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A question about the Terms of Use of Resource Packsquestion_answer
I have been creating a map for a long time, and in the beginning it was something i wanted to do just for fun for myself. But i quickly began to like the idea of sharing it in this site, so that is what i have been doing, uploading test versions of the map just to see what people say.
However, since i started working on the map, i also started to merge lots of resource packs from multiple creators, into a custom resource pack for the map i was making. And so i continued to add various textures and models to that resource pack and just kept working on my map (always adding the name of the creators into a read me file inside the resource pack). But recently i started to realize that if i am making this map to publish it, it should not have a resource pack including the work of several different creators.
And so, i started to realize that some of the creators did add a "terms of use" folder inside the resource pack, stating that with or without modifications it is prohibited to re-distribute the textures and or models in it.
So please if you could answer this question: Is there a way to publish the map including the custom resource pack with the proper credits without it having issues with the creators?
If you are reading this thank you for doing so. I clarify that i am very new to publishing minecraft work to the internet and i would really appreciate the help.
However, since i started working on the map, i also started to merge lots of resource packs from multiple creators, into a custom resource pack for the map i was making. And so i continued to add various textures and models to that resource pack and just kept working on my map (always adding the name of the creators into a read me file inside the resource pack). But recently i started to realize that if i am making this map to publish it, it should not have a resource pack including the work of several different creators.
And so, i started to realize that some of the creators did add a "terms of use" folder inside the resource pack, stating that with or without modifications it is prohibited to re-distribute the textures and or models in it.
So please if you could answer this question: Is there a way to publish the map including the custom resource pack with the proper credits without it having issues with the creators?
If you are reading this thank you for doing so. I clarify that i am very new to publishing minecraft work to the internet and i would really appreciate the help.
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Unhappy to hear about the difficulties you're having…
A cautionary tale about the importance of documenting as you go (much easier / better than trying to go back and get everything right).
It also illustrates that it would be well for creators to make TOU or similar documents both clear and prominent.
(At least under US law, anything that doesn't explicitly say otherwise is presumptively copyright protected.)
The situation isn't helped by the muddiness of the legal waters either:
the degree to which incidental inclusion would be seen as infringing remains very unclear. [The nearest situations of which I can think are the inclusion of material in movies where signage/trademarks are tightly monitored but various design IP (e.g. a car design) is less so. ]
A cautionary tale about the importance of documenting as you go (much easier / better than trying to go back and get everything right).
It also illustrates that it would be well for creators to make TOU or similar documents both clear and prominent.
(At least under US law, anything that doesn't explicitly say otherwise is presumptively copyright protected.)
The situation isn't helped by the muddiness of the legal waters either:
NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE OR OPINION
while "showcasing" a copyrighted [or otherwise restricted texture] might be problematic, nominitive use or showing for the purposes of review / discussion would likely be covered under 'fair use'the degree to which incidental inclusion would be seen as infringing remains very unclear. [The nearest situations of which I can think are the inclusion of material in movies where signage/trademarks are tightly monitored but various design IP (e.g. a car design) is less so. ]
Quote:
"And so, i started to realize that some of the creators did add a "terms of use" folder inside the resource pack, stating that with or without modifications it is prohibited to re-distribute the textures and or models in it."
"So please if you could answer this question: Is there a way to publish the map including the custom resource pack with the proper credits without it having issues with the creators?"
Well, considering the terms of use there's no way for you to legally use your "collective modpack" because you'd be violating the licenses of those other modpacks, plain and simple. I'd strongly recommend not to go there because it can only land you in heaps of trouble.
Of course you do have some options.
First, the obvious one, is to contact those pack developers and explain what you're doing and why. I mean; I could easily understand that there's a huge difference between sharing your map as a hobby project or something you're tyring to monetize on. Then ask them for their approval. No guarantees but if you do get approval then you're in the clear. You don't know until you try ;)
But there might be a legal way out of this which still gets the users the intended experience: automate the installation process.
In other words: you don't include the resource packs with your map project but instead you explain to the user that this map is best experienced with a custom resourcepack, one which needs to be "assembled" first. For that they need to download xxx, which are the resourcepacks you're currently using, and then run a script. Said script is made by you and basically extracts the sections you need from those packs and inserts them into a new pack. Then the user needs to activate this new pack when using your map and you're all set.
You didn't violate any terms because you never distributed any changed materials. All you did was ask the user(s) to download said packs after which they simply started using parts of it in your project.
