COPYRIGHT ISSUES, RICHARD/ALL READ PLEASE!!

[Andrés]

Yes I have always added a discalimer note whre I specificaly say my shipsets are a work of fan art, non-profit and named the copyright owner.
I didn't know the pictured used as y'gath portrait was copyrighted material. I will add the note now.

[Deathstalker]

Update:

I have not heard directly from the artist in question, only her friend (who is indeed her friend). But it seems alot of sites have been using her artwork without her permission. Including the Baldurs Gate site, she is understandably upset. My condolences go out to her, and my sincere wishes that she continue with her artwork, it is indeed incredible. Don't let the actions of a few get you down.

I have comissioned a replacement picture, done by Andres as per his offer. As he made the shipset pictures I have full faith in him for this, his artwork too is amazing.

Hopefully, all will go well, maybe I can even aquire permission to use her picture for the Y'Gath, if not, well a lesson learned. As said before, no harm was intended. Nor was any offense.

Thank you to all those who have responded to my paranoid thoughts.

Steve.

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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

[Hotfoot]

Hm...this sounds oddly familiar. I know a friend of mine has had some problems like this in the past. Copyright is a tricky issue, but when it comes down to amature artists, I can definately sympathize with the need for asking and giving credit where credit is due. Most people who are amateurs want to possibly become professionals, and it's rather difficult to achieve when one's art is taken on the net and shown without any credit given.

(ed. note: while I was writing this, I was in the middle of an ICQ conversation with a friend of mine, who offered some insights into this situation to me)

When I first read this thread, I thought that it sounded somewhat familiar, and in fact, upon further checking, it's actually more familiar than I originally thought. I happen to know the artist in question, and she's had a heck of a time with people taking her art and not giving her proper credit (or any credit in some cases: there's beed a few times when people tried to pass it off as their own).

I love her art, and I sincerly hope she continues to share it with people, as do the rest of her friends, and the best way to do that is to give her a reason to keep producing it. Right now, the best way to do that is give credit where credit is due.

As for the paranoid ramblings, well, yes, if a company wanted to, they could keep people from publishing shipsets and images if it kept them from earning money on the subject of the shipsets and images or if they had a similar game and the mods for SEIV cut into their own sales (like say Lucasarts were to revive Rebellion, they /might/ decide to come down on the Star Wars shipsets).

But in any case, just because it's on the internet doesn't mean that it's free. And when it comes to independent (or amateut) creators of anything, you always want to give them a reason to continue making stuff if you like it. It's like not just handing out the *.exe for SEIV or WAREZing it, because we want to see more.

I'm not certain, but I think that if you asked her and told her your intentions, you might get permission to use her picture, but that's really up to her, not me. In any situation, I look forward to seeing more shipsets to download.

-Hotfoot
"Hey, we can hope."

[Saxon]

Deathstalker,

What do you think about posting her website address here? It sounds like she has great work that is in a style a lot of us would like to see. If she is getting any cash from visits to her website, should would probably appreciate the extra hits and even if not, she would probably like more publicity and appreciation for her work. Doing a little advertising for her might help sooth any upset about improper use of the work.

[Q]

quote:

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Originally posted by Deathstalker:
....it is the central core of my race.(besides the fact that the picture ROCKS!, and brings a much needed female element to SE4).

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What about an Amazon race? Too bad my graphic skill and equipment are zero.

[Atrocities]

I can see this is going to be a hot topic for a while.

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"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard
UCP/TCO Ship Yards

[Jubala]

This thread made me curious about this artist so I downloaded the Y'Gathian Free States shipset to see the race portrait. Very nice indeed. I'd like to know who the artist is so I can check out more of her work.