The rights of Resource Authors

[Vexorian]

I deleted one spell from the spell secton, because besides of some good spells it had, it was also acting like a model pack, with models from wc3s and thehubb, the only refference to the source of those models where the sites names.

I pmd Leopard (the author of the spell map) about this, and explained the reasons I deleted it. Saying some stuff including this:

The goblin mini town map was removed because it is against the model rule.

At least for The Heavy bot model, you never asked permission to Mc!

But it got specially removed because:
- The soldier model was included for no reason.
- You included a model from thehubb without permission.

Thehubb is a conmunity of artists that like to see wc3search as a noob central that loves to leech their models, so to avoid trouble I deleted it.

- Another thing : models don't belong to sites, they belong to their authors, you should state the author of the models instead of where you downloaded it.


If you want to re upload your map either:
- Remove imported models/icons.
Or
- Get permission from every author and Name him on the credits of the map.

The actual reason I am moving the private messanging into this public forum is that Leopard's response seemed like a good question that has to be answered in a public place so more people figure out.

Ok, ok, i get it. But i've got a question:

if i download a model or spell or any resource from wc3sear.ch and use it in my map, am i need a permission from the creator or just put his/her name on credit without any ask before?

Actually, i had already downloaded some models and plan to use them in my in progress map. And i don't know who the creator for which model because there is no readme on it (almost). So, can you give me suggestion what should i do if i want to use this model on my map, not spell?

thanks for your answer.

To answer this:
* When an author uploads any resource to an open site like wc3search, he agrees with it to be used on any map, if he doesn't like that, he shouldn't upload it.
* BUT and it is a great BUT, the author doesn't lose some important rights unless he states that in a readme file saying specifically that he is not interested in keeping them:

The Rights of a Resource's Author
- For a resource to be used on any map, The creator of the map is FORCED to state that the resource was made by another specific person or group, stating the person's name in the credits.
- For a resource to be used on AN OPEN SOURCE MAP, DOWNLOAD PLACE or RESOURCE PACKAGE the Creator of the map HAS TO GIVE THE APPROPIATE PERMISSION.}
- A map creator may modiffy another user's resource. If it is needed to fit his map's needs. BUT HE SHALL NOT RELEASE the modiffied version of the resource on a download area, open source map, resource package or anything UNLESS the RESOURCE CREATOR(s) gave him the permission

 

[DeadDogNoGoWoof]

Great. this question has been brewing around wc3sear.ch for awhile now. good that someone made it clear. stickifi this i say.

 

[Daveman]

same with maps! If people download a map and modify it then they should leave a good amount of credit for them. They should also ask permission before the edit!

 

[Daelin]

Unfortunately it's very hard to get the track of someone's resource, since there are so many maps/resources. Anyway, is the site protected by law or something like that? Cuz if it isn't, I wouldn't really expect a drastic improvement.

~Daelin

 

[VGsatomi]

Okay, here's the deal. When someone posts a model/skin TO THE PUBLIC, they automatically give permission for everyone to use it unless stated otherwise (which would still defeat the purpose if they posted it to the public, then say the public cant use it). So there should never be a reason to ask permission from a resourse maker who posted their resourse to the public to use it for one's map. That's no different then asking a map maker if they can have permission to download their map that is posted in our public map archive. If the hubb's models were posted for public use, and someone uploads their map into our archive using those models, I personally have no problem with it, as long as its not blatently an unprotected "get all hubb models here" map like vex seems to be describing. But otherwise it would be silly to post a rule saying "no maps that use models from the hubb."

If they werent posted for public use, then that's a different story...

Uploading of models better always and only be done by the resourse maker, not a resourse downloader. That's an enforced rule here. Editing of someone else's work should never be done without permission. Giving credits is only a curtousy. It should be a requirement, but we have no way to enforce that short of deleting every map that uses costom materials and didnt give credits to the authors...

