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Looks funny, but I recommend you to remove all proprietary Blizzard graphics from GitHub and possible just recreate repository without it. If you want to host a
by SXX 11y ago
Looks funny, but I recommend you to remove all proprietary Blizzard graphics from GitHub and possible just recreate repository without it. If you want to host assets there better to keep them in different repository.
Otherwise you'll clearly get DMCA because Blizzard has long history of banning any project even remotely copying their products no matter if it's done for fun or whatever.
PS: It's also affect repository name, etc.
- gloomyson 11y agoMuch thanks for you recommend, I make this game just because I love this old StarCraft game so much and want to realize it in web browser, no plan for make money, and it's much weaker than the original Blizzard game
- Tomte 11y agoGreat. Blizzard won't care. But if you like living a risky life, go on. (And yes, I'm blown away by what you have achieved there)
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- jvzr 11y agoI'm pretty sure she/he meant: "Blizzard won't care that you did this because you liked the game, and are not making any money out of it," not "Blizzard won't care about this project and thus won't take you down."
- Kiro 11y agoHe's not from the US so what exactly is he risking here apart from the repo being taken down?
- kzrdude 11y agoYou haven't noticed the global reach of US copyright law yet? If it doesn't reach there yet, they keep trying to extend it (see free trade treaties).
- Tomte 11y agoFamous last words. As if Blizzard had no way to hire lawyers elsewhere. And maybe he wants to travel to the United States someday?
- Vespasian 11y agoTo be honest, StarCraft is probably protected in most countries and don't believe that it is hard for Blizzard to find a local lawyer willing to take the case if the want to.
- erkkie 11y agoPlease never take "not from the US so what" as a credible form of protection against any US actor, be it corporate or govermental. There's many ways someone can still screw you, starting from making your travel to the US tricky to much worse, depending on the circumstances and what international agreements allow.
- nadams 11y agoBlizzard can send a DMCA takedown to github and github must ASAP take down the repo regardless of if there was actual copyright infringement. I've seen github developers send DMCA requests to take down other developers repos before...
- tripzilch 11y agoUltimately? Drone strikes.
- TomGullen 11y agoThey have to care in some circumstances unfortunately, if they are aware of an IP infringement and don't action it, it can be used as evidence further down the line for bigger infringement cases.
- Tomte 11y agoPlease read my comment correctly. Hint: Another commenter has long clarified.
- extra88 11y agoTrademark is the only form of intellectual property (IP) for which selective enforcement is a problem. Presumably the name of the game is trademarked but the images & audio are covered by copyright law, not trademark.
- TomGullen 11y agoIANAL but if Blizzard is aware of this copyright infringement and do not act on it, the developer can go for an acquiescence defence. If successful, Blizzard surrender their rights in that particular project. This could potentially have an effect on the value of their IP which can give leverage to potential acquirers/investors.
- extra88 11y agoNo. There is no such defense in U.S. copyright cases. Again, only trademark requires them to pursue infringement to maintain their protection, and by extension, value.
- SXX 11y agoFact that you don't make money off it would work for almost any game developer, but not Blizzard. In past they take down several open source projects just because of their name or clean room reverse engineering. And you're basically pirating their game assets.
