Content Licensing - Questions and Answers

[Maio 293]

Hello community.

Bohemia Interactive has released several game data packages for the modding community. In addition to these data packages, new rules regarding content licensing and usage have been put forth for content creators.

This thread will serve as a Questions & Answers hub for all matters related to the above mentioned data packages and the new content licensing terms. Simply post a question and a qualified person (most likely a developer) will answer it.

• The data packages and related information can be found HERE
  
• The new content licensing terms can be found HERE
  

Edited May 28, 2014 by Maio

[egilsandfeld 7]

Hi Maionaze. It's really awesome that you license all these great things to the community! Thumbs big time up!

Got a dumb question. So let's say I'm creating a terrain and I want to use e.g. Land_HouseBlock_A1 / HouseBlock_A1

for my A3 terrain. In order for that to be okay with the license I would have to make a readme text file shipped along with my pbo in which I write that it's licensed under APL-SA?

[jsmuk 13]

I have (hopefully) two simple questions.

1) Does "share alike" mean that the content has to be shared in a non binarized format? In the same sort of sense that the GPL requires source code to be shared? I assume it does but I just wish to check I am understanding it correctly.

2) If I use content that is included in a PBO that's in the "licensed data pack" which is licensed with the APL (from the "ALDP_A2_PBOs_APL_part1.zip" file to be precise) does just including the file in the PBO that I produce count as "share alike" or must I release the file(s) separately?

Also I agree with the above post, this is an awesome thing. I can see it being very useful.

[linuxmaster9 101]

What is the difference between the APL licenses and a Freeware License? I came across a mod that uses a Freeware license and nothing else. Where does that fall? It states that permission must be granted by the license holders prior to any use of said mod in any mission or mod.

[ProfTournesol 956]

Hi,

i've got two simple questions, i hope the first one isn't already answered somewhere (if so, i do apologize) :

• Is it now allowed to use newly released ArmA1 unbinarized content into ArmA:CWA ?
  
• 
  
• Is it somehow planned to release all ArmA:CWA unibarized content under the same licences ?
  

[Victim9l3 11]

I'm surprised there are so few questions so far. I've asked this elsewhere but got no help so far. I tried using some of the OA DLC's into A3 just like I had with the OA and A2 stuff. I know merging into A3 hasn't been perfect so far but the DLC stuff has been one of the things I have desperately been waiting for. Especially since the ACR stuff was a relatively new release.

Anyway, I'll use the ACR as the example. When I tried before the content release I got a message at start up saying something to the effect "air_acr cannot be opened due to unkown block in the header." Now after content release, It says "air_acr failed to load. The content SHOULD be protected." So now that it's not locked anymore Arma 3 still won't allow it.

However, I opened the pboprefix in the air_acr pbo. I deleted this "hprotect=setup". That allowed Arma 3 to use the air_acr.pbo. But now the problem is that the p3d model won't open when I load a mission in the editor using one of the addons. I put the ALCA on the map along with me, a pilot. When the mission starts it tells me that the "..p3d model cannot be opened. It doesn't say why. However it's still in the game. I saw the shadow and found where the cockpit would be and got in and flew it. Completely invisible though.

So what do we need to do to get these to be recognized so they can be used? I would like to use the content but if I can't get it in game how can I use it. Thanks

[dr_strangepete 6]

I have (hopefully) two simple questions.

1) Does "share alike" mean that the content has to be shared in a non binarized format? In the same sort of sense that the GPL requires source code to be shared? I assume it does but I just wish to check I am understanding it correctly.

2) If I use content that is included in a PBO that's in the "licensed data pack" which is licensed with the APL (from the "ALDP_A2_PBOs_APL_part1.zip" file to be precise) does just including the file in the PBO that I produce count as "share alike" or must I release the file(s) separately?

Also I agree with the above post, this is an awesome thing. I can see it being very useful.

1)If it was released under share-alike license non-binarized, then as i understand it, future modifications need to be release as such - un-binarized and share-alike.

as bohemia wrote on the License page:

Terrains, terrain objects, playable content and voiceovers are usually released under APL-SA, as it's in Bohemia Interactive's interest to keep further modifications of this data free to adapt.

2)If its APL and not APL-SA then you shouldn't need to share-alike; only give attribution, as specified in the license.

What is the difference between the APL licenses and a Freeware License? I came across a mod that uses a Freeware license and nothing else. Where does that fall? It states that permission must be granted by the license holders prior to any use of said mod in any mission or mod.

If a mod is not using content originally released under the APL or APL-SA, they can licence the content however they feel, as their creation is their own. they have the right to request permission prior to distribution or modification. If their content was based upon APL-SA then they would not be able re-release under a freeware licence.

Addon Makers for Authors Rights has a great FAQ (written prior to latest APL-SA announcement) explaining content licensing, rights and terms of use for others material. Its a good read, and highly recommended.

Edited December 8, 2013 by dr_strangepete

[sv5000 127]

This is excellent, thank you BI

[Edge 2]

Hello, thanks for the questions and for the positive feedback! I will gather these and as well as those which are reaching us through other channels, and try to come up with the answers ASAP.

[shinkicker 5]

I noticed the texture files (normal, diffuse etc) are not included, only the rvmats which point to as an example ="ca\xxxx\data\xxxx.paa'

So what if I would like to use an example from the A2 APL content, in Arma 3 and packaged as a new PBO (say for example called 'mymod')

Do I need to recreate all the textures myself?

Or can I copy the textures from ca\xxxx\data\ into \mymod\data, edit the rvmat paths and then create my own PBO from there?

Or worst case, do players have to own Arma 2 as well to load model data from their local /ca/ root.

[shinkicker 5]

Also to add:

Can we do the same for sounds (copy them from \ca\SOUNDS\ to \mymod\Sounds\)

[Edge 2]

Or can I copy the textures from ca\xxxx\data\ into \mymod\data, edit the rvmat paths and then create my own PBO from there?

Of course you can! ALDP packages serve only as a kind of repository indicating wich data BI released and under which license. We did it like this as it was more feasible method of releasing game data compared to releasing e.g. gigabytes of unbinarized textures.

Everyone is free to open the PBOs and use any data provided he respects the licenses under which they were released (so please be careful with attribution, non-commercial, Arma-Only and in case of APL-SA, also Share Alike).

[shinkicker 5]

Of course you can! ALDP packages serve only as a kind of repository indicating wich data BI released and under which license. We did it like this as it was more feasible method of releasing game data compared to releasing e.g. gigabytes of unbinarized textures.

Everyone is free to open the PBOs and use any data provided he respects the licenses under which they were released (so please be careful with attribution, non-commercial, Arma-Only and in case of APL-SA, also Share Alike).

Thanks Edge! Makes sense now.

[jsmuk 13]

Of course you can! ALDP packages serve only as a kind of repository indicating wich data BI released and under which license. We did it like this as it was more feasible method of releasing game data compared to releasing e.g. gigabytes of unbinarized textures.

Everyone is free to open the PBOs and use any data provided he respects the licenses under which they were released (so please be careful with attribution, non-commercial, Arma-Only and in case of APL-SA, also Share Alike).

Thank you for answering this for him, I was a bit unsure about this.

[antoineflemming 14]

Of course you can! ALDP packages serve only as a kind of repository indicating wich data BI released and under which license. We did it like this as it was more feasible method of releasing game data compared to releasing e.g. gigabytes of unbinarized textures.

Everyone is free to open the PBOs and use any data provided he respects the licenses under which they were released (so please be careful with attribution, non-commercial, Arma-Only and in case of APL-SA, also Share Alike).

This is what I figured the reason was.

[olds 15]

So please forgive my dense-ness regarding this Public Data dump:

1. The binarized p3d's cannot be opened in Oxygen, but...

2. ...All p3d models in the ALDP/binarized group are available in the sample packages?

3. ...Except for certain textures which for space-saving reason are only in the binarized group but can be depbo'd for use?

So basically all the ALDP/binarized content is available to work with but it's just a matter of hunting through the unbinarized "Samples" and the "Binarized Content" to combine & put together what you need(?)

Is that correct?

Phew - thanks!

Olds

[PuFu 4600]

yes...

[[aps]gnat 28]

Arh!

Thanks Olds for asking the exact question I wanted answered. Awesome BI.

[superrat 10]

great got me back into armaverse with this release

[NZXSHADOWS 0]

Can all the Samples be used for VBS2 projects for PE users? If not is their anyone to talk about considering releasing a license to do so?

[Deadfast 43]

Can all the Samples be used for VBS2 projects for PE users?

No, both APL and APL-SA restrict use to Arma titles only.

[Overlord 0]

I suppose it's all right then, for me to use setTexture (or close) command on a BIS AA2 created object to add e.g. a different map?

Not that I ever have considered this illegal since it's a scripting option.

[smokedog3para 365]

Any thoughts on a mlod pack from toh there is a lot of assets sitting there that would suit altis.

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

Does the released content from ArmA 1 include Queen's Gambit files?

[sic-disaster 311]

Dumb question but I made some missions for ArmA 3 based on Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis using voice-overs from that game. I would assume the license I need to use is APL. How do I go about implementing them into the missions in a way that is recognized officially?