Copyright

[Bearbear76]

What is Copyright?
Copyright is a legal protection to the creators of original content.
Any original content will automatically enjoy copyright.

Note: The forum is operated by a German person or organisation, therefore complies with German Copyright Law (Urheberrechtsgesetz, UrhG)

What does copyright apply to?
Copyright can apply to many things, such as
• dramatic
• photographic
• musical
• choreographic
• original literally
• architectural
• artistic works

In this case the most violated category is "artistic works" mainly building materials for plugins.

Also ideas do not apply to copyright.
For example, if I had a idea of certain type of building in my head that does not apply as copyright.
Copyright only applies untill you create the content.

What should I do to prevent copyright infringement?

• first, the most simple way is to create the content by yourself. (I will recommend this)

• Secondly, if you find an image online that you want to use
you should try to look around and find a description of the content to see if you are allowed to use the image freely.
If you cannot find anything in the description of the material, contact the original creator and ask for permission if denied Do not use the image.
If accepted you can use the image freely.
In case you get no response that means that you did not acquire permission to use it!

Copyright infringement is a violation to the law, it may not seem like a big deal but remember you are breaking the law!

Information about Theotown graphics.
All non IAP ( In app purchases ) graphics are ok to use freely.
But, it's compulsory to add credits to the developers Lobby & Theotheoderich.
However you must not use any graphics within the Future contents as they are categorized as IAPs.
(The karlsruhe palace is technically not an IAP, but distribution is forbidden within the forum or not)
If you need some specific textures go the the Tutorials & Documentation or the Plug-In Discussion and search for the specific graphic before asking for it.

If you used graphics from the future content ( IAP ) that will apply as copyright, and you will get a warning from the moderators/administrators.

Information about Bear Emotes.
Bear Emotes were originally made by Bearbear76 and also the help of the community. Usage within the forum, Discord or any other official Theotown websites/communities are permitted.
For plug-in usage credit to Bearbear76 is necessary. If left uncredited the plugin-in could receive a take down.


Warnings
Copyright infringements will lead into warnings if ignored and you continue these acts you will be banned from this website.
We don't want to ban anyone so please follow these rules.

To Moderators / Administrators
If you see any building of a plugin that looks like it has been cropped.
First, check the description of the plugin to see if they credited anyone
Secondly, if you cannot see any credits ask them if they have permission

If he/she doesn't have permission: take down the image and link immediately or delete the post.
If he/she has permission: ask them to pm the proof of the permission.

If he/she cannot prove the permission take it down until they can prove the permission
or maybe take acts for example contact the original creator yourself and ask for permission etc...

Let's keep this forum a better place without any copyright infringements!

Sincerely
Bearbear76

[Brody Craft]

Any Material With Creative Commons License Can Be Freely Used As Intended

[Lobby]

Thank you, this summarizes it quite well
Therefore I moved it into Plugin Documentation, because plugins are the thing where infringements may happen

[mdk_813]

What is the policy on plugins that use real-world brands?
I've seen some inconsistencies here on that matter in the past, that's why I'm asking.
For example, if somebody decided to make plugin of a McDonald's restaurant, or, in case the airport is released, if somebody makes a Lufthansa plane etc., would that be a problem if it is published here?
Sure, the brand itself is protected, but there is also artistic freedom on the other hand, and as long as it is not portrayed in a negative way that could harm the brand, this could actually be ok, couldn't it?

[KINGTUT10101]

I have a question as well. Are you allowed to take another .json and use it as a template for your own plug-in? If yes, than whatt would the limitations be with this?

[KINGTUT10101]

You also didn't mention anything about redistribution.

[Lobby]

These are all difficult questions. About branding, I think it's not an issue for plugins as they are (normally) not created for commercial use. However, I wouldn't put any obvious brand names or logos into the game natively (whatever obvious logo in context of pixel art means. You won't be able to tell whether there's really a Lufthansa logo on the wings of an airplane).

About json, you just cannot apply copyright to them, at least not for shorter ones. Especially if it only contains variations of functionality we present in the documentation forum (that is what plugins basically are). If you want to protect your json code you might try to make it difficult to read, but that won't help much.

[mdk_813]

These are all difficult questions. About branding, I think it's not an issue for plugins as they are (normally) not created for commercial use. However, I wouldn't put any obvious brand names or logos into the game natively (whatever obvious logo in context of pixel art means. You won't be able to tell whether there's really a Lufthansa logo on the wings of an airplane).

