formal authorisation to use licenced content

[jerikojerk]

hi

I would like to get a formal authorization to use portion of UFO-AI program and to redistribute it, including graphical and textual (translation) element. I will use them to build a online and personal ufo-ai guide hosted on one of my personnal web pages. (likely at  http://jerikojerk.free.fr/ufoai/ there is nothing now )

This web app will be free to use, but i'm realy reticent to publicly release  the code source to reduce security risk. I think it may not interfere with Ufo-ai licence cause i won't take any algorithm out of ufo-ai but only data/artwork/configuration files, but as i'm not sure, i prefer to get a written permission.

thanks

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edit: I forgot to mention i'm not planning to put adds on those pages.
 

[Hertzila]

hi

I would like to get a formal authorization to use portion of UFO-AI program and to redistribute it, including graphical and textual (translation) element. I will use them to build a online and personal ufo-ai guide hosted on one of my personnal web pages. (likely at  http://jerikojerk.free.fr/ufoai/ there is nothing now )

This web app will be free to use, but i'm realy reticent to publicly release  the code source to reduce security risk. I think it may not interfere with Ufo-ai licence cause i won't take any algorithm out of ufo-ai but only data/artwork/configuration files, but as i'm not sure, i prefer to get a written permission.

thanks

----
edit: I forgot to mention i'm not planning to put adds on those pages.
 

IIUC for specific, written permissions you'd have to contact the specific contributor of whatever you want to use; asking here won't help at all. I'm not so sure if you need to do this since, again IIUC, most files and stuff use either GPL or CC-BY-SA and those should, IIUC, allow you to use those files in pretty much any way you want as long as you say that they are licensed by their respective license.
If you modify something, then you'll have to provide the original/source code too, IIUC.

I'm no lawyer, though, and all that I got by quickly reading those two licenses over (notice the amount of 'IIUC's).

[H-Hour]

In terms of artwork, nearly everything is licensed under GNU GPL 2 or other sharing-compatible licenses. The only exceptions are a few model textures and about 100 map textures (which probably wouldn't be used in your guide anyway). You can check out the licensing for everything at this page.

This is drawn from the LICENSES file in ufoai's installationd directory, if you want to check it out in more detail or if you felt you needed to reference the creator of a particular image.

I can't say for sure about the data/configuration files, but I'm pretty sure it's all released under a forkable license as that is the heart of the developers' philosophy in creating the game.

I also think a 3rd-party guide site would be very nice.

[jerikojerk]

@H-Hour, so, It's the worse situation cause releasing a game that run on a PC and a documentation software that runs on hosted server is really different in terms of security risks. Player computer may not access WW web, i will do...

Let say that i'm not seeing the game as the addition of several individual artwork but as consistent piece of work with at least enough unity to create a new distinct artwork that loose its meaning if only looked on the texture level. The best proof is that the textures and artwork are constantly changing (+90% of commits) but we always recognize the game. So i think this should do because i'm not trying to copy the rifle texture to remake an other rifle in an other game, but i'm trying to copy the 'feeling' of having a soldier carrying a rifle in the game, so i just need current copyrights-holder of the game authorization. Does not sound convincing? the problem is that you will have to refer to a local country law to know if it's acceptable.

What i will do, is to have a lazy approch an provide a contact form to request removal of content that is causing problems. I guess it will do a fair enough use for this form no being used.

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t i'm not planning to do something rely extraordinary... i've almost did a browsable techtree, i will then implement a tool to compare weapons like the one on ufoai/contrib/script/generate_comprehensive_weapon_table.py with little more pragmatic approch then maybe a tool to comment base layout or something for UFO or whatever... maybe mods that were discussed on the forum ... if i'm still having the time.

[bayo]

I dont really understand what you want to do.

* Most of the content use a free license, any body can reuse/edit/sell everything (as long as you quote authors and reuse the same license)
* There is no owner of the all game, each contributors own is own contribution.

Usually there is a problem when you reuse content compound by many elements using many licenses (for example a screenshot of the game), But you can add to your content a link to the ufoai homepage, to ufoai contributors page, and write somewhere game code is under GPL2, and content is under many licenses (GPL,CC...). But if you can quote real authors and real licenses it is better.

[Crystan]

Usually there is a problem when you reuse content compound by many elements using many licenses (for example a screenshot of the game)

Isnt that example a bit far-fetched?

[bayo]

sure, but it is only an example, i dont really understand what he want to aim. If people reuse content without changing licenses and without selling thing i think there is no real problem to think about.

[Crystan]

Hes probably not familiar with the CC Licences and wanted to ask if he can use teh stuff

[jerikojerk]

I'm not really familiar with GPL license but just enough to know that if you use GPL content it contaminate your own work with GPL license. I've nothing against GPL when it applies to software that run on personal computer on which risks  are controlled, when it applies to public server running obsolete scripting engine... i prefer to keep some secrecy on my own code until (i finish it) i don't have anymore time to spend on it.