Re: Ripping off Copyrighted Material

From: madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)

Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 00:00:00 +0000

>>1.Has anyone else had problems with other supposed reputable GMs ripping off
copyrighted material?<<

All the time. <sigh>

>>A few months ago one of my players mentioned that he'd seen a few
of the images I own in different game (a large Fantasy game) and had the
gall to remind me that ripping off THE OTHER GAMES piccies might be dodgy.<<

Well, there aren't many 'large fantasy games' on the market, so hopefully its
not one of *ours* <grin>.  Then again, given that you signed up for a game and
never played a position of paid for your account, I guess there's a fair chance
it might be.  I would have thought that simply writing a note would have been
the easier way to communicate, though, but I guess you like the whole cloak and
dagger routine more?

Games which need or use a lot of graphics get those graphics from various
sources.  Royalty Free Clip Art is a common method, but the quality varies
quite dramatically.
Another method is by giving players game credit for supplying pictures.

The trouble is, *both* these methods can lead to problems which are no fault of
the GM.

With Clip Art, some clip art is dodgy and includes stuff that they had no right
or permission to publish or include.  This is particularly true of shareware
clipart collections.

Players, unfortunately, can also be a little dodgy, cutting, pasting and
sending art which they claim is theirs but has actually been taken from another
source.

I've experienced both of these instances more than once, and when that happens
I always remove the art immediately that somebody lets me know about it.

I remember one time a player sent me a fantastic picture for a Male
Necromancer.  Only after it had been around for three months did somebody say
"hang on, thats from the Marvel Guide To Drawing Comics, its The Vulture!"
Since I'd paid a tenner of game credit for it, I was pissed off! <grin>

So my best advice to you is to write to the GM involved politely, let them know
the problem.  I would be very surprised if the GM wasn't entirely helpful.
Most decent folks don't want to rip off peoples art.

I sympathise with you, I regularly see art that we have bought and paid for,
commissioned just for us, turning up in other places.  I usually write a short
polite note of complaint, but so far I've never taken it further than that.
Its rather a lot of hassle with littlle chance of a suitable outcome.  You just
have to hope you are dealing with reasonable people.

Steve Tierney

References

Ripping off Copyrighted Material
"Roy Pollard" <plod@proweb.co.uk>
Fri, 19 May 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Ripping off Copyrighted Material
"Roy Pollard" <plod@proweb.co.uk>
Fri, 19 May 2000 00:00:00 +0000