Easy answer: If you don't want people to use your resourses, then don't make them. Al long as we don't post their resourses for download, I don't see why the hubb should be upset if the mappers here use them.
-VGsatomi

 

[Jacek]

If I can join the discussion... A little question :

If I make a large campaign, and make a separate credits map, can I give credits there? It would destroy the whole campaign if I just repeat on every map : hgfhigjhi model by ......
erptoeptoproe by .....
stirjtrit spell by ..... original by .....

and so on.

 

[oz02]

Actually, what you said is the ideal way to give credits to resource authors. Repeating the credits in every map is a nuisance.

And adding on to what VGsatomi said, if the author requists credit then you should do it. We can't force you to do it, but if the resource author complains and gives me your screen name on the site I will ban you to prevent from further downloading on the site.

 

[Afronight_76]

well, i agree with your guys, but i dont see it as such a major issue. it's not like anyone's losing money here.

 

[SeaGull1723]

Maybe Afro. But I've already noticed how people just take resources and put them in their maps without giving credit.

Good summary, Vexorian. Hopefully people will respond better.

 

[porndirector]

Maybe Afro. But I've already noticed how people just take resources and put them in their maps without giving credit.

Good summary, Vexorian. Hopefully people will respond better.

yer i agree, don't you hate it when someone steals ur essay. A one question, is Darky28 a game developer or game reviewer or something? i have heard his name in some magazines.

 

[VGsatomi]

That's because his Return of the Dragons campaign was featured in some of the European game magazines.
-VGsatomi

 

[porndirector]

thnx VG for informing me on that.

and btw, r u still in Japan?

 

[DeadDogNoGoWoof]

if he wasn't, wouldn't his location change?

 

[Daveman]

he might of forgotten to change it

 

[Vexorian]

If it is a campaign , then the credits for every single map are the credits of the campaign, noted that?

And no, people should always credit resource authors unless they state it is not needed. It is not the opposite as you should only give credits if they specify that.

 

[Blade.dk]

My personal opinion is that when someone uploads something to a public site, you don't need to ask them for permission to use it AS LONG AS YOU GIVE THEM CREDIT.

- Blade.dk

 

[Nasrudin]

I agree with VGSatomi, except in this point:

credits is only a curtousy. It should be a requirement, but we have no way to enforce that short of deleting every map that uses costom materials and didnt give credits to the authors...

Easy answer: If you don't want people to use your resourses, then don't make them.

Excuse me, but the courtesy is that some people spent their free time to make public resources for the mod\map makers. There seems to be a mentality here in wich a modeler is supposed to be at the service of everyone, and when they don't listen to requests, it's only because they are lazy bi***s
Ever heard of gratitude and\or respect for the work of someone?

Another thing that this thread has made me think, is that if some people are too lazy to write a line of credit, i wonder how much effort and entusiasm they have put in their scripting\terraining\object editing; activities that (are supposed to) require quite more time than writing a name in the readme.

 

[Deathbringer]

I agree with everyone here pretty much, if someone uses something you made, give credit in the map, and preferably PM the maker, I love to know if people use what I make in their maps, it makes me wanna make more skins, spells, etc.

BTW if Land of Legends is uploaded to the site delete it, they used like 30 models from here and NO CREDIT was given to anyone.

 

[VGsatomi]

Well, considering that there's no real practical way of enforcing it, curtousy is all it ammounts to, unfortunatly.

I've had my resourses used before and not once have I been given credit...but I was just happy my stuff was used in the first place. It's when people take credit FOR the actual makers is where blood gets flash-boiled. This is just my personal opinion, so take it for what it's worth, but If someone chose your skin or model above the thousands of others on this site and did it justice in putting it in their map, that is reward in of its self. Credits mainly are not only a tribute to the resourse maker, but also says a lot about the respectability of the mapper, and yes, I agree that laziness if the biggest cause of lach of credit giving. If someone else takes credit for your work, thats a diff story, (but you probably wont see that in the maps themsevles), and that is something we CAN enforce.
-VGsatomi