can you use real world geography for a game?

[zlefin]

I was thinking of doing a kingmaker type game in the pbp area; but i'm not good at making terrain. I was thinking of taking something off google earth, without any of the real world names; and just adding some territory lines over that to make my map.

[Razanir]

Pokémon does it all the time... I really don't see how there could be a problem, as long as you stay away from real-world religion and politics.

[Rawhide]

Using real world geography and fictionalising the names and locations is fine. Even keeping the names should be fine as well, as long as you stay away from real world politics.

Using maps you got off Google isn't, though, as those are copyrighted. You'll need to sketch out your own based on the real world geography.

[Kalmageddon]

Using maps you got off Google isn't, though, as those are copyrighted. You'll need to sketch out your own based on the real world geography.

Could you clarify on this last point? You mean using a public image that you got from Google can get the site into trouble? This seems weird... :smallconfused:

[TuggyNE]

Could you clarify on this last point? You mean using a public image that you got from Google can get the site into trouble? This seems weird... :smallconfused:

"Licensed for free personal use to anyone in nearly any country" is not at all the same as "public domain". The difference, to copyright law, is vast indeed. And that's all I can really say on the subject without getting into legal advice, I think.

[Kalmageddon]

I'm not asking for legal advice, I want to know why this forum doesn't allow to post links to public googled images.
Something that to my knowledge is routinely done anyway.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I'm not asking for legal advice, I want to know why this forum doesn't allow to post links to public googled images.
Something that to my knowledge is routinely done anyway.

If doing so really is against the forum rules, then it would be because of copyright law. Copyright law is a nasty thing to deal with, and I'll be honest that I'm totally confused as to how it works at least half the time.

That said, "it still happens" doesn't mean it isn't against the rules, as Rawhide recently (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298931) pointed out:


Just because something has not been acted upon, does not mean that it is the way it should be.

You should wait for him* give the final ruling, though... since he's the one with actual authority here, and all.

*Or another mod, obviously.

[ChristianSt]

That depends on what you mean with "public googled images".

Only because something shows up on google (or any other search engine for that matter), doesn't mean you are allowed to redistribute it.


Posting any copyrighted material without permission of the copyright holder is against the rules. <More stuff about posting copyrighted content>

If you mean with "public googled image" something in public domain or some stuff the copyright holder explicitly allowed posting elsewhere, then you are fine to post it here.

If you mean with "public googled image" the first hit for a random google search, then it is not safe to post it here (or anywhere else for the matter) because of copyright stuff.

[Roland St. Jude]

...I was thinking of taking something off google earth...

...Using maps you got off Google isn't, though, as those are copyrighted...
What the OP is asking about is very clear and Rawhide's response is also very clear. Google Earth images are copyrighted and shouldn't be copied or reposted here.

Kalmageddon's question then expands the inquiry with a term that isn't really meaningful: "public googled images." I think people's responses do a good job addressing that. Something truly in the public domain or for which the copyright holder has given permission for your use, is one thing, but relatively few images fall into that category.

For most images you see in response to a Google search, someone holds the rights to so don't copy and post them here and don't hotlink them. Just because they come up in a search doesn't make them "public" in any legal or rights sense.

Finally, as stated above, just because something happens elsewhere doesn't mean it's legal and certainly doesn't mean it's allowed here.

Sheriff: Amply answered by others. Thread locked.