Rights of Content Creators

[Bad Peanut 826]

Here's what I found out about the rights of content creators: (from another thread addressing similar issues)

On 11/07/2016 at 4:59 PM, Bad Peanut said:

Just for some actual clarification:

This is incorrect, according to Valve Legal Information, Valve "respects the intellectual property rights of others, and we ask that everyone using our internet sites and services do the same."

In other words, Steam who is run by Valve is subject to a basic intellectual rights agreement as soon as you sign up and agree to the terms and conditions. Which means anyone cannot do anything to any asset on Steam Workshop unless "you own or control the rights thereto or have received all necessary consents to do the same." As listed on the Steam Online Conduct page which as a Steam Subscriber, you agree to abide by all the rules listed there.

Again, this is incorrect. You must gain specific permission to "tweak" previously made content, not just mention the original author.

Just as a thought about mass deletion by former modders - If this happens to become a thing:

Under the Steam Subscriber Agreement - Section 6.B 

"You may, in your sole discretion, choose to remove a Workshop Contribution from the applicable Workshop pages. If you do so, Valve will no longer have the right to use, distribute, transmit, communicate, publicly display or publicly perform the Workshop Contribution, except that (a) Valve may continue to exercise these rights for any Workshop Contribution that is accepted for distribution in-game or distributed in a manner that allows it to be used in-game, and (b) your removal will not affect the rights of any Subscriber who has already obtained access to a copy of the Workshop Contribution."

Which means that if someone chooses to remove their own work, Valve still has their legal rights to use any material for their own particular use according to Section 6.A of the Subscriber Agreement (not a steam user) and a steam user can still use that material if it remains in their game after such a removal but the original author's intellectual rights are preserved - meaning such content cannot be re-uploaded or tweaked in any way without express permission from the original author (the intellectual owner)

 

Hopefully this helps to clarify some misguided ideas about intellectual property when it comes to free third part content. 

For those not sure whether all this U.S law applies to them - it does because in agreeing to the terms & conditions of Steam (Valve) you agree to be bound by such U.S law even if you do not reside there as many people who play the game do not.

 

And again, I believe that the community needs to stop its entitled attitude and appreciate quietly any free content they get. Thankfully the wider community doesn't reduce themselves to fabricated "facts" just to assert their "rights" to do whatever they please. Those people should do some fact checking before they make false claims about intellectual rights validity.

 

On 07/09/2016 at 5:20 PM, TPB said:

The act of uploading something to Steam workshop basically is paramount to signing a contract thereby ending your ownership of the content you upload. I am guilty of attaching licenses(MIT, so very lax, which basically just prevent me from being held responsible for anything) to my mods mainly because I thought that was the right thing to do but have since gathered from the EULA that you cannot claim any rights on content you create for this game, especially content that you make public through the workshop; as was discussed in the paid mods thread. That essentially means anyone can re-upload anything to workshop, or am I missing some detail?

So you don't actually lose your intellectual rights when uploading anything to the workshop  hope that makes you feel better although i'm not sure about not being able to add your own licences :S

[Turjan 1,048]

3 hours ago, Bad Peanut said:

here's what I found out about the rights of content creators: (from another thread addressing similar issues)

So you don't actually lose your intellectual rights when uploading anything to the workshop  hope that makes you feel better although i'm not sure about not being able to add your own licences :S

Did you ever get a reaction from that guy that released your modified industrial elevated station?

[TPB 563]

6 hours ago, Bad Peanut said:

So you don't actually lose your intellectual rights when uploading anything to the workshop  hope that makes you feel better although i'm not sure about not being able to add your own licences :S

2

 Yeah but that's on Valve's end. This is from Paradox:

" You hereby grant Paradox and its affiliates the nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable, perpetual right to use, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from, distribute, transmit, broadcast, and otherwise communicate, publicly display and publicly perform your UGC, and derivative works of your UGC, in connection with the operation and promotion of the Game. "

I suppose that doesn't give other users those rights, though.

Still, I don't see how you can stop people from re-uploading content as long as they make even a minor modification to it, thus qualifying it as "derivative" work, unless you attach some draconian license to your content, which I haven't seen anyone do.

[Bad Peanut 826]

36 minutes ago, TPB said:

 Yeah but that's on Valve's end. This is from Paradox:

" You hereby grant Paradox and its affiliates the nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable, perpetual right to use, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from, distribute, transmit, broadcast, and otherwise communicate, publicly display and publicly perform your UGC, and derivative works of your UGC, in connection with the operation and promotion of the Game. "

I suppose that doesn't give other users those rights, though.

