A question of copyright...

Renegade · Post by **Renegade** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 12:41 pm

Hello there,

To begin I don't know if my topic is in the right forum. If it's not the case, I'm sorry.

I have one question. I mailed Bethesda but I've received no answer -_- and I think you could help me.

I'm a Misleading Lands' developper, a french game (not a mod) using the Fallout universe, in Europe.

Well I would know if we got the right to use the Fallout universe for a non-commercial project. We make our own medias, but we use some names like Brotherhood of Steel, Deathclaw...

Cordially,

Haris · Post by **Haris** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:03 pm

if u aint making money of it, well nothing to sue you for than.

Renegade · Post by **Renegade** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:32 pm

Even if we receive donations or if we send some CDs of our game against a compensation from people who ask us to do it?

dude_obj · Post by **dude_obj** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 4:18 pm

Having money involved is asking for trouble. Although Interplay did say unoffially "you should be okay" as long as there is NO MONEY involved and you stick to the fallout license, they also said you do so at your <a href="http://home.cogeco.ca/~desolation/faq/#Mod002">own risk</a>.

And that's just Interplay. Bethesda paid a lot of money for the fallout name and brand, and they obviously have a right to protect that brand. I doubt that they would say "its okay" like Interplay did. I doubt that they'd be concerned about mods for the old Fallout 2. They might however be "interested" in anyone receiving money while using that brand name.

This is just my personal opinion/guess, I'm not a lawyer, blah blah blah, I'd say skip the money factor and the CDs.

Haris · Post by **Haris** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 4:23 pm

donation is not a sale or payment. but saying give us 10 bucks and we send u free cd. well thats kinda trying to trick someone. so basicly only way u can make money legal on game that isnt really your is if u put up a webpage and let poeple download mods/tools and similar stuff for it for free and have donation option on it and adwerts. allso i would make sure that its not full verion of game that poeple can download. if you make the mod they should be forced to actually own original game to play it.

but i really dont know anything about the game your moding and how much your mod changes and looks like actuall fallout game. if i knew more about how old it is and stuff like that it would help. i mean if you make post apocaliptic game that isnt much similar to fallout graphic vise than they cant sue you eather.

dude_obj · Post by **dude_obj** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 4:44 pm

Well Interplay explicity said <b>make sure there's no money involved</b>. Ten bucks for a "free CD" that is worth 50 cents ... is not free.

Haris · Post by **Haris** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 6:18 pm

yea but if he makes PA game thats not exactly the same as fallout, than they cant sue him for that. but having brotherhood of steel and deathclaws is kinda pushing it to be fallout. why not make your own faction and own mutants and monsters. that way its PA but not fallout. how hard can it be to call brother of steel for example "Wastelands Justice Army" or "Defenders of the waste".

Renegade · Post by **Renegade** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:18 pm

Concerning the graphic chart of the project, you can consider by yourself here and here (by the way, if you could estimate it, it would be nice

). Our game is much inspirated from Mad Max than Fallout finally, because the civilization had have the time to implant itself. But I think I'll forget the idea of distributing CDs...

About the names like Brotherhood of Steel, yes, we can change it. But about elements like brahmins or power armor? I think we could use new ideas to replace, but how our game will be welcomed by Fallout's fans?

Arf, I think I ask too much questions :/

Nicolai · Post by **Nicolai** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:30 pm

You could use some sneaky manouvers, like calling them Power armours and brahmmins

fallout ranger · Post by **fallout ranger** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:12 am

thats perfectly legal

Haris · Post by **Haris** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:50 am

""but how our game will be welcomed by Fallout's fans?""

well dont put your hopes up on that. they talked shit about fallout 2, tactics, BOS and every single mod ever made. doesent mean they wont play it thoe.

Post by **King of Creation** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:02 am

I'm very interested in your game. If you'd like to PM me details about it, who you and your team are, and anything else you want to talk about, I'll make a Newspost about it. Your game definitely falls under the criteria for games that we cover at DAC! Too bad I don't speak French...

Nicolai · Post by **Nicolai** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 8:53 am

You can use that babelfish-dealio to translate their page into English.

Renegade · Post by **Renegade** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 11:46 am

I send the PM (two pms, and I discovered I'm really in lack of vocabulary).

I think we could make an english version of the website. Obviously, I'll not make it ^^, I think I'll code much dynamic scripts and a member will can use them to translate all the pages and news. However It's not for tomorrow...