Question about Copyrights

[Steele Xia]

I spent some time searching on the forums, but it seems that this was never properly answered before.

So, let's say I'm making a mod, and I want to use the soundtrack from "Knights of Honor" as the mod's background music. Would I be violating the copyright laws?

Thanks!

 

[The Mercenary]

Is it released by the authors? If not, you'd have to ask permission from them.

 

[Steele Xia]

Yep I have the actual soundtrack from the game, not something like ripped right out of the game.

 

[Mordachai]

If someone author's something, then by default (in the US) its considered copyrighted.  They have to explicitly relinquish their rights in order to not be copyrighted.

So unless they've published it and explicitly stated that it is free for reuse in other people's works, then it isn't, and at the very least you have to contact the author(s) and ask permission(s) to reuse their work.

 

[Steele Xia]

Ok thanks for the replies!

 

[jik]

If someone author's something, then by default (in the US) its considered copyrighted.  They have to explicitly relinquish their rights in order to not be copyrighted.

So unless they've published it and explicitly stated that it is free for reuse in other people's works, then it isn't, and at the very least you have to contact the author(s) and ask permission(s) to reuse their work.

Not just the author, but the owner of the work (which no longer may be the author.

 

[Mordachai]

If someone author's something, then by default (in the US) its considered copyrighted.  They have to explicitly relinquish their rights in order to not be copyrighted.
So unless they've published it and explicitly stated that it is free for reuse in other people's works, then it isn't, and at the very least you have to contact the author(s) and ask permission(s) to reuse their work.

Not just the author, but the owner of the work (which no longer may be the author.

Very true.  You don't own your "work product".  And if you've sold something to someone, then you don't own that either.  Hence, most stuff made for games is owned by the publisher, not the game-development-shop (though sometimes the contract is made to give joint ownership, and even more rare, sometimes ownership is retained by the game-developers).

And there are lots of other complications - which I am not expert enough to say much about.  But the fundamental idea that creative works that you do while not employed by anyone that are not related to any work you do for hire, are yours and yours alone (unless they're derivative of someone else's work, which gets into gray areas) - is true enough for "back of the envelope calculations". 

 

[Twan]

About this specific case, as Knights of Honor last known publisher is Paradox and Paradox is also publishing Mount and Blade, I think there are some chances they'll see no problem with this (if they have the rights, considering KoH was made by a russian studio and first published by EA iirc it's not sure). You should ask an official on their forums.

 

[Steele Xia]

About this specific case, as Knights of Honor last known publisher is Paradox and Paradox is also publishing Mount and Blade, I think there are some chances they'll see no problem with this (if they have the rights, considering KoH was made by a russian studio and first published by EA iirc it's not sure). You should ask an official on their forums.

haha I didn't even notice that!! No wonder why the name Paradox seemed familiar when M&B 1.0 came out!

 

[Dj_chisi]

F*** the Copyrights

i'm a pirat

 

[Ruthven]

I'm a pirate too! MUAHAHAHAHA!

But I'm not your ordinary pirate...