Do you need permissions to use modified vanilla assets?

[Infamous95]

*I don't use the forums often so I apologize if this is in the wrong place or asked before I took a look around and could not find anything on this specific topic*

 

Do I need permissions for modified vanilla assets? The one gray area to me is whether or not I would need to ask for permissions to use assets that are 100% modified from vanilla game assets since Bethesda owns them (in this case nifs).

 

I couldn't find anything on this in Bethesda's Terms of Service either just stuff on custom assets being yours but they can use it.

 

Im looking for a moderators answer instead of an opinion from normal users please.

 

Thanks,

 

Infamous

 

 

[Thandal]

@Infamous95; Basically, if the rightsholder, which is generally the game's developer or publisher, allows (or doesn't object to) modding, then no, you don't need "special" permission to use a game's vanilla assets in a mod.

 

Some, like CD Projekt Red and BioWare, have publically stated that they're fine with it. And others, like Bethseda, even publish tools such as the CK to make it easy.

[Infamous95]

Sorry I should have clarified my question. I meant if another person modifies an asset like a nif file but uses 100% of the game developers assets in doing so would I need permission from that user to use that .nif in a mod I make?

[leonardo2]

Sorry I should have clarified my question. I meant if another person modifies an asset like a nif file but uses 100% of the game developers assets in doing so would I need permission from that user to use that .nif in a mod I make?

Then you need to obtain permission from the author, but as Thandal said you don't need to permission from Bethesda.

[Infamous95]

See it makes sense for a texture created for something in game but not a .nif using all bethesda assets thats why Im looking for a moderators answer so I know for sure whether or not I can or cant.

[Thandal]

@Infamous95; We are not lawyers, (and don't want to be!) and the Nexus is not a Court. That said, our basic position is that if you want to include someone else's work in yours, you should get permission from that someone. So if we're talking about vanilla game assets, and the developer/publisher is fine with mods, no additional permission is required.

 

But if someone has put effort into creating something new by using those assets, something that wasn't previously in the game, and you want to further refine that work, the proper thing to do is ask that person if s/he'd mind. (Most authors would be thrilled!)

 

This is summarized in our TaP:

Usage and Accreditation

 

<snip>

 

• Submission of existing user-submitted content without obtaining permission from the original author(s) of said content is strictly prohibited.

Does that clarify things? :huh:

[Infamous95]

Right on definitely does. Thank you Thandal.