Question about copying

[raikien -.-]

I want to release a small mod I made using the cs. It's only cs settings but I copied 3 settings that another mod had. This mod has a lot more things I changed but as for those 3 settings Do i need to pm this author and get permission or can I just include credit to this author in the readme

Like I said theres no models or houses.. nothing like that just 3 settings for the cs I copied.

[Peregrine]

I want to release a small mod I made using the cs. It's only cs settings but I copied 3 settings that another mod had. This mod has a lot more things I changed but as for those 3 settings Do i need to pm this author and get permission or can I just include credit to this author in the readme

Like I said theres no models or houses.. nothing like that just 3 settings for the cs I copied.

 

What does the author say? You can only use another author's work if you have their permission, you just have to figure out how to get it. It might be given in the readme file, you might need to contact the author and ask, or you might not get it at all (in which case you may NOT use their work, no matter how much credit you give).

[raikien -.-]

I want to release a small mod I made using the cs. It's only cs settings but I copied 3 settings that another mod had. This mod has a lot more things I changed but as for those 3 settings Do i need to pm this author and get permission or can I just include credit to this author in the readme

Like I said theres no models or houses.. nothing like that just 3 settings for the cs I copied.

 

What does the author say? You can only use another author's work if you have their permission, you just have to figure out how to get it. It might be given in the readme file, you might need to contact the author and ask, or you might not get it at all (in which case you may NOT use their work, no matter how much credit you give).

 

Ah ok, I wanted to be sure since it wasnt custom modeling or anything, but it was your post on this subject that caught my eye a few months back, the mod seemed pretty old, If nothing else I'll have to change the settings.

I'll post what I copied

in the cs

fhanddamageskillbase

fhanddamageskillmult

fhanddamagestrengthbase

fhanddamagestrenghtmult

sorry its 4, the defaults where all 0 so I used the other mod as a base for creating this

But that mod was said to have a script attached to it, I did not use this

So if I cannot get a hold of the author in "theory" all i'd have to do is change the settings I copied even if the change is .0001 correct?

[Vagrant0]

Ah ok, I wanted to be sure since it wasnt custom modeling or anything, but it was your post on this subject that caught my eye a few months back, the mod seemed pretty old, If nothing else I'll have to change the settings.

I'll post what I copied

in the cs

fhanddamageskillbase

fhanddamageskillmult

fhanddamagestrengthbase

fhanddamagestrenghtmult

sorry its 4, the defaults where all 0 so I used the other mod as a base for creating this

But that mod was said to have a script attached to it, I did not use this

So if I cannot get a hold of the author in "theory" all i'd have to do is change the settings I copied even if the change is .0001 correct?

It's more about simantics really. Because you said that you were using anothers work to base your own, you should give credit. Even if you change the settings from what they have, you would still be basing your actions around someone elses work. However, if you had started from scratch, done your own tinkering/testing, and arrived at the same values without having any direct relation, you would then not need permission.

 

On a side note, mods that just change a few common settings, anyone can do on their own. In this particular case I would be more concerned about doing something that is unique to your mod that requires more than a few minutes to do. Or just keep it for your own use, and not upload it.

[SickleYield]

What does the author say? You can only use another author's work if you have their permission, you just have to figure out how to get it. It might be given in the readme file, you might need to contact the author and ask, or you might not get it at all (in which case you may NOT use their work, no matter how much credit you give).

 

May not in the sense of "it's wrong," not in the sense of "it's illegal," just to clarify. No one can own the content of a mod but Bethesda (as it says in the Oblivion EULA; I'm not sure about Morrowind or any other game), no matter who makes it. That doesn't make stealing others' work any less contemptible, but it's not against any law when you're talking about 3rd-party modifications of ESIV.

 

I don't totally agree with Peregrine on the using of content by authors who have vanished from the scene and absolutely cannot be contacted, especially when they've previously shown no interest in who uses or does not use their modded content. Under those circumstances, I don't see what's wrong with using their things with credit given. That's not the same thing as not bothering to contact an author who's obviously still around but just isn't very communicative (such as Oscuro, Martigen, or Corwyn) or plagiarizing a copyrighted work for which you would be robbing the creator of income.

 

This is why I always put very specifically in my readmes what my mods can or can't be used for with my permission.

[raikien -.-]

Just to keep it clear. Vagrant I was going to add this person credit to my readme either way. Mine is uniquie but I needed the values of the 4 settings mentioned above theres around 6-10 more settings I changed on my own but needed a working formula for the settings mention above. I started the thread because I don't want to get burned for not getting a reply from an author that hasnt been around since 2006. Wanted to varify that its ok to only have mentioned their name in the readme since it's only cs settings not models, or anything really fancy. My esp has a lot more changes than this author and has no script attach as this author mentioned it had. With this clear is it really ok or as I also mentioned above will I need to tweak the settings I copied?

[Vagrant0]

I'm not really up on all the technicalities of modding since I usually stick to uploading things which are the result of my own tinkering around, and keep all my perversions of others work to myself. But if you are editing just the same values of another mod, without taking any of their actual work (Item names, Ids, models, textures, cells, npcs, scripts, effects, or anything else that can point specifically to a relation between two mods (no matter how obscure)) there shouldn't be any problem as it's essentially no different from two people having mods that have timescale set at 1. However you should mention that they helped you narrow down the specific settings that allowed you to proceed with your mod. I know I enjoy coming back to modding and seeing my name under the credits for something that I helped, but don't require anything as part of my policy. I figure that if what I do helps one person, it'll help others, and as most of what I do tends to be miscellenous crap other people can't be bothered to sit down and figure out, that kinda goes with the territory.

