Hi everyone, I''m nearing completion of the 3D engine for an RTS. I am currently planning to remake Command and Conquer: Tiberian Dawn (the very first game in the series). I have made a couple of 3D models of things like the obelisk of light and SAM site. I''m wondering what legal issues I am going to have, or at least who I should contact about doing this. I am not planning to make any profit from the game, it is simply for me to learn how to program. The other question is about directly using the sounds and 2D menu''s from the original game. This sounds a little closer to being illegal, but as I''m not making the game for profit, and as you can''t buy the original in stores anymore (a magazine here in Australia gave the game away for free a while ago), I wondered if there would be any problem with me doing this. Doolwind --------------------------------------------------------- Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life. Matthew 6:27

Why not make it a Public Domain tribute game? It sounds like a cool idea, but don''t actually use any graphics from the original, just say it was inspired by TD. You''ll probably be accused of evrything by other people here and I dunno anything about the legal issues. But people write tribute games all the time.

Profit is irelevant, what you are proposing is breach of copyright and as such is illegal. The fact that you can''t buy the game isn''t important either.

Red Alert is one of the biggest game franchises and is property of one of the biggest publishers. If you make a copy and start to distribute it you can be sure they will come after you (just as Fox have done to several fan projects based on their IP).

If you want to try and get permission then you need to contact Electronic Arts but it will likely take a lot of work just to find the right person to talk too and in all likelyhood they will refuse to allow it. If you really are just doing it to learn (and never distribute it) then you will be ok, otherwise I would stay well away. You certainly don''t need to breach their copyright to learn to program. Make you own graphics and sound and you wont get into trouble and will be free to distribute your creation when its finished.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

if you want to so much as use the same units and unit names, make sure you get permission from EA and westwood studios first.

you''re probably better off making a game "inspired" by C&C, have similar units in function, but make sure the graphcs arn''t the same, the sounds arnt the same, and you''re not calling your two sides "nod" and "gdi"

you could call them hOPE (NOD) and HEJ (GDI)
Or WINK and directiX.
Or...

My point is, by just "parodying" rather than copying, you get away with it as you are being creative, but no one will be fooled and will recognise your tribute for what it is (and maybe laugh at the humourous names...)

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Sancte Isidore ora pro nobis !

quote:

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Original post by ahw
you could call them hOPE (NOD) and HEJ (GDI)
Or WINK and directiX.
Or...

My point is, by just "parodying" rather than copying, you get away with it as you are being creative, but no one will be fooled and will recognise your tribute for what it is (and maybe laugh at the humourous names...)

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Simply changing the name doesn''t constitute parody and will not protect you from breach of copyright if you are using their graphics, sound etc.

"Parody - A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule."
That is not "a copy with the name changed" but something which is both "in the style of" the original and comic/funny.



Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

Thanks for the comments guys,

I have decided I will gain more by making a completely new game than by remaking C&C. Along with any legal complications I may have and that some people will pay more attention to the fact that I am "stealing" Westwood''s (now EA''s) ideas instead of actually commenting on my game.

Doolwind

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Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.
Matthew 6:27