But once again... I strongly recommend not "just winging it", which is of course also an option. Thing is: a good reputation is hard to build and yet very easy to crumble. There are plenty of content creators out there who'd easily take offense to seeing people steal other peoples work, even if it wasn't their own.
"And so, i started to realize that some of the creators did add a "terms of use" folder inside the resource pack, stating that with or without modifications it is prohibited to re-distribute the textures and or models in it."
"So please if you could answer this question: Is there a way to publish the map including the custom resource pack with the proper credits without it having issues with the creators?"
Well, considering the terms of use there's no way for you to legally use your "collective modpack" because you'd be violating the licenses of those other modpacks, plain and simple. I'd strongly recommend not to go there because it can only land you in heaps of trouble.
Of course you do have some options.
First, the obvious one, is to contact those pack developers and explain what you're doing and why. I mean; I could easily understand that there's a huge difference between sharing your map as a hobby project or something you're tyring to monetize on. Then ask them for their approval. No guarantees but if you do get approval then you're in the clear. You don't know until you try ;)
But there might be a legal way out of this which still gets the users the intended experience: automate the installation process.
In other words: you don't include the resource packs with your map project but instead you explain to the user that this map is best experienced with a custom resourcepack, one which needs to be "assembled" first. For that they need to download xxx, which are the resourcepacks you're currently using, and then run a script. Said script is made by you and basically extracts the sections you need from those packs and inserts them into a new pack. Then the user needs to activate this new pack when using your map and you're all set.
You didn't violate any terms because you never distributed any changed materials. All you did was ask the user(s) to download said packs after which they simply started using parts of it in your project.
But once again... I strongly recommend not "just winging it", which is of course also an option. Thing is: a good reputation is hard to build and yet very easy to crumble. There are plenty of content creators out there who'd easily take offense to seeing people steal other peoples work, even if it wasn't their own.
First of all thank you so much for your reply, this was really useful information. Having read your comment, my conclusion is to either ask the creators for permission, or take the time to learn to create my own resource pack, which i don't really have time for, and honestly i don't think is worth it due to this map being just a hobby for me.
The reason i don't think your option to have the user download the various resource packs is going to work for me, is that i have touched a LOT of the files. I have modified the code of some models and blockstates to match other textures that i have also slightly edited.
Since the beginning when i was not planning on uploading my map, if i saw a resource pack that had for say a great texture for grass, i downloaded the pack and instead of using the grass texture for grass, i used it for something else.
By all of this i mean most of the stuff i have in that resource pack is modified, and so i doubt that creating a script will allow something as complex as that.
In the end this is just for fun and i dont intend to offend any of those talented creators. But it is a shame that all that excitement i had to share the map is slowly going away thanks to the realization that maybe i won't be able to.
The reason i don't think your option to have the user download the various resource packs is going to work for me, is that i have touched a LOT of the files. I have modified the code of some models and blockstates to match other textures that i have also slightly edited.
Since the beginning when i was not planning on uploading my map, if i saw a resource pack that had for say a great texture for grass, i downloaded the pack and instead of using the grass texture for grass, i used it for something else.
By all of this i mean most of the stuff i have in that resource pack is modified, and so i doubt that creating a script will allow something as complex as that.
In the end this is just for fun and i dont intend to offend any of those talented creators. But it is a shame that all that excitement i had to share the map is slowly going away thanks to the realization that maybe i won't be able to.
ShelLuser summed it up fairly nicely though I have a little to add onto it. Even if a resource pack artist doesnt have a terms of use you would need to ask permission still.
Another alternative is just to upload the map without it while showcasing it using your customized pack. You dont have to provide a download for a map or the custom pack to be able to share your excitement about your creation with others. The only caution you would need to take there is if any of those artists do have a terms of service preventing that you wouldnt be able to showcase those specific textures and it would still be good practice to credit the authors of those packs even if not providing anything for download, though that isnt required unless a texture was created/posted with those terms specifically.
Another alternative is just to upload the map without it while showcasing it using your customized pack. You dont have to provide a download for a map or the custom pack to be able to share your excitement about your creation with others. The only caution you would need to take there is if any of those artists do have a terms of service preventing that you wouldnt be able to showcase those specific textures and it would still be good practice to credit the authors of those packs even if not providing anything for download, though that isnt required unless a texture was created/posted with those terms specifically.
