Hello there!
I am a writer, and I want to create a story in a custom campaign for Warcraft III. This is a story that I also plan to release in a book - and it's completely separate from any intellectual property made by Blizzard, except for the fact that I wish to create a campaign "edition" of the story in the Warcraft III World Editor.
Now, my question is - who does this story belong to? Supposedly, based on the "Custom Game Acceptable Use Policy", any and all property in a custom game (and I guess, custom campaign, too) belongs to Blizzard, and Blizzard is free to use it in any way it wants to.
As a developing writer who wishes to publish and earn money with this future book, I am afraid that this law will give too much control over my intellectual property to Blizzard.
What happens, if my book blows up in popularity, and somebody wants to make a television series about it, for example? Like Game of Thrones. The book itself will be different from the game, of course. But just because I create a campaign now with the same character names and the same general plot of the story, will this mean that in the future Blizzard can just say that "it's not your property anymore", and they can take control over the television series and leave me out of it all completely?
Am I the only one who sees multiple problems with this? This stops me from starting the whole editing and creating the campaign, because Blizzard will just swipe it away from me, no matter what I say or wish, because I would agree to a contract. But who would ever agree to making something great, and then not even getting some credits - not to mention revenue?
Reading the Custom Game Acceptable Use Policy made me want to stop writing my story alltogether. I envisioned it perfectly in the world editor, and how the book would differ or be similar to it. But now, I feel like I just want to stick to the book, and not make any sort of campaign, because my writing work will just go down the bin, since, at any moment, Blizzard can just ask me to hand it over.
I guess I could (theoretically) make it for myself in secret, but then what's the point?
I feel like, as modders and world editors, this is an issue that can trouble all of us, this whole site.
What do you guys think about this? Is there any way around this, so I can protect my creative rights?
I am a writer, and I want to create a story in a custom campaign for Warcraft III. This is a story that I also plan to release in a book - and it's completely separate from any intellectual property made by Blizzard, except for the fact that I wish to create a campaign "edition" of the story in the Warcraft III World Editor.
Now, my question is - who does this story belong to? Supposedly, based on the "Custom Game Acceptable Use Policy", any and all property in a custom game (and I guess, custom campaign, too) belongs to Blizzard, and Blizzard is free to use it in any way it wants to.
As a developing writer who wishes to publish and earn money with this future book, I am afraid that this law will give too much control over my intellectual property to Blizzard.
What happens, if my book blows up in popularity, and somebody wants to make a television series about it, for example? Like Game of Thrones. The book itself will be different from the game, of course. But just because I create a campaign now with the same character names and the same general plot of the story, will this mean that in the future Blizzard can just say that "it's not your property anymore", and they can take control over the television series and leave me out of it all completely?
Am I the only one who sees multiple problems with this? This stops me from starting the whole editing and creating the campaign, because Blizzard will just swipe it away from me, no matter what I say or wish, because I would agree to a contract. But who would ever agree to making something great, and then not even getting some credits - not to mention revenue?
Reading the Custom Game Acceptable Use Policy made me want to stop writing my story alltogether. I envisioned it perfectly in the world editor, and how the book would differ or be similar to it. But now, I feel like I just want to stick to the book, and not make any sort of campaign, because my writing work will just go down the bin, since, at any moment, Blizzard can just ask me to hand it over.
I guess I could (theoretically) make it for myself in secret, but then what's the point?
I feel like, as modders and world editors, this is an issue that can trouble all of us, this whole site.
What do you guys think about this? Is there any way around this, so I can protect my creative rights?