Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

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TheAdmantArchvile
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by TheAdmantArchvile »

Hate to add fuel to the fire but,

http://store.steampowered.com/app/75399 ... ct_Legacy/

Except for the Shotgun, those sprites are just straight up taken from WW's Terrorists. I think the gloved pistol might be yours as we, Chrono. Jesus, Steam Direct was a huge mistake.
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chronoteeth
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by chronoteeth »

tbh i just want these taken down, i dont even want any sort of legal repercussions. different countries give different copyright stuff
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Reactor
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by Reactor »

Sure, it is understandable. I certainly hope the guys at Steam will notice this nastiness, and will take it down, especially if there is more copyrighted material inside. Of course ID will not sue Steam or that Russian dude for a re-paletted dead Arch-vile sprite, but if practices like this continue, many jokers will see this as a legit way to create a PC game, and eventually, one of the big-big-bigges will run out of patience, and kick Steam's butt - and of course, the innocent developers will pay the price,as usual.

BTW, it's a shame you cancelled that project mentioned on the first image. I'd love to see the Thermal Shok Launcher in action :D that weapon is such a cutie!

The Space Trucker topic is locked, but we could ask Urizen how things eventually turned out. Or perhaps Eruanna, she reported Space Trucker back then.
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leileilol
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by leileilol »

Brief accounts of events happened since the lock:

- A "vaporwave album" released
- "WE LOVE WOLVES" dropped as publisher (sketchy group)
- A DMCA notice prevented its sale........temporarily for a few weeks

That's it.
Spoiler:
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Reactor
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by Reactor »

Hmm. Looks to me Steam doesn't really give two fucks about games breaking copyright laws. This is just sad, no wonder things like this Psi-Project thingy can blossom happily. And what's with those wolf-spamming groups?
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Graf Zahl
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by Graf Zahl »

The biggest problem with copyright in the internet is obviously that each country has its own laws. This is also what keeps piracy sites alive on the internet. They just set up shop where the shit cannot hit them.

In cases like this, the only path that may work seems to be to a) DMCA the game on Steam - and if that doesn't work out, sue STEAM, not the publisher for not acting on the request. But unfortunately here American law comes into play, right along with its 'Money wins everything' caveat.


On the other hand: Hands up who never downloaded some shady stuff for free that had been on offer somewhere. TBH, I don't know a single person who hasn't.
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Rachael
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by Rachael »

Graf Zahl wrote:On the other hands: Hands up who never downloaded some shady stuff for free that had been on offer somewhere. TBH, I don't know a single person who hasn't.
A lot of people don't realize just how much truth there is to this statement. And there's a lot of reasons for doing so, as well.

It's kind of ironic - the peddling pirates usually stick messages inside the software trying to encourage you to buy the software you just pirated. And then you have the company that makes said software who usually sticks arbitrary DRM and restrictions into said project, making the pirated version much more palatable. Oh, sweet sweet irony.

I still don't condone warez but I am not going to be a hypocrite and say I've never done it. I just would get in huge trouble for trying to encourage it here. So - warez is bad, folks. ;) And it's still against the forum rules.
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Reactor
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by Reactor »

Well, if I do like the software, I indeed pay happily for it. Warez is great to filter out such huge, honking pieces of garbage like Marine Crapshooter, War Train Normandie or most City Interactive games.
I think the two cases are distinct - pirating a game, and creating a game out of stolen, copyrighted resources.
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insightguy
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by insightguy »

Reactor wrote:Hmm. Looks to me Steam doesn't really give two fucks about games breaking copyright laws.
Do they? I get that it takes ages for them to take action, but then again, isn't a DMCA supposed to take time? It's only been 4 days since chronoteeth posted about it (so i'm assuming it was not long after he found out). Due to valve time, I'd start panicking after a month or 2.

(Imagine if all issued DMCA's of games took the game down instantly for "safety purposes", that would be the youtube fiasco only on the steam store)

But to ask, asides asset flippers (whose assets are, for the most part, bought legally. So as bad as they are, they still are for the most part in the legal clear), can I have other examples of flagrant abuse of the copyright system on steam? not being condescending here, I want to know.
Reactor wrote:This is just sad, no wonder things like this Psi-Project thingy can blossom happily.
I have to wonder though, how successful are they in the end? I get that asset flippers exist and try to make bank by selling a shit ton of shitty games, but how many people actually buy them? Is it actually profitable? Are there statistics to show that they make bank on that? Is valve really not doing anything?

For one: The trading card loophole seems to have been recognized by valve acknowledging it and trying to do something at least, seem to have valve trying to curb the problem too.

In general, It's widely known to people who use steam about shit games like these and not to buy them (at least from what I'm seeing so take that with a pinch of salt). Otherwise, why else do these games rarely, if ever, appear on steam's front page? You can search for them sure, but it takes effort to find these pieces of shit.

The best we can do at the moment is to spot these pieces of crap and ensure that either the worst reviews come out as the most helpful or ensure that people know that the assets were stolen (chronoteeth basically did that with the game in question, hopefully we can review bomb this thing into oblivion as we don't need to own it to review it apparently)
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Apeirogon
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by Apeirogon »

Graf Zahl wrote:
Apeirogon wrote: Diabolist, recolored to red archvile with two horns, is original works or stolen sprite sheet with simple edit to hide frank impudence steal?

It's neither original nor stolen, but in compliance with the original license which allows use of modified assets, provided they are used with the game the assets originated from.
Game means "doom" or "doom engines"? And if I put this to strife or hexeretic?
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Apeirogon
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by Apeirogon »

Also, european union comission "about some stuff and Co" Ltd make social research at theme "does piracy really has a robust impact on sales?".
A report found that the only medium that suffered a significant loss of sales due to piracy was “recent top films”.

Here full version
https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2 ... _study.pdf
of simple thruth "if people want to pay, they pay. If not, they, SUDDENLY, dont pay and you cant force them to do so".
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ibm5155
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by ibm5155 »

Ok so this game has sprites/art from some people from the community and zenimax (couf id software).
Also, there're audio files from Half Life 1/2 ...

Hell, how people have courage to sell a thing like that?
I'd rather pay $10 for a game like Doki Doki (couf its free) rather than a 1 week work game that has no original content
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insightguy
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Re: Indie developer using my sprite edits in a non-free game

Post by insightguy »

ibm5155 wrote:Hell, how people have courage to sell a thing like that?

Dosh Lads!

In all seriousness, any system that can be exploited for cash will be exploited by someone because "fuck nice things, I want cash" mentality. The only way this ends is if valve goes back to the tight as hell system they had before, figure out something or just crash and burn.
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