Copyright for screenshots?

[weasel75]

Since I thought about making some screenshots public, how is the copyright handled?

Does Eagle Dynamics holds the copyright? The Fighter Collection?

(Or Koch Media GmbH for the german release?)

 

Especially Wikipedia is very strict and wants to know the exact terms.

... just take a look at the LOMAC-related articles - all have some Ubisoft-related copyright-notices attached.

 

Sorry if this question came up before, I was searching the forums but had no luck finding some thread regarding that issue. :noexpression:

[hitman]

Well you said it yourself...Ubisoft owns the copywrite to LOMAC.

[weasel75]

Ooops.. sorry, I meant for "Black Shark" :)

 

I just found LOMAC-pictures in wikipedia, so LOMAC was my example.

 

Now I look for some text-passage where the copyright-holder (whoever that is exactly (not Ubisoft I hope ;) ) specifies the license under which I might use the screenshots .....

 

Argh, I do not like that topic, but man, I want to get some pictures published @wiki ;)

[hitman]

Then that would be TFC/ED, I think.

[JimMack]

For Black Shark - copyright is The Fighter Collection (TFC). TFC has no problem with users posting pictures from Black Shark screenshots.

[weasel75]

Mhmm.. I tried it the stupid way - writing them an eMail. Since I am really not sure that the wikipedia-"lawyers" will accept anything less than a (semi)-official writing ...

 

Thanks for the infos :)

[Airway]

Strange, when I take pictures with my camera, the copyright of the pictures is mine and not the copyright of the camera manufacturer ;)

 

So it is with your screenshot. The simulation is copyrighted but not the screenshots you take of it.

[weasel75]

....

So it is with your screenshot. The simulation is copyrighted but not the screenshots you take of it.

 

Are you sure?

Since I am afraid that this is not true :(

 

The copyright-holder is TFC. In the (german) license-agreement I received the non-transferable right to make use of the program and the documentation for personal use.

(Something like that, it was all lawyer-talk and stuff and I am not that good with the translation..)

 

However, taking pictures and making them public, would not be a personal use anymore... so this would be in violation with the license-agreement.

 

It is tricky I guess, and AFAIU the folks at wikipedia are very concerned, when it comes to coyprights/copylefts and license agreements.

[hitman]

Well it only comes into play when you sell them for profit or sell them as your own work. I agree, you take a picture of an F-16 and sell them to airliners.net Lockheed Martin doesnt get any money for your shot since it is their plane...but this is all software.

[weasel75]

And since there are Wikipedia-DVD getting produced, *sold* and shipped, this would even be worse .... Doh!

[weasel75]

Just to keep anyone interested updated: the contacts @TFC are very polite, active and helpful, and there might be a solution allowing the wikipedia-publication of screenshots taken within DCS.

 

While the topic itself gets more complicated, TFC wrote that they might work on the license agreement for the next module/release to put the publications of fan-made screenshots (and videos?!) on a written and solid/legal base.

It is sure, that it is absolutely not in there mind/interest to hinder the non-commercial publication of screenshots, but, as said before, things are getting weird when someone might sell those screenshots (as it happens with Wikipedia-DVDs, where those screenshots would be included).

[EtherealN]

In an interim period, I believe you can invoke the Fair Use clause of the DMCA on wikipedia.

 

Example below from the article on Empire: Total War.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Campaign_map_in_Empire_Total_War.jpg

 

More information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Non-free_use_rationale_guideline

 

As you can see, the general way it's done with Fair Use is that you limit the screenshot to a low resolution, so as to make it a bad source for plagiarism and limit it's usability for the creation of derivative works. You then give a rationale to why the picture/screenshot is helpful in the article - to illustrate the product or company etcetera being the subject matter. Just keep it balanced and the pictures somewhat related to the text you're writing.

 

Looking forward to wikignoming the article(s). :)

Edited March 29, 2009 by EtherealN

[weasel75]

Thanks, I considered that, but AFAIU the "Fair Use" can only be applied to the United States, as only their copyright law states "Fair Use".

So the picture/screenshot could not be legally published in e.g. Europe.... I guess. Mhmm.. one could start to think, that copyrights are a bad thing ;)

Edited March 30, 2009 by weasel75
fixing grammar

[EtherealN]

The servers of the english-language wikipedia is in the United States. US law applies. European law does not.