- gloomyson 11y agoActually only the images and audios the same as Blizzard game, the js source code of game engine are totally different with that original one, maybe I can replace those sprite images with other ones, and it will run perfectly like another RTS
- giancarlostoro 11y agoDepending on what you're trying to accomplish if you make an entire game engine from scratch that can open up the files from StarCraft (and you DON'T distribute them), I think you should be fine. Although this would raise the complexity of your project. One such project exists: http://www.stratagus.org/ http://www.stratagus.org/ - A cross-platform RTS open source game engine. http://stargus.stratagus.com/index.html http://stargus.stratagus.com/index.html - A project built on top of the same engine that opens up all StarCraft original files. Not sure how active this project is or how far it's gone, but it seems to me from what I've seen: If your project recreates the engine and you require the original files and don't redistribute them yourself, you shouldn't get in much trouble? IANAL
- ctoshok 11y agothat's exactly how I did it when working on scsharp (https://github.com/toshok/scsharp https://github.com/toshok/scsharp). you gave it the paths to directories holding assets for starcraft + broodwars. 10 years on github without a dmca knocks on wood
- gloomyson 11y agoWhat will Blizzard normally do if they accuse me pirating their assets? Will I pay cash to them? Your words make me nervous
- moonshinefe 11y agoGreat work, but as someone who lived through FSGS and BNETD and various WoW projects that were unsanctioned, be sure to protect yourself against Blizzard's lawyers as others say. They'll be knocking if your project takes off.
- stockkid 11y agoI love the old StarCraft. Thanks for making this!
- bobajeff 11y agoYeah, it kind of sucks but there is some ambiguity in the law when to comes to making fan art/games. But basically as I understand it you can't publicly distribute a game with the same exact title, characters, story and look. You are given some leeway to parody but should tread carefully there too. So for example: StellarCraft featuring Zerps, Terrags and Protians and use similar but reasonably distinct looks for everyone from the other game would be safer.
- giancarlostoro 11y agoI was hoping you'd have written Proteins. But I agree, sadly sometimes projects like these provide a significant learning outcome see: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/124171/Opinion_Reverse_Engineering__Evil_or_Enlightening.php http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/124171/Opinion_Reverse_En...
- RamenJunkie_ 11y agoMeanwhile, DOTA2 is a thing...
- gort 11y agoI suppose going to war with Valve would have been pretty bad PR. Still, Valve was forced to change a bunch of Dota characters' names and visuals so as to not infringe on Blizzard's IP. Examples: Windrunner changed to "Windranger"; Pudge made to look less like a Warcraft "abomination"-style creature; Skeleton King renamed and remodeled to "Wraith King".
- itafroma 11y ago> Meanwhile, DOTA2 is a thing... After an IP battle that was settled out of court.[1] Valve also does not use any of Blizzard's assets in Dota 2. [1]: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle-dota-argument-blizzard-dota-is-now-bl/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle...
- kitsunesoba 11y agoThat’s really too bad. I was thinking about doing a little not-for-profit fan game project that uses entirely my own code and handmade assets, but is set in the Warcraft universe (and thus, taking on a Warcraft like art style). Would they come after me for that? To me that falls into the same realm as Machinima or fan fiction, both of which Blizz seems to have no problem with.
- toyg 11y agoDude, why creating something in an universe somebody else controls, for free? Wouldn't it be more creative to come up with your own world and characters? It would be more challenging, sure, but much more rewarding in every way (improving your narrative skills, benefiting 100% from publicity of your work, not risking to be nuked with a DMCA from orbit, etc etc). In the end, if you really must have a Jenina Proudmoore, just call her something else and give her a similar-but-not-quite-same background.
- kitsunesoba 11y agoMainly because I like the universe and associated art style, music, etc and I (and I think most other fans, as well) would like to see it taking shape and given life in forms that Blizzard will probably never even consider. If I try to come up with something of my own, I have the problem that first, I’m not a writer, making the creation of something with the depth and breadth of the Warcraft universe extremely difficult and if I make it stylistically similar to Warcraft I risk being seen as an uncreative two-bit copy of the real thing. It’s a tough spot to be in.
- toyg 11y ago> if I make it stylistically similar to Warcraft I risk being seen as an uncreative By doing it inside the same universe imho you're already putting your hands up, there. You're admitting it yourself when you say "I'm not a writer". I agree you're in a top spot, but if you're going to invest significant amounts of time in your project, I think you owe it to yourself to protect it from somebody else's lawyers. There is nothing wrong with admitting your influences... Warcraft itself was a originally a Dune II clone with a fantasy skin!