back to the topic about the "UFO:TTS" artwork, now that we are going to be
able to use it, I think we have to consider how we
want to use it
I didn't want to post this in
the other thread, but I still think those graphics might pose a problem.
here's my reasoning - I hope it is coherent:
1) the graphics, while probably made from scratch, are extremely similar to the original graphics
2) no matter where you live, there's always some kind of law that protects intellectual property
3) openxcom is created as an "as true to the original as possible" remake
4) openxcom uses no new artwork (or at least almost none, as of yet)
----> 3) is possible even though 2) because of 4). the owner of the original rights will probably ignore openxcom, because it
needs the original game to be playable. so if anything, they are making more money because of it.
----> I'm not sure if 1) in itself is a problem. I would guess that in some countries it is, while in others it isn't
BUT:
----> if we go ahead and use UFO:TTS artwork or even go as far as to fully implement them, as several people have now asked for, we will eventually arrive at a point where that openxcom/TTS hybrid game will be playable
as a stand-alone game.
this has a lot of potential to piss off the original rights owner! because at that point, we will have created a game that is equivalent to the original game, admits to being based on it, and
takes away from their profit. even if the exact laws are fuzzy:
if they are pissed off, they will find a way to bring us down
so I think there are only two possible paths we can take:
either we actually ask the original rights owner for permission to create a game that re-makes theirs, or we make sure that openxcom will always need the original game to be played, even if it doesn't use any of the files anymore, because as long as this requirement exists, openxcom is safe. (it's then more of a mod than a game... kind of an epic uber-mod, but still a mod
)
