is there a way to ask the people who copy writed the material to let you use it? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Ward" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 8:02 PM Subject: [Audyssey] Copyright issues was star wars sounds
> Hi Michael, > For the record I do agree with you and Liam that great care and thought > should be taken before using copyrighted material. However, we in the > blind comunity are at a sad crossroads when we talk about accessible > games. > When I was sighted I played Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, Dark Forces > and Dark Forces II, Rebel Assault I and II, Jedi Knight, and so on. > Suddenly, I am blind and there are absolutely nowaccessible Star Wars > games. What is the solution here? > I can't simply go to Wal-mart and pick up the latest Star Wars titles > even though I might want to with all my heart and desire. Sure there are > other games out there, but I'd really like to play Star Wars. > Well, I have the skills to write a game, but there is this thing called > copyright issues like can't use the sounds, characters, or logos. Oops, > friends all of us in the blind comunity are screwed again by the sighted > comunity. > I would love to be fair, and not use copyrighted material if I can avoid > it. I doubt I will do much with copyrighted material, but the fact > remains what do I do when I can not legally use Star Wars games and can > not legally create one. Short answer is nothing, and frankly that > downright sucks lemons. > With games like Montezuma's Revenge Packman you are probably right no > one really cares. There are hundreds of clones out there, and the > copyright holders aren't saying much. > Why do developers break copyright laws. I think short answer is they > can't get an accessible game any other way but to use copyrighted sounds > and logos. > If you put any old laser sound in a Star Wars game it will sound > terrible. The Star Wars effects are very unique and no matter how much a > dev tries to emulate it it won't be the same without the authentic sounds. > I'll get down from the soap box. > > > > michael feir wrote: >> I've never understood why some developers are so keen to needlessly break >> copyright laws and risk prosecution. When you're dealing with classic >> arcade >> games which have been cloned a million times over, I can certainly >> understand. It would surprise me tremendously if Pacman Talks or Dynaman >> incurred anybody's letigious wrath. I think there's a good argument to be >> made that making an accessible version of a classic game is certainly not >> robbing anybody of potential derived profits. When you're dealing with >> such >> specific licenses like Star Wars and such, it's a whole different story. >> People have been sued by Paramount for making Star Trek based games. I >> have >> no doubt that Lucas Arts is equally defensive of the Star Wars franchise. >> Also, taking sounds that are not only directly tied to a game as well as >> a >> major entertainment franchise substantially increases the risks of being >> taken to court. Certainly, there's the "can't squeeze blood from a stone" >> argument. Nobody producing accessible games has exactly struck gold. >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > Gamers mailing list .. [email protected] > To unsubscribe send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can > visit > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org to make > any subscription changes via the web. > > > __________ NOD32 1980 (20070115) Information __________ > > This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. > http://www.eset.com > > _______________________________________________ Gamers mailing list .. [email protected] To unsubscribe send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can visit http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org to make any subscription changes via the web.
