How much is a license to use Valve's IPs for small creators?

[Blaze]

I'm an artist with a meek following. I'd really like to sell Half-Life merch drawn by me, but I can't find the cost of a license for characters.

[Zekiran]

That's not the kind of thing they specifically do. You'd need to talk to their lawyers.

Most folks that I know who make fan art however, simply do the art and put it up, and sell it anyway. Valve hasn't been known to do a lot of takedowns. But to be completely legal and up front, contact their legal team.

[Mad Scientist]

Yeah, I'd listen to Zekiran.
Lawyers don't mess around, and it takes one unfortunate bit of being unlucky and you're made into an example for others.

It may take time but it will keep you completely safe if they say yes. Worst case if they say yes, is that they just ask for royalties. That or they won't care until you hit a level or above but the only way to know is to write to them or find who you can email.

[rawWwRrr]

Blaze původně napsal:

I'm an artist with a meek following. I'd really like to sell Half-Life merch drawn by me, but I can't find the cost of a license for characters.

Since Half-Life is a Valve product, try contacting someone at Valve. They have a long list of people and departments on their website:
https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/people

[Azure Fang]

rawWwRrr původně napsal:

Blaze původně napsal:

I'm an artist with a meek following. I'd really like to sell Half-Life merch drawn by me, but I can't find the cost of a license for characters.

Since Half-Life is a Valve product, try contacting someone at Valve. They have a long list of people and departments on their website:
https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/people

On this list, I would think contacting someone in either Customer Support or Human Resources might be a good start.

[Blaze]

Azure Fang původně napsal:

rawWwRrr původně napsal:

Since Half-Life is a Valve product, try contacting someone at Valve. They have a long list of people and departments on their website:
https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/people

On this list, I would think contacting someone in either Customer Support or Human Resources might be a good start.

I sent a message to someone in HR about a week ago, I haven't heard back yet but I'm sure they're pretty busy. I'll update if they say anything!

[Zekiran]

For what it's worth, I attempted many many years ago to get written permission to 'use' the assets available from screenshots as fair-use as I was making comics and putting them up on Deviantart. They were *removed* by deviantart because "they were copyright infringement" (which they were absolutely not, someone reported them and at that time there was a complete jerk of an admin on the site who *haaaated* screenshots and would go out of his way to mess with people who uploaded them).

While Valve expresses great interest in seeing fans have fun with their properties, they literally never got back to me about this permission request. I would not hold my breath.

It's the right thing to do, but it likely isn't gonna get replied to. Maybe things have changed, since they're a little more in the spotlight these days (also my incident was like. 12 years ago.)

[Blaze]

Zekiran původně napsal:

For what it's worth, I attempted many many years ago to get written permission to 'use' the assets available from screenshots as fair-use as I was making comics and putting them up on Deviantart. They were *removed* by deviantart because "they were copyright infringement" (which they were absolutely not, someone reported them and at that time there was a complete jerk of an admin on the site who *haaaated* screenshots and would go out of his way to mess with people who uploaded them).

While Valve expresses great interest in seeing fans have fun with their properties, they literally never got back to me about this permission request. I would not hold my breath.

It's the right thing to do, but it likely isn't gonna get replied to. Maybe things have changed, since they're a little more in the spotlight these days (also my incident was like. 12 years ago.)

Yeah, it seems surprisingly difficult to get in contact with Valve directly. I did get a response once by emailing Mr. Newell to report a scam email, but it was from another employee. That's someone, though!

[Jack Schitt]

There are 7 pages of results when searching Amazon for "Half-Life". All different sellers.

Become a seller on amazon, Etsy, Ebay, (is there a facebook market? I'm not on facebook) and sell your stuff there.

You can always contact the Steam Technical Support with any questions too. The help system is a way to contact them.

[Zekiran]

The thing is there, Jack, that's illegal.

You cannot profit from someone else's intellectual property, without licensing it.

