Why Licenses Do Matter

[JdB]

• We are allowed to use our own addons in any game we wish as long as the content is 100% ours.

This particular point is more complicated than that. It's not just the content that you created that matters, but also what program(s) you used to create them in. If an addon has been edited with an editing tool made by BIS at any point, then the BIS license agreement that comes with the tools is applicable. For example, selling models made in Oxygen2PE is illegal, even if you are the copyright holder for the full 100%, the same goes for things like selling textures compressed with Texview2 etc.

[Zipper5]

ArmA was not published by Codemasters.

[-Martin-]

ArmA was not published by Codemasters.

Ops damn I accidentally copy pasted that Edited and fixed

This particular point is more complicated than that. It's not just the content that you created that matters, but also what program(s) you used to create them in. If an addon has been edited with an editing tool made by BIS at any point, then the BIS license agreement that comes with the tools is applicable. For example, selling models made in Oxygen2PE is illegal, even if you are the copyright holder for the full 100%, the same goes for things like selling textures compressed with Texview2 etc.

That's a really good point, I'll add that in there, but is it really possible to know what program was used?

[Defunkt]

• We are to include the original creator of the addon, are we to modify someone else work/be the work not 100% ours.

This is redundant in a summary on permissions pertaining to BI's property, the addon maker will stipulate such conditions and they will vary from addon to addon.

[Maruk]

The point of this topic is not to discuss particular licenses to particular products (BI or fan made). My intention was to:

* make people aware of the simple fact any content comes with a license and before anyone starts using it or re-distributing it, it is important to know what the license is (btw, this is nothing new, licenses were binding all the time and the fact many addons did not include any clear license does not mean there is no license attached to them)

* improve the existing licenses by BI so that addon makers can use our content in a way it work mutually

* propose a template licenses for most common use by community addon makers and a scheme that will be very easy to understand (but as I see even CC seems to be too difficult for some people here so it seems a bit hopeless effort...)

Those weird and silly theories about terrible BI doing some terrible moves to hurt the entire community (probably before we destroy the Earth...) I leave ignored as they do not bring us anywhere closer to productive output.

And btw: BI was always selling content, either packed in full game or in form of addon like was Queens Gambit, so why is someone surprised by it now is hard to understand.

[-Martin-]

bring us anywhere closer to productive output.

So we must start a new thread to get an answer to the list that everyone is waiting for?

EDIT: I don't mean to sound rude, just asking because I know that this topic has gone way off topic.

[STALKERGB]

* improve the existing licenses by BI so that addon makers can use our content in a way it work mutually

* propose a template licenses for most common use by community addon makers and a scheme that will be very easy to understand (but as I see even CC seems to be too difficult for some people here so it seems a bit hopeless effort...)

Good to see these two points, I think most people who read the CC license probably understand them, maybe just don't know what they were meant to be applying them too, BIS content or addon makers content. It might be useful to go through each CC type using an addon as an example something like "if you were using the cc by license then your addon can be edited and redistrubuted by others as long as they credit you for your work"

...although the license pretty much says that anyway.

[Maruk]

Answers to what? If hex editing or ripping content from a product and further re-distribute it is allowed?

Of course it is not and it never was for any BI game...

[-Martin-]

Answers to what? If hex editing or ripping content from a product and further re-distribute it is allowed?

Of course it is not and it never was for any BI game...

Thanks for clarifying

EDIT: List is updated and finished, would be great if someone could put it in to a sticky thread so that we never even have to ask those questions again because its kind for hard to find here for people. Now back on topic

[NoRailgunner]

Arent only those two CC licenses are interesting for most addon makers?

CC by Non-Commercial Share Alike:
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. Others can download and redistribute your work just like the by-nc-nd license, but they can also translate, make remixes, and produce new stories based on your work. All new work based on yours will carry the same license, so any derivatives will also be non-commercial in nature.

CC by Non-Commercial No Derivatives
This license is often called the “free advertising” license because it allows others to download your works and share them with others as long as they mention you and link back to you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.

So if the decission is made he only has to copy and paste the legal stuff into the readme of his addon plus adding credits to BIS and the game.

What are with bugs and issues that can be fixed by community eg model related flaws?