What's the etiquette around here with modifying other people's parts?

[gabyalufix]

So if I were to, say, mod up some slightly re-textured versions of various existing parts, should I ask permission from the original modder before posting the results, or do I just need to give credit, or what? What\'s the generally-accepted rule there?

Just askin\'. Different communities can have wildly variant cultural mores.

[JupiterII]

If you do it privatly, it shouldn\'t matter. If you\'re posting them online, you should ask permission.

[Spoot Knight]

Ask the creators before beginning the work, in addition to crediting for the original release.

[sarkun]

It doesn\'t apply only to textures - if you want to post any modifications of someone else\'s work - retexture, remodel, even cfg edit - you should ask permission. Of course, for personal use you can do whatever you choose.

[C7Studios]

Regardless of accepted convention. If the models and textures are created by an artist they are inherently copyrighted as are all works of art. Whether or not it is explicitly stated. You actually have to opt out of it for your work if you\'re an artist.

So to keep yourself in line with current law, it is actually required that you ask permission.

Unfortunately if SOPA passes, copying a mod model or messing around with the textures could be construed as illegal, and would carry heavy penalties. SOPA... baaad.

That said, all work I do is considered to be under the Creative Commons - Share Alike, attribution license. Or 'Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA', just to be on the safe side.

As for this forum, definitely ask permission before posting anything.

[Darrknox]

It\'s the same rule you\'ve been taught your entire life. If it isn\'t yours, ask to use it. And if you get the affirmation, it\'s common courtesy to credit the author.

[gabyalufix]

Thanks for the info, folks. I figured that was the most likely scenario, but just wanted to ask.

I used to to modeling / animation in milkshape, back in high school. (I actually just dug up my old purchase key, which I somehow remembered to always forward on from 4 email addresses ago. Still works!). I belonged to several different gaming communities, which has wildly different rules about this sort of thing.

In one community, even asking would be considered almost insulting. The group had a sort of friendly/competitive vibe--everyone always trying to outdo one another--so using someone else\'s models would be viewed as 'cheating'. In another community, we were basically all collaboratively working on a game together--a massively different vibe altogether: they thought it was funny that I bothered to ask (after all, we all would have gotten our names in the credits anyways, if the game had ever been finished). My point is just that close-knit subcultures can have wildly different ideas about what is reasonable.

Of course, this was before DMCA or creative commons even existed. I feel old.

Anyhow, I\'m just reminiscing. Rules noted and understood. Will do.

[Caesar15]

Yes ask permission for anything, don\'t want to to make the mistake I did

[gabyalufix]

A follow up question:

What about the vanilla parts? Do you have to ask permission for those?

[Spoot Knight]

Might as well just to be on the safe side.

[gabyalufix]

Who do I ask? HarvesteR? Who is Mrbrownce?

[Kryten]

I\'d ask HarvesteR.

Mrbrownce is one of the developers; if you look on the memberlist, he\'s one of \'team Kerbal\', although he hasn\'t posted yet. I don\'t think you even could ask Mrbrownce, considering he hasn\'t visited since June.

[gabyalufix]

What about Sunday Punch\'s stuff? He\'s gone, right?

[Capt'n Skunky]

Harv has already stated that it\'s okay to modify the vanilla parts as long as credit is given.

As far as Sunday Punch, you might want to ask the author of NovaPunch how he got permission (which he did).

Arrr!

Capt\'n Skunky