That people DO this is obvious. it is not, however, legal for them to do it. Valve is remarkably lax when it comes to cracking down on said infringement, which isn't really a wise thing in the long run.

I would point you at the Calvin and Hobbes merchandise cascade failure of rights, look that one up. That's what happens when a copyright holder (in this case Watterson) doesn't display any attempt to control their IP, and loses the rights to collect anything from all of those people and companies *using his images* directly in their profitable items.

Valve may or may not care about privately created items, but it's not even a grey area: it's illegal to make money on someone else's look-and-feel product.

[Jack Schitt]

I previously owned and operated a marketing, promotions, and management business. I dealt with copyrights and trade marks often. There's no need to inform me about any of it. There probably isn't anything anyone can tell me I don't already know.
No, it's not legal or morally correct to do without permission. It's a better way for a person to try and survive and accept support from supporters than scamming people.

[Zekiran]

Then you should know better than to suggest that this person do something that IS illegal.

[Jack Schitt]

It's not Valves content if a person draws it by hand. Period. That makes it totally legal.

Before you say anything more, Zekiran, ever hear this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKMtZm2YuBE

The Police didn't get a penny from the millions Combs made off that song. Combs didn't write any of it other than the words he spoke but it is his song and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

All an artist has to do is make it just slightly different enough that it's their original content.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Jack Schitt původně napsal:

Before you say anything more, Zekiran, ever hear this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKMtZm2YuBE

The Police didn't get a penny from the millions Combs made off that song. Combs didn't write any of it other than the words he spoke but it is his song and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

All an artist has to do is make it just slightly different enough that it's their original content.

https://www.celebritynetworth.com/articles/entertainment-articles/fun-fact-sting-makes-2000-royalties-every-day-every-breath-take/

And Vanilla Ice settled out of court for his "sampling."

[Zekiran]

All an artist has to do is make it just slightly different enough that it's their original content.

It is absolute fallacy to think that "if you alter it". that's an actual outright *lie*.

So please, OP, if you need to sell your stuff? Do that. But don't expect that it'll always be okay to do so.

[Jack Schitt]

cSg|mc-Hotsauce původně napsal:

Jack Schitt původně napsal:

Before you say anything more, Zekiran, ever hear this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKMtZm2YuBE

The Police didn't get a penny from the millions Combs made off that song. Combs didn't write any of it other than the words he spoke but it is his song and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

All an artist has to do is make it just slightly different enough that it's their original content.

https://www.celebritynetworth.com/articles/entertainment-articles/fun-fact-sting-makes-2000-royalties-every-day-every-breath-take/

And Vanilla Ice settled out of court for his "sampling."

:qr:

Thanks for that! I thought Combs got away with it. Whoever made the beat for "I'll be missing you" ripped the guitar from The Police song. It was exact. If they would have changed it...that's a dirty thing to do too but it happens often. It's one of the reasons I dislike hearing anything from Korn's first popular album = 7 string gimmick (big whoop...an extra string) and he used nursery rhymes for the lyrics, that was lame IMO.

Zekiran původně napsal:

All an artist has to do is make it just slightly different enough that it's their original content.

It is absolute fallacy to think that "if you alter it". that's an actual outright *lie*.

So please, OP, if you need to sell your stuff? Do that. But don't expect that it'll always be okay to do so.

Since it's hand made the artist who make their own rendition of it by hand owns and can sell it regardless of what the drawing or item is. I agree it's not a great thing, I can't smile at it when it's done, but that's how it works legally.

No, it cannot be an exact copy. The OP isn't printing the image on things and selling it they're re-drawing it by hand and selling copies of *their* art work.

Just like DC comics didn't do anything about every person that drew or painted a Batman logo on something Valve isn't going to go after one person in the world that's selling a drawing they drew because they're a fan. It's not like this person is going to become filthy rich over selling a drawing to people here and there. It might start a niche for them and that's why I say ask permission first; no reply in a month? Do it.