Help with copyright

[flakes]

Hi, I'm back with a question.
Can you create plugins of REAL BUILDINGS (I repeat, real buildings, which in theory don't have copyright xD) from other construction games and publish them in the plugin store? The answer is a bit obvious but I wanted to be sure because I do not know anything about copyright.

I bring you this SimCity 2000 example.

Can I use this image as a template and create the building myself?

I do not know if you understand, sorry my terrible English

[CommanderABab]

Like a tracing from which you create your own textures and details?

[michaelbello123]

Copyright is illegal i rather that you keep it privately

[Mr. French]

Copyright is illegal i rather that you keep it privately

In the EU

Stop saying that. Most of google images has a protected thing that expect you from using it. Also yes you can replicate a building from another game but not use its complete structure. Using copyrighted textures isn't illegal in the U.S But it's still copyrighted and if someones find it out you can be in troubles. Please read the forum rules before making Conclusions. (the forum is based in Germany)

[Lobby]

Yes, feel free to get inspired by the architecture of real world buildings and buildings that might exist in the real world.

The key is that you don't copy any pixel data

[cesareborgia94]

Base your image on a building and create a replica of it, creating a replica of an existent building is not copyright, rather you are inspired by a real building and choose to make another version of it in the game.

A copyright is when you take another building from a game, like Simcity and retook its texture without editing it, and adding it into the game without any changes. That is stealing (or copying) which is illegal, but if you do it privately and do not share your copyrighted work you are fine as it is...

[flakes]

So if I modify the texture, is it free of copyright?

I also I'm not going to create buildings by copying the structure of other games. I will continue doing them manually as I have always done. I just asked him for curiosity haha.

Thank you all for your answers

[cesareborgia94]

So if I modify the texture, is it free of copyright?

I also I'm not going to create buildings by copying the structure of other games. I will continue doing them manually as I have always done. I just asked him for curiosity haha.

Thank you all for your answers

If you do borrow texture from other authors and modify it, do credit the author unless the author does not want the texture to be credited. You can copy other building structures from other games, if you make it from scratch tho. Also it is fine, if you have questions, feel free to ask. I do hope your plugins contribution will continue here...

[FranchuFranchu]

Also, always check if a image/texture is CC-licensed. If so, check what permissions does the license give you.

[Wekabu city]

No, BUILDINGS APPLY FOR COPYRIGHT!
However in most countries a special law exists that allows to make pictures of buildings.
You can also not use an image of a work of a non-copyrighted work in a work that is copyrighted.
E.g. you can't use an image of an paperclip model of the Eiffel Tower, If the paperclip model is copyrighted (which Most likely is)
Beware that the "paranomafreiheit" does not exist within some countries (e.g. France).
Now, I don't know If this applies to replicas or hand redrawn things, so you should ask the Copyright holder of the building.

[KINGTUT10101]

I'm pretty sure it's okay to use buildings from other games as inspiration. After all, there are buildings in TT that are "clones" of SC2K buildings.

[RayXP]

If the game and forum were American, copyright wouldn't be a problem...

[CommanderABab]

That doesn't make sense Ray.

[Designer Anthony]

What is an example of a post crediting the copyright owner?

[Wekabu city]

Not a lawyer, but it depends on what the work you are using is and what the license behind the work is. For code usually just inheriting the copyright header and adding your name below it, in which case you'd get something like

Code: Select all

/*
 * This file is part of <project>, <explaination>.
 * Copyright (c) 2015 - 2020 John.
 * Copyright (c) 2020 - 2021 Yourname
 *
 * <even more license deeptalk>
 

for JSON or images this might get complicated it is often better to put the license in the root of the zip file and also there, inherit the copyright statement and add your own like above (it gets complicated once you encrypt it though - some licenses may not permit that or require you to provide the source (like the GPL)). However in most cases you'd get away by simply crediting them via something like "Tree graphics made by John". On a legal side of things I'd recommend to ask the copyright owner first however (and do not use anything that states "All rights reserved" as their license - unless you can proof that the license is foul).

[TheFennekin]

If the game and forum were American, copyright wouldn't be a problem...

It exists everywhere as long as that thing is copyrighted.