 

But this is just me, someone who feels more about the rights of the individual modder might feel differently.

[raikien -.-]

(t's essentially no different from two people having mods that have timescale set at 1.)

 

That sums it up pretty well

 

I'd give credit to someone even if only a light flicked on in my head while looking at their mod.

 

Unless i'm strickly breaking any real rules with what I have now I'll release my mod in a week or two with the author's name who's 4 setting values I used. ^^ thank you thank you ppl

I have a serperate post already on what contained in my mod it's a h2h mod. I'll update my thread later as there are some things I forgot to specify

[Peregrine]

May not in the sense of "it's wrong," not in the sense of "it's illegal," just to clarify. No one can own the content of a mod but Bethesda (as it says in the Oblivion EULA; I'm not sure about Morrowind or any other game), no matter who makes it. That doesn't make stealing others' work any less contemptible, but it's not against any law when you're talking about 3rd-party modifications of ESIV.

 

There's no way that would hold up in court. You have copyright to everything you create, the moment you create it. Bethesda can't just randomly decide "you used our tool, we own your work". It would be the equivalent of slipping an EULA in a package of pencils and then claiming the rights to anything you write with them.

 

What Bethesda can do, however, is prevent you from publishing and/or selling the parts related to their construction set. So, for example, you don't have copyright on a quest mod. But you DO have the copyright on all the lines of dialogue you wrote for it, the plot concept you used, etc.

 

Just think about it this way: lets say I make a 3d model and give it to someone. They then use it in a mod for Oblivion. Do I suddenly forfiet the rights to my work because someone used it in a mod? Of course not.

I don't totally agree with Peregrine on the using of content by authors who have vanished from the scene and absolutely cannot be contacted, especially when they've previously shown no interest in who uses or does not use their modded content. Under those circumstances, I don't see what's wrong with using their things with credit given. That's not the same thing as not bothering to contact an author who's obviously still around but just isn't very communicative (such as Oscuro, Martigen, or Corwyn) or plagiarizing a copyrighted work for which you would be robbing the creator of income.

 

And you're wrong on that point. It's not just about the legal side, it's about respecting the author's wishes. If they were ok with you using their work, they would've said so. If they didn't give permission in the readme, they must have had a reason for leaving it out. You can't just assume that since they've moved on they don't care anymore.

 

This is why I always put very specifically in my readmes what my mods can or can't be used for with my permission.

 

But you're 100% right on this point. As a mod author, you should always make it clear what your policy is on using your work. Don't leave room for guessing and we avoid the whole question.

[raikien -.-]

May not in the sense of "it's wrong," not in the sense of "it's illegal," just to clarify. No one can own the content of a mod but Bethesda (as it says in the Oblivion EULA; I'm not sure about Morrowind or any other game), no matter who makes it. That doesn't make stealing others' work any less contemptible, but it's not against any law when you're talking about 3rd-party modifications of ESIV.

 

There's no way that would hold up in court. You have copyright to everything you create, the moment you create it. Bethesda can't just randomly decide "you used our tool, we own your work". It would be the equivalent of slipping an EULA in a package of pencils and then claiming the rights to anything you write with them.

 

What Bethesda can do, however, is prevent you from publishing and/or selling the parts related to their construction set. So, for example, you don't have copyright on a quest mod. But you DO have the copyright on all the lines of dialogue you wrote for it, the plot concept you used, etc.

 

Just think about it this way: lets say I make a 3d model and give it to someone. They then use it in a mod for Oblivion. Do I suddenly forfiet the rights to my work because someone used it in a mod? Of course not.

I don't totally agree with Peregrine on the using of content by authors who have vanished from the scene and absolutely cannot be contacted, especially when they've previously shown no interest in who uses or does not use their modded content. Under those circumstances, I don't see what's wrong with using their things with credit given. That's not the same thing as not bothering to contact an author who's obviously still around but just isn't very communicative (such as Oscuro, Martigen, or Corwyn) or plagiarizing a copyrighted work for which you would be robbing the creator of income.

 

And you're wrong on that point. It's not just about the legal side, it's about respecting the author's wishes. If they were ok with you using their work, they would've said so. If they didn't give permission in the readme, they must have had a reason for leaving it out. You can't just assume that since they've moved on they don't care anymore.

 

This is why I always put very specifically in my readmes what my mods can or can't be used for with my permission.

 

But you're 100% right on this point. As a mod author, you should always make it clear what your policy is on using your work. Don't leave room for guessing and we avoid the whole question.

 

 

Again it's cs settings if I din't open this thread it would pass as mere concidence, but as I stated above if I changed each value on each setting even by .00001 I am no longer using anything from the other authors mod. My mod is not a copy of the authors mod merely has 2 settings and their mult setting alike there are by far more changes in my .esp and these settings are not the center of my mod, I will just change them.

I agree with everything said above execpt this this case Bethesda Owns everything in my mod in this case it would be as if Bethesda wrote a story; I scratched out a few words and claimed it, as I cannot own a numbed value of one of their settings. So i'll tweak each setting give respect to the other author who's idea I admired and that is that.. all good or is something missing?