: Go

Thank you for the amazing replies, guys. It really helps out a lot :)

i doubt they'd care and i doubt you'd get in trouble
for a free map atleast
if the custom marketplace ever comes out you will never be able to sell a map using assets striped from another game.

but otherwise it's fine. seen this alot. many starcraft 2 models are used in hon as user made custom skins. hydralisk for slither and roach for parasite

Quote from maverck: Go

i doubt they'd care and i doubt you'd get in trouble for a free map atleast if the custom marketplace ever comes out you will never be able to sell a map using assets striped from another game.

but otherwise it's fine. seen this alot. many starcraft 2 models are used in hon as user made custom skins. hydralisk for slither and roach for parasite

actually most maps that use other games' licensed items have been removed once reported. Maps have been removed for use the TF2 sounds for example...

@Molsterr: Go

Stupid question - but just in case. What about public domain assets? Or copyrighted assets, such as ones under this copyright http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC-BY 3.0)

Although made by other authors and/or copyrighted, they are free to be distributed and sold commercially. Would this be ok too?

(Under CC-BY 3.0, you just need to credit the author)

Quote from Molsterr: Go

[it was in wc3 they said they didnt want wow models.]

No they didn't. They even spotlighted a map that used them. I can't remember a single time Blizzard prevented the use of resources from other games (proof: think of DotA's sounds).

Quote from busterkomo: Go

@Molsterr: Go

No they didn't. They even spotlighted a map that used them. I can't remember a single time Blizzard prevented the use of resources from other games (proof: think of DotA's sounds).

Yes it is indeed what they said. I know what ended up in games. But I also know what blizzard had stated tyvm. We had a talk about this a long time ago as a sc2 community, and one of the things that was brought up was blizzards stance on wow models in wc3

Quote from Enexy: Go

@Molsterr: Go

Stupid question - but just in case. What about public domain assets? Or copyrighted assets, such as ones under this copyright http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC-BY 3.0)

Although made by other authors and/or copyrighted, they are free to be distributed and sold commercially. Would this be ok too?

(Under CC-BY 3.0, you just need to credit the author)

yeah, when I say copyrighted, im referring to things copyrighted by companies..and not the free creative commons thing.

Basically If you have a question regarding blizzards stance on you using additional assets then ask your self these couple of questions

1. Is the asset owned by blizzard? - Then yes you can use them in your map.
2. Is the asset a copyright protected item owned by someone else other then blizzard or yourself, and the owner has not publicly stated that the asset is available for public use? - Then you may not use said asset since its illegal. You could use it and get away with it.... but if the author of the asset sues you then ... your map will be removed and you may find yourself very broke..
3. Is the asset copyright protected under some kind of public domain use or GPL license scheme? - Then yes you may use it as long as you adhere to the license agreement.

Quote from SouLCarveRR: Go

Basically If you have a question regarding blizzards stance on you using additional assets then ask your self these couple of questions Is the asset owned by blizzard? - Then yes you can use them in your map. Is the asset a copyright protected item owned by someone else other then blizzard or yourself, and the owner has not publicly stated that the asset is available for public use? - Then you may not use said asset since its illegal. You could use it and get away with it.... but if the author of the asset sues you then ... your map will be removed and you may find yourself very broke.. Is the asset copyright protected under some kind of public domain use or GPL license scheme? - Then yes you may use it as long as you adhere to the license agreement.

exactly whats been said here, should answer any questions you have on it.

Quote from SouLCarveRR: Go

Basically If you have a question regarding blizzards stance on you using additional assets then ask your self these couple of questions Is the asset owned by blizzard? - Then yes you can use them in your map. Is the asset a copyright protected item owned by someone else other then blizzard or yourself, and the owner has not publicly stated that the asset is available for public use? - Then you may not use said asset since its illegal. You could use it and get away with it.... but if the author of the asset sues you then ... your map will be removed and you may find yourself very broke.. Is the asset copyright protected under some kind of public domain use or GPL license scheme? - Then yes you may use it as long as you adhere to the license agreement.

I think you should remove the 'sues" part, since the original author will neither know nor care. Only reason blizzard cares now is because they force us to host on their servers, so if anything happens THEY are liable, not us. If, in the 1 in a trillion chance the original author did decide to sue, it'd be blizzard they sued, not you. Since it was hosted on blizzards server. That's why they're nazis when it comes to stuff like that. On SC and WC3 the maps were hosted peer to peer, so blizzard wasn't liable for the content. It could be as offensive or illegal as it wanted to be, it wasn't blizzards problem. I miss that system.

Quote from Colt556: Go

@SouLCarveRR: Go

I think you should remove the 'sues" part, since the original author will neither know nor care. Only reason blizzard cares now is because they force us to host on their servers, so if anything happens THEY are liable, not us. If, in the 1 in a trillion chance the original author did decide to sue, it'd be blizzard they sued, not you. Since it was hosted on blizzards server. That's why they're nazis when it comes to stuff like that. On SC and WC3 the maps were hosted peer to peer, so blizzard wasn't liable for the content. It could be as offensive or illegal as it wanted to be, it wasn't blizzards problem. I miss that system.

umm they could still sue you if they really wanted to, and if they sued blizzard, blizzard would then have legal reason to sue you for the loses. Though I agree I dont see any sueing happening at all.. he shouldnt removed it as it is "allowed" to happen.

Well there hasn't been any issue with all the other copyrighted material being used, Smashcraft uses music from bunch of anime games(well they're wannabe anime but don't have a real anime). Also they can't really sue the map maker since they aren't making any money off it. The lawsuit would go to blizzard and blizzard might be able to sue the map maker then. But I think their copyright policy is something like digitally signed document saying you have the rights to the content being used in the map to prove that it's being used without permission. I think blizzard will most likely take down the map and try to avoid a lawsuit if possible. They can always use the we didn't know the map was on bnet with copyrighted content. Which if we're lucky could lead to them actually screening maps so they avoid lawsuits if it becomes a problem.