Yes, these are difficult questions, because we are getting into a grey area here. I agree, non-commercial use (a free plugin created by users for users) is probably a different story than incorporating them into a game natively that is intended to generate profits.
Surely, the Lufthansa logo on a 4x4 plane won't actually be a Lufthansa logo but a couple of blue and yellow pixels that are roughly reminding of that logo. But let's take the McD restaurant as an example. These usually have the famous two arches on a large pole (so that you can see them from far away), so even in pixel art, they could be recognizable...
Maybe the safest way is to avoid obvious and recognizable logos or to actually ask permission. Maybe these companies are open to it, as long as the plugin portrays the brand in a positive, non-harmful way. It is free advertisement after all and a credit to their success if regular players deem them important enough to actually wanting to bring them into a game.

As far as the json is concerned, I also agree that in most cases the individual accomplishment of its creator is not significant enough to justify protection. It is just a compilation of options that are prefabricated in the game. Also, it is necessary for beginners to look at existing jsons, because how would they otherwise even be able to start, if they have no idea what a json should look like?
It might be different, though, when complicated animations etc. come into play which actually take an effort to create. So these complicated and long jsons in ABab's psychodellic plugins are probably indeed worth some protection.

Another grey area that I see, by the way, is the use of textures in a plugin. If you just take a photo off the internet and use it as part of your otherwise original plugin, this could be a copyright issue as well, because you actually build upon and change the image information of that photo (in Germany: "Verfremdung"). Maybe the original picture is not recognizable anymore, due to the strong pixelization, but who knows?

[mdk_813]

You also didn't mention anything about redistribution.

As far as redistribution is concerned, I think there can be no doubt at all that it is forbidden by default. You cannot redistribute any plugin without the explicit permission of its creator (which could be expressed directly to the redistributor or in a general way during the original publication). If such an information regarding redistribution is missing in a plugin or plugin description, you must assume that redistribution is not allowed.

[mdk_813]

Any Material With Creative Commons License Can Be Freely Used As Intended

There are a number of different CC-licenses, that allow for different usages and changes.
But, as far as I know, in any case the original creator must be mentioned!
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/?lang=en

[Bearbear76]

I have a question as well. Are you allowed to take another .json and use it as a template for your own plug-in? If yes, than whatt would the limitations be with this?

In this case I think it depends on how much you use it maybe a copying a few lines of code is ok
If you're going to use most of the code I recommend credit and permission

Anyways as I say in the top post probably the best way is to do it yourself
Ask members of the forum if you are having trouble with json
That's why we have "plugin discussion" , "tutorial and documentation" , "problems"

[Sphere Game Studios]

Hello all

Just to clarify my position here, any unauthorised use of my IP will not be taken lightly.

I have a good relationship with Lobby so it is cool for now, but if I see any more of my IP appearing then things will get escalated.

Simple rule if you didn't create it you have no rights to it!

Kind regards
Sphere Game studios

[CommanderABab]

Welcome to our forum @Sphere Game Studios ! IP stands for intellectual property, am I correct?

[Sphere Game Studios]

hi @CommanderABab yes IP = intellectual property.

[Bearbear76]

I'm terribly sorry for all of this

As I said we will try to not make this happen again...

[Sphere Game Studios]

I don't have a forum for my games... not sure I would want one to be honest. @Bearbear65 it is cool, I trust it won't happen again.

[Sphere Game Studios]

TheoTown is a cool game and I wish it all the success it deserves

[mdk_813]

I have a question as well. Are you allowed to take another .json and use it as a template for your own plug-in? If yes, than whatt would the limitations be with this?

In this case I think it depends on how much you use it maybe a copying a few lines of code is ok
If you're going to use most of the code I recommend credit and permission

I think this is bit misleading.
Whether or not a creator of a work can claim a protection does not depend on the amount you copy from that work. The deciding question is the amount of creative effort invested into a work by the creator, or put differently, if they reached or surpassed the threshold of originality (in German "Schöpfungshöhe"). Merely compiling a number of settings that are already provided by the game, as is the case with most jsons, is probably not original enough.
But, if somebody indeed created something original, than it is irrelevant whether anyone else copies it entirely or only in part. Both cases would not be allowed without permission.

[malsa]

Hi @Sphere Game Studios welcome to our forum and this is the guy said he already ask the permission to you but he lie
so here

[JustAnyone]

Hi @Sphere Game Studios welcome to our forum and this is the guy said he already ask the permission to you but he lie
so here
The guy.PNG

(Offtopic)
Windows XP?