I am developing a 3D car game that will feature well known cars. Do I have to obtain a particular authorization from the companies that produced these cars before using them in my game or I can do it without ?

Yes you do for three reasons

1. Their logos etc are all trademarks and as such protected.
2. The often sell licenses to game makers to make "official" games. If you use the car/name/logo for free you are depriving them of their revenue.
3. Any publisher with a license to make games for a particular car might also sue you for infringing their rights.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

[edited by - obscure on August 18, 2003 10:25:22 AM]

quote: Original post by Obscure
Yes you do for two reasons

1. Their logos etc are all trademarks and as such protected.
2. The often sell licensed to game makers to make "official" games. If you use the car/name/logo for free you are depriving them of their revenue.
3. Any publisher with a license to make games for a particular car might also sue you for infringing their rights.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

Thanks for the reply.

> {...} or I can do it without ?

The only exception to the rules stated above by Dan would be because the context is for higher education purposes; universities are exempt from some of the copyright burden if the project is contained exclusively to a class project and is not meant for distribution outside that class. If this is your case, I would encourage you to beef up your game''s copyright notice to that effect with the university, course number and a relevent date window (i.e. "Zoomanity University, CS-03-1234, ''3D Game Concepts'', Professor Gene Defect, Fall ''03" ).

-cb

To: cbenoi1
That game is a personal project that I will use as reference in my C.V.
Do I need a license in that case ?

quote: Original post by Sila Kayo
To: cbenoi1
That game is a personal project that I will use as reference in my C.V.
Do I need a license in that case ?

When asking questions you are more likely to get a useful/correct answer if you include all the relevant details (like the fact that it is just for use with your CV).

As it is only used for job applications you don''t need to worry about licenses because the car companies will never find out.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

You might also ask yourself, is it really worth all the potential trouble since this is only for demo purposes? Why don''t you just make cars that look reeeeaally similar to actual cars, but just don''t put any logos on them. Or if you do want decals and logos, just make up your own, or get an artist friend to help you. Then you can sleep at night without having to worry about finding cease and desist letters in you mailbox.


All you will ever need to know.

> That game is a personal project that I will use as reference in my C.V.

It''s technically illegal to appropriate someone else''s work, but I doubt you''ll ever get a ''cease-&-desist'' letter for something you don''t distribute on a grand scale. But more importantly, you are sending a wierd message to your potential employer: "I''m good at 3D modelling/texturing, but only for existing things I can duplicate, and I''m willing to bend the law to achieve my ends".

Duh!

Better for you to model cars that do not exist, even borrow the style of a company or an era in your designs. Have fun twisting the names: Languinni, Ferrero, Shevro-laid, Kaddy-Lacquer, Wanda Account, ...

-cb

On a side note, my grandma always told me that it''s better to ask for permission. Conversely, my grandpa always said it''s far easier and faster to ask for foregiveness than ask for permission... |8-}

If later a company finds out that some of my models looks like their own, although I have used a different name for the cars, will I be in trouble ?

cbenoi1 makes a good point. If you copy a real car the company you send your CV too will see you can model but they will not see any originality - you just copied the car. They may also suspect that you found the model somewhere. It may not be your own work.

If you create an original car (you design it and model it) then they will see you can model and that you are creative. That makes you a better employee.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant