RimWorld

RimWorld

A-Nut Nov 15, 2020 @ 12:15pm
My works were STOLED, PLEASE HELP! / Copyright Violation ( Balcan Armory)
I was making mod for Rim World with Worker Of Month, this (https://steamcommunity.com/id/Workerofmonth) user, and when the date has come to the release of mod - he betray me. He posted a mod without my consent and took my textures, i tried to negotiate with him but he ignored me. He took all mine merits for yourself.
I had trying write a message in the comments of this mod, that he violated copyright, but he deletes them.
I sent a report of copyright infringement , but I doubt I can win it in this situation (because i posted all my originals textures after mod release, my originals textures https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2287827459)
People, if you care about this situation - help restore justice, please. Report him for copyright infringement, thanks!
This mod name as BALCAN ARMORY ( https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2287090779)
Last edited by A-Nut; Nov 16, 2020 @ 1:56am
Originally posted by Azrak:
Originally posted by A-ivan:
Thank you all very much)))) We are did it, Steam delete Balcan Armory mod!!

Glad to hear about it. Good luck releasing your work on your own time and your own terms!
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Showing 1-15 of 17 comments
grapplehoeker Nov 15, 2020 @ 12:30pm 
No. I'm sorry you've been victimised this way, but it's you that should be reporting this to Steam Support.
A-Nut Nov 15, 2020 @ 12:35pm 
@grapplehoeker ok, thank you anyway. I sent a report of copyright infringement to Steam Support , I will hope that I will win in this situation
Last edited by A-Nut; Nov 15, 2020 @ 12:36pm
pheanox Nov 15, 2020 @ 1:19pm 
I'll be monitoring this situation.
brian7772 Nov 15, 2020 @ 1:34pm 
Legal question... did you file for an actual copyright for the assets or are you just claiming them because you did the work?

If its the first one you should contact your lawyer not complain on a message board.

If its the second you need to look at steam and rimworld terms of conditions. Because I believe that because there is no money involved you are giving away the mod for free and its user a free use liscense.
Dizzy Ioeuy Nov 15, 2020 @ 1:55pm 
that dude is NOT how a worker of the month is supposed to behave! No special parking spot for him!
Azrak Nov 15, 2020 @ 2:01pm 
Originally posted by pheanox:
I'll be monitoring this situation.

Restore justice!
Morkonan Nov 15, 2020 @ 3:12pm 
Originally posted by brian7772:
Legal question... did you file for an actual copyright for the assets or are you just claiming them because you did the work?

If its the first one you should contact your lawyer not complain on a message board.

If its the second you need to look at steam and rimworld terms of conditions. Because I believe that because there is no money involved you are giving away the mod for free and its user a free use liscense.

TLDR - Verdict - Some action regarding Copyright for a few of those items could be enforceable because of their unique designs. Some could not, since they're not unique artistic depictions or depictions of unique items as well as some representing the work of other designers/manufacturers. Any contractual obligations must be adjudicated by civil authorities.

ADDED IMPORTANT NOTE: Sorry, I had to scoot out to take care of something - The "Theft" of one's property and "work", whether or not there is a concern of Copyright ownership, is always actionable. So, it doesn't matter if Copyright applies here or not or whether or not these are entirely derivative works of common items - The original work that went into these entirely original works and the rights to own these files in-and-of-themselves is still retained. What bears on that is whether or not Steam/Valve has claimed ownership of any submitted Workshop items. (Not uncommon for hosts, just bears on who would have redistribution/reproduction complaints.)


The work is Copyrighted on "creation" by the creator. There's no need to register it in any way. Though, various forms of confirmation/registration can be helpful to confirm provenance/creator.

There is also no monetary exchange or pre-requisite necessary for a valid copyright claim - "Free" items/work retain Copyright privileges for their creators.

"Trademarked" items are a different sort of animal.

And, in today's electronic world where "graphics" are involved, the entire situation can be murky...

In the above, however, the items displayed as "original works" are actually depictions of common things and, in some cases, of specific weapon designs that are, themselves, the creation of others.

Can I get full Copyright protection for my drawing of a common water glass in-and-of-itself? Not likely... As "art," the work is mine. But, if it is indistinguishable from a "common object" then "No," I can't claim Copyright protection for all works that look as if they are similar to mine of a common everyday thing.

Some of these graphic items depict weapon designs that are "commonly known." They would not likely be eligible for general Copyright protection. Depictions of "unique" weapons, however, would likely be eligible. So, some of them are likely protected and some are not.

Contractual obligations, verbal or written, should be enforced by Civil authorities.

Further, this work appears to have been produced in concert with another, but I am unsure of the actual working relationship. If, for instance, the artist was being paid or contracted to produce the art for the mod creator, without specific protections in place, that work is the property of the contracting person. This is why the rights for a cartoon can be owned by the publisher, even though it was artistically created by an artist hired by the publisher to produce it.

As a general thing in "mod" communities, most of them consider work produced by others to retain a sort of "gentleman's agreement" of some kind of exclusive protection or copyright.

Verdict - Some action regarding Copyright for a few of those items could be enforceable because their of unique designs. Some could not, since they're not unique artistic depictions or depictions of unique items. Any contractual obligations must be adjudicated by civil authorities.

*I am not an attorney. :)


Note: I am unsure whether or not the OP was "working with" the other modder or if their previously constructed mod was incorporated, wholesale and directly, into another mod and that's where the problem lies. At first glance, it appeared that there was some form of working relationship involved here that is not well-defined due to a language barrier.

And, this is all just my "opinion."

Reference for an easily digestible review of US Copyright Law, which would apply in this case due to Steam/Valve EULA/TOS - https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-to-copyright-a-graphic-design
Last edited by Morkonan; Nov 15, 2020 @ 4:13pm
Sugar Show Nov 15, 2020 @ 5:32pm 
Never trust in people named ivan...

Oh, wait you're ivan, well then ivan just re-upload the mod with you'r name and erase his.
A-Nut Nov 15, 2020 @ 11:22pm 
@Morkonan sorry, english my not native language) So we are were making mod a few days, he was making a scripts and technical part, i was making a textures. Everything went fine during development. When mod came to release, he upload mod ahead of time with unspecified changes. I was indignant and started writing to him about this. We were chatting. Later, he started shifting topics and threatening me to stop writing about it. I asked him delete the mod for now, discuss the situation, find a compromise and release it. But after that he just was ignoring me and later delete me from his friends. After that, I was pretty angry, because I knew this man for a very long time, and he just betrayed me. After that I contacted Steam Support about copyright infringement and created this discussion.
A-Nut Nov 15, 2020 @ 11:22pm 
Originally posted by pheanox:
I'll be monitoring this situation.
thank you
A-Nut Nov 15, 2020 @ 11:23pm 
Originally posted by Azrak:
Originally posted by pheanox:
I'll be monitoring this situation.

Restore justice!
yep)
A-Nut Nov 15, 2020 @ 11:29pm 
And he changed the comments section and delete links to his server (his server https://discord.gg/JGHxjsr), so mean. And also deleted a couple of comments how can I notice
Last edited by A-Nut; Nov 15, 2020 @ 11:36pm
A-Nut Nov 16, 2020 @ 8:50pm 
Thank you all very much)))) We are did it, Steam delete Balcan Armory mod!!
The author of this thread has indicated that this post answers the original topic.
Azrak Nov 16, 2020 @ 11:51pm 
Originally posted by A-ivan:
Thank you all very much)))) We are did it, Steam delete Balcan Armory mod!!

Glad to hear about it. Good luck releasing your work on your own time and your own terms!
A-Nut Nov 17, 2020 @ 12:19am 
Originally posted by Azrak:
Originally posted by A-ivan:
Thank you all very much)))) We are did it, Steam delete Balcan Armory mod!!

Glad to hear about it. Good luck releasing your work on your own time and your own terms!
thanks))
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Date Posted: Nov 15, 2020 @ 12:15pm
Posts: 17