Game Development Stack Exchange
Game Development Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [licensing]

Deals with legal permission to use/represent a specific entity. It can reference the appearance of a brand or software related permissions.

Deals with legal permission to use/represent a specific entity. It can reference the appearance of a brand or software related permissions.

140 questions
26
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10 answers

How does one escape the GPL?

DISCLAIMER I don't pretend to know anything about licensing. In fact, everything I say below may be completely false! Backstory: Recently, I've been looking for a decent game engine, and I think I've found one that I really like, Cafu…
tehtros
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7 answers

Do you need a license for weapon models?

When creating your own model for a weapon, say the M4 carbine, and using the model in your game. Do you need a license to use it commercially? I know that racing games like GT5 has a license for each and every car, but the same apply for weapons?
Peter Ølsted
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11
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4 answers

If I chose to make a game engine with GPL license, does anyone who build a project with it have to disclose the license or is that for distros only?

Title says it all, here are my concerns. I want a copyleft license, but not at the cost of having to reveal private code in a game project. I mostly just want to create a game engine that can serve as a 'base' that other developers can build…
Twenty-Fifth
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7
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3 answers

What happens to a license if both the publisher and the developer are bankrupt?

Is one allowed to make a similar game or even a sequel which would usually require obtaining a license? Who keeps the license in the end, i.e. who is to be asked for permission in such cases?
Tobias Kienzler
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5
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1 answer

MPL 2.0 in perspective of game development and selling

I am planning to use a math library named Eigen3 which is under MPL 2.0. However, I am not sure what MPL 2.0 means. As a game developer, who want to sell game.exe (probably by Steam or GoG) who does not wish to distribute source .h/.cpp, here…
javaLover
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4
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4 answers

Which software licenses cover my needs?

I want to license my game, to protect my intellectual property, but I also want to make it open-source, and sell it. I have an engine that I'd like to open-source, but I'd like to be the only one with rights to distribute it in that form. I'd like…
Bloodyaugust
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3
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1 answer

Do you need a license for US military badges, awards, decorations?

We would like to use in our game names and images of real US military badges, awards and decoration. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awards_and_decorations_of_the_United_States_military http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badges_of_the_United_States_Navy I…
Lynx
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3
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1 answer

Lighting-Reflectance Models & Licensing Issues

Generally, or specifically, is there any licensing issue with using any of the well known lighting/reflectance models (i.e. the BRDFs or other distribution or approximation functions): Phong, Blinn–Phong, Cook–Torrance, Blinn-Torrance-Sparrow,…
codey
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3
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2 answers

What is the best way to handle "Fangame" licensing?

( I understand that this is a subjective question. My goal is obtaining some personal feedback from other game designers ) I wish to develop a digital version of an existing board game. What would be the "best" course of action regarding contacting…
rteixeira
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3
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1 answer

How to license free assets but prevent asset flipping?

I'm a hobbyist prop artist and give away everything I make for free, even for commercial use. At the moment I use the CC BY 4.0 license which is great except for the fact that someone would be able to download my assets and sell unmodified for a…
Mark Riddell
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2
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1 answer

Is the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence what I want?

I'm looking for a licence for my game-assets (everything like artwork, music, stories, characters... except the code) who respects those points : Assets are free to use, share, remix, adapt, transform, redistribute for any purpose, even…
Thomas
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2
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1 answer

Difference between CC BY-SA 3.0 and CC BY 3.0

Comparing CC BY-SA 3.0 and CC BY 3.0, both permits that you share ou even modify the material, under the term that you give credit, link the license and inform in case of any changes. But in CC BY-SA, if you transform the material, those…
Bruno Estrazulas
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2
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1 answer

Making a licensed game you want to make

If I, for example, wanted to make a Spongebob game and was not asked to to do so by the company that owns the character, what would I have to do in order to get the rights to make the game?
user138487
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1 answer

Should I still display splash screens for middleware that has been discontinued?

Usually, you would include splash logos at the beginning of a game to credit various middleware that you've used. Say the company has dissolved or for open source the supporting group has simply moved on and declared the project over. In the…
jzx
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Soccer Game only with National Team names (country names) what about player names?

Ok...this question hasn't been asked before, its very similar to some, but here's the difference: I am making a soccer/football simulator game, that only has national teams (with no official logos) just the country names and flags. Now, my doubt is…
nightkarnation
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