Hmmm Question?

[Taznia]

Okay... first of all, i havnt been able to find a contact mail adress, thats why im posting and asking here...
second... the Q is perhaps answered in the FAQ section... :smallredface:

but....

I have some younger siblings that cant read english yet. may i translate the stripes and print them so they can read it anyway? it will not go on a webpage, or anything else then in a stack in the kids room...

i would really like an answer, before i do anything wrong... :smalleek:

I think its sad they have to wait 3-4 years to be able to enjoy the comics... so far i have read them out load in our native language, but even tho i love the stripes, i dont wanna use all the time i read new content, with my siblings on my back, bugging me to tell them what it says... :smallwink:

[Mauve Shirt]

You can write your translation out as a script, but you can't put the words into the comic.

[Phase]

Yeah, you can't infringre on the copyright...

[BRC]

well let's check the FAQ


Q: Can I repost one of the comic strips to another site? Can I alter the image and repost it?


A: Definitely not. The digital image of each strip is protected under copyright law, and reposting it or altering it without permission is going to almost always be a copyright violation. I need to be very careful with my intellectual property in order that I might be able to earn profit from my work.which in turn will allow me to create more of it. If I discover a site that is reusing my art, I will ask them to remove it, and I won.t feel bad about doing so. Top


Q: I speak a language other than English. Can I translate the Order of the Stick for my game site?


A: At this time, the translation program is on indefinite hold. Some of the existing translations apparently suffered from accuracy issues, and all suffered from a lack of support from the translator, most of whom faded away after translating only a fraction of the strip's run. Also, there was no promotion or advertisement by the translators in their native language, resulting in a great deal of work for very, very few hits. Please do not contact me regarding translating OOTS into your native language until such time as I decide whether to continue the translation program. Top


This specifically mentions translations for posting on websites. it's a grey area. That said, I kinda doubt Rich's spies are going to go to your house and find out you translated some strips for your brothers.

[NerfTW]

You can do whatever you want with anything as long as you're not redistributing it.

You can alter the strips and print them out for private use, you just can't spread them around.

[FujinAkari]

You can do whatever you want with anything as long as you're not redistributing it.

You can alter the strips and print them out for private use, you just can't spread them around.

Giving it to his brother is redistribution.

[monty]

I'm pretty sure something like this is impossible to trace (short of ridiculous methods) so even if it's not allowed, I doubt anybody else will know you did it, so it's up to you.

[Zeitgeist]

Legally, possibly not. Morally, well... let's just say I doubt that any offense would be made for doing this favor for your siblings.

In fact, I'm not even so sure it's illegal. Is it illegal to print off a comic, scribble all over it, and show it to a friend? That sounds a little ridiculous. It's not as if it's currency. Photos in a magazines are copyrighted too, but you won't get in trouble for drawing a mustache on a face and having a laugh with friends.

The main problem is that once you've made them, it's possible they could leak, as in a friend could want to see them, then they show a friend, and so on, until they are posted online, which as far as I know becomes a whole different realm.

So given that risk alone is reason to make sure the Giant is okay with it, in the very least as a courtesy.

[bluish_wolf]

Legally, possibly not. Morally, well... let's just say I doubt that any offense would be made for doing this favor for your siblings.

In fact, I'm not even so sure it's illegal. Is it illegal to print off a comic, scribble all over it, and show it to a friend? That sounds a little ridiculous. It's not as if it's currency. Photos in a magazines are copyrighted too, but you won't get in trouble for drawing a mustