Content Licensing - Questions and Answers

[Chairborne 2594]

Yes you can.

[baermitumlaut 62]

Nice, thanks for the quick reply.

[doveman 7]

I'm confused by the new ToH content license ToPL-SA.

Here it says the content can only be used in ToH https://www.bistudio.com/community/licenses

Where here it says it can be used in ArmA games as well https://www.bistudio.com/community/licenses/licensed-data-packages

[chortles 263]

Foxhound accepted the latter as taking precedence for the purposes of Tinter's South Asia/Seattle upload.

[doveman 7]

Foxhound accepted the latter as taking precedence for the purposes of Tinter's South Asia/Seattle upload.

Great, thanks. Looking forward to trying Tinter's port.

[Jona33 51]

Hopefully this is the right place to ask, is using the voice acting from the ARMA II campaign acceptable in ARMA III missions, I'm porting Manhattan at the moment and I wanted to be sure that it would be OK to use the voice acting before spending time on it. The impression I'm getting from the post below is it probably isn't (since I assume the campaign isn't in the mentioned data packs) however I figured it would be worth asking.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?148171-Forward-porting-of-Arma-content

[hcpookie 3770]

I'm not sure that I understand one point so I wanted to ask for clarification:

There is a model in the A2 content for which I would like to obtain the MLOD's. Specifically, the 76N6 radar.

How would I go about requesting this permission?

JUSTIFICATION: I wish to add camo textures and ladders natively to the model. My current "attachTo" solution works but it cannot easily accommodate the new camo textures.

[ImperialAlex 72]

(since I assume the campaign isn't in the mentioned data packs)

Your assumption doesn't hold ;) The voice files can be found in the A2 data pack ("ALDP_A2_PBOs_APL-SA_part3") and are, as the archive name suggests, licensed as APL-SA.

That means that if you do use them in a mission you have to make your mission available for others to edit and/or re-distribute. (The "SA" stands for "share-alike")

---------- Post added at 07:38 ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 ----------

I'm not sure that I understand one point so I wanted to ask for clarification:

There is a model in the A2 content for which I would like to obtain the MLOD's. Specifically, the 76N6 radar.

Hey! The 76N6 radar is part of the Arma2 (unbinarised) sample files. It is available under APL-SA in the "A2SM_Data_APL-SA" pack, under Map_Objects\CA\misc2\Samsite

Since it's APL-SA (Share-alike) that means (roughly) that you have to make your modifications available for others to freely edit/use/re-distribute if you release them.

[Jona33 51]

Your assumption doesn't hold ;) The voice files can be found in the A2 data pack ("ALDP_A2_PBOs_APL-SA_part3") and are, as the archive name suggests, licensed as APL-SA.

That means that if you do use them in a mission you have to make your mission available for others to edit and/or re-distribute. (The "SA" stands for "share-alike")

Excellent, must have downloaded the wrong things when I was looking. Thanks for the help!

[hcpookie 3770]

Hey! The 76N6 radar is part of the Arma2 (unbinarised) sample files. It is available under APL-SA in the "A2SM_Data_APL-SA" pack, under Map_Objects\CA\misc2\Samsite

Since it's APL-SA (Share-alike) that means (roughly) that you have to make your modifications available for others to freely edit/use/re-distribute if you release them.

I did not know this - thanks for pointing that out!

[austinonpc 10]

Is it now allowed to use newly released ArmA1 unbinarized content into ArmA:CWA ?

[chortles 263]

I'm not sure that I understand one point so I wanted to ask for clarification:

There is a model in the A2 content for which I would like to obtain the MLOD's. Specifically, the 76N6 radar.

How would I go about requesting this permission?

JUSTIFICATION: I wish to add camo textures and ladders natively to the model. My current "attachTo" solution works but it cannot easily accommodate the new camo textures.

Are you adding ladders or just configuring the visible ones? Check your PMs and I believe that I may have exactly what you're looking for. ;) Let me add that you'll be looking in a different folder for the "warfare" MLODs with the camo nets and whatnot, I just included the radar by itself.

[ruPal 143]

Is it allowed to edit binarized or anyother content of APL licensed mods? If I found a mod that is licensed as APL, have some errors or not working and I cannot contact developer (via PM, e-mail or any other method). I can fix it with HEX-editor. Is it allowed to do that and re-release it?

Of course if developer don't give permission, I will not do that but what to do in the situation above?

Edited June 13, 2015 by Kukus

[Guest]

Is it allowed to edit binarized or anyother content of APL licensed mods? If I found a mod that is licensed as APL, have some errors or not working and I cannot contact developer (via PM, e-mail or any other method). I can fix it with HEX-editor. Is it allowed to do that and re-release it?

Of course if developer don't give permission, I will not do that but what to do in the situation above?

you have contacted me. the answer was no i will not give permission.

[ruPal 143]

I am asking not about your mod, Burnes15th. I have already answered you abou that. I am interested in situation described above. I found several mods that can fix and make playable again. That is why I am asking. I don't want to break any rights.

[Chairborne 2594]

I'm sorry but why don't you make your own port with your own changes?

With the time and effort you spent discussing the matter here you would've probably been halfway through already. :P

[ruPal 143]

Because I don't have enough skills for that (scripting, modelling, etc.). But I have enough skills to fix some small annoying errors that ruins some aspects of gameplay.

If I see a great mod, why not to fix it if I can?

[m1lkm8n 411]

Is it allowed to edit binarized or anyother content of APL licensed mods? If I found a mod that is licensed as APL, have some errors or not working and I cannot contact developer (via PM, e-mail or any other method). I can fix it with HEX-editor. Is it allowed to do that and re-release it?

Of course if developer don't give permission, I will not do that but what to do in the situation above?

No. You can not. You must always obtain the content creators permission.

[ruPal 143]

M1lkm8n, but APL says:

"With this licence you are free to adapt (i.e. modify, rework or update) and share (i.e. copy, distribute or transmit) the material"

Are sure about that? May you please specify paragraph about that? My English is not good, will take some time to translate the whole License.

As I understand, developer should use custom license to prevent content modification, but APL gives such rights.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Kukus

[m1lkm8n 411]

You should still contact the creator. It's the polite thing to do.

[ruPal 143]

Of course it is unpolite to do that without permission. But in legal terms I don't have to do that. Am I right?

[Chairborne 2594]

It still contains modifications done by the modder, so no you can't just take it and do whatever you want with it.

[ruPal 143]

Thank you for clarification, Chairborne.

[ImperialAlex 72]

It still contains modifications done by the modder, so no you can't just take it and do whatever you want with it.

I think this is important enough to repeat:

A mod that uses BI's "APL" licensed data does not automatically become APL licensed itself. This is exactly what Chairborne is referring to and it's why you cannot modify most 'port' mods.

If a mod is actually licensed as "APL" itself this will usually be made very obvious (usually unbinarised sources will be made available, too). Those mods you *can* modify and re-release. Very few mods are currently licensed this way and, as said above, virtually no ports are.

[ruPal 143]

IMO, you license the whole mod, if you don't want others to modify your mod, license it with appropriate license. If mod is stated as APL, i think that anyone can modify it.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Kukus