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 gamers@audyssey.org
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.
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