Still, I don't see how you can stop people from re-uploading content as long as they make even a minor modification to it, thus qualifying it as "derivative" work, unless you attach some draconian license to your content, which I haven't seen anyone do.

well as a legal stand point: paradox have had to sign/agree to the same rights as us if they want to use steam as a distributor for their products - so any paradox EULA is superseded by  steam/valve user rights

[Judazzz 1,936]

39 minutes ago, TPB said:

Still, I don't see how you can stop people from re-uploading content as long as they make even a minor modification to it, thus qualifying it as "derivative" work, unless you attach some draconian license to your content, which I haven't seen anyone do.

Well, you can't. However, I've noticed that in the few occurrences of 'asset theft' I have so far seen in the Workshop, it usually took less than 24 hours before at least one player exposed the upload for what it was. Obviously there's a group of players that simply doesn't give a flying whatnot about ownership rights, EULA's, etc., but usually those kinds of people are beyond salvation anyway. The more conscious players and uploaders on the other hand seem to generally respect those rules (all common mods that have been re-uploaded that I use have been given the thumbs up by the original owner, and typically credit is given where it is due, be it with assets, props or mods) and place warnings if they come across something that reeks of ill-intent. On the whole I'm quite surprised (pleasantly so) how Workshop uploaders and users treat each other when it comes to borrowing or taking over stuff.

[Avanya 2,605]

We definately keep some rights to your creations as we can have Steam/Valve take down copies of our assets. I've had a few of mine reuploaded with no description, no significant changes and no credit given, which I have reported and they were then taken down. Ofc you'd need to provide some proof (screenshots of the original model and files seem to do it). Takes about a day and the person uploading the copy gets a notification from Steam/Valve and can appeal if they believe they have the right to upload it. Haven't had that happen yet though.

Which reminds me I should really put a little note in my descriptions saying not to reupload without my concent. I'm not against my stuff being used by others, but the copies without description are just more crap filling up the workshop (like all those default assets with overpowered stats - man I hate those!).

[R3V0 909]

12 minutes ago, Avanya said:

We definately keep some rights to your creations as we can have Steam/Valve take down copies of our assets. I've had a few of mine reuploaded with no description, no significant changes and no credit given, which I have reported and they were then taken down. Ofc you'd need to provide some proof (screenshots of the original model and files seem to do it). Takes about a day and the person uploading the copy gets a notification from Steam/Valve and can appeal if they believe they have the right to upload it. Haven't had that happen yet though.

Which reminds me I should really put a little note in my descriptions saying not to reupload without my concent. I'm not against my stuff being used by others, but the copies without description are just more crap filling up the workshop (like all those default assets with overpowered stats - man I hate those!).

Shh.... Don't warn them, let them upload your stuff so Valve can swing ban hammer, it's more fun that way. 

[Avanya 2,605]

I doubt they come on the Simtropolis forums  

[R3V0 909]

5 minutes ago, Avanya said:

I doubt they come on the Simtropolis forums  

Sure, I was talking about Steam descriptions anyway. 

[Mr_Maison 2,426]

A few of my assets was re-uploaded a few times in the past year and I simply reported them. After proving I was the original author, Steam had the items removed. I don't mind if someone asks me if they can do some modifications....MAYBE I will let someone have at it. To be honest I'd rather do any modifications myself....my assets are like my babies. It depends I guess. But when someone blatantly just re-uploads my stuff on Steam...especially without giving credit, it rubs me the wrong way.  I work too hard on my stuff to just let that go. It's good to know there's a drama free method to take down plagiarized items on Steam.

[boformer 3,169]

I attached a CreativeCommons license with attribution to my assets, so people are free to remix and reupload my content without my permission.

Imagine in a few months some new feature is added, something like ferries or the recent trams, and your old asset must be converted.

the open license will allow others to convert it if I am inactive.

My mod projects use the MIT license, which basically permits everything without attribution. Mods are a great learning resource and I usually helps to copy/paste a few lines from different mods. I did that before and it really helps the community.

[OwiHH 240]

It is pretty hard to manage such amount of assets/props with licences.

THink about a 12 year kid that likes to play the game, exploring the asset editor, having more beutyfication installed. All props are there ow - yes sure i use em for my asset and yes i can reupload it - $%&^! im happy now he thinks, not knowing that half of the props he used are restricted.  Probably not even understands what in the EULA is written because he wanna have fun.

Paradox shouldt add a kind restriction button within the editor that restrict or allows further use/show up on the editor because the owner wishs or do not.

The only thing that couldt break it, is a mod that wouldt be illegal hack and be banned easy.

More beutification mod still will work if he updates it and dont hacks the overwrite licence on/off button like the vanilla game allready restricts.