(For that matter though, the UK and most european countries have similar clauses in their copyright legislation.)

 

EDIT: Note however that I am not a lawyer, I'm just going by the wikipedia standards as far as I've seen them, since I have been editing wikipedia semi-actively for a couple years.

Edited March 30, 2009 by EtherealN

[weasel75]

Yes, I am painfully aware of that ... every country having it's own wicked copyright-laws ... and so either each wiki-branch has to have it's own pictures (if! there is something close to the "Fair Use"), or one tries to get the pictures united under the GFDL .. but that would require some new license agreement from TFC ... :music_whistling:

 

.. in the meantime I will upload some downsized screenshot for the en.wikipedia, but this is absolutely no help for my initial problem: to start a "beautiful" and well documented article in the german wikipedia - with just some (at least ONE) screenshot in it .... :mad:

[EtherealN]

Well, just check where the servers for the german one is, and google for their fair use laws.

[weasel75]

After reviewing all possible copyrights for images in the de.wikipedia ... I give up ... there is no such thing as a "Fair Use" in the German law (oh wonder!).

 

Dang! Such a strong Wikipedia-community, and then bound by such tight copyright-restrictions ... :cry:

 

.... so I wait :music_whistling: for any sign from TFC and will let you know .. maybe it is interesting and applies to multiple European countries -_-

[EtherealN]

Are the servers in germany though? I have a vague recollection saying that the euro server farm is in the netherlands. I'll see if I can check that out.

 

EDIT: Indeed, it's Tampa, Amsterdam and Seoul. Though it has to be said that when a cluster reaches that kind of complexity I get a bit lost on what actually happens where. :P But the one thing that is certain is that there's no server in germany.

 

Edited April 1, 2009 by EtherealN

[weasel75]

Mhmm.. you are truly eager :)

But now I am in the dilemma - if the law is based on the server's location .. then the German law does not apply. Nice.

But what law does apply? US-law for the Florida-location? Netherlands? South-Korea?

All of them, just to be sure?

 

Naa.. and then there is a "Wikimedia Deutschland – Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. V." ... and that was founded in Germany. And I guess the (lame) German law applies for them .... and yes, they are independent from the US-foundation..... :(

.. but then ... they just have "www.wikipedia.de" ... ha!

So the german law does not apply to that lame redirect?!

BUT - what happens when they want to release a wikipedia-DVD in Germany? For any publication in that country the local law would apply, wouldn't it?!

 

Wow, my head is spinning.

Me is sad now.

Where is my cookie?

:helpsmilie:

 

PS: I just hope that TFC finds some cool way to allow publishing screenshots.... :mad: .. for all of us! :thumbup:

PPS: Still waiting for a response .. will check *then*, what it is (not) good for ;)

[EtherealN]

Mhmm.. you are truly eager :)

 

I'm a wikipedia nut. :P

Though most of what I do there is pure "gnoming" - that is, I spend an average of one or two hours a day reading articles on wikipedia anyway, so I use that time to correct grammar and spelling and typos and such while reading. :P

[weasel75]

Then you might want to check that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Combat_Simulator

 

;)

 

Over the last three days a lot has changed and some helpful WikiGnome already took care of my grammar and typos... but there are still some strange formulations (e.g. TrackIR and free-look within the cockpit in order to see and reach all switches)... and it got ad-tagged just before I started modifying it ... hopefully it is now in a better shape. Any input/fixes welcome!

 

... things you do for your favourite helicopter-sim ;)

[GuntiNDDS]

Strange, when I take pictures with my camera, the copyright of the pictures is mine and not the copyright of the camera manufacturer ;)

 

not entirle true. at least in my country it depends of what you take a photo. if you take a photo of someone-else's property, you need acknoledgement of the property owner to distribute your photo.

[colo]

TFC contact

 

Please is there any email address where can I contact TFC regarding questions about using screenshots from DCS world modules in commercial book ?

Thanx

[aussieboy]

not entirle true. at least in my country it depends of what you take a photo. if you take a photo of someone-else's property, you need acknoledgement of the property owner to distribute your photo.

 

That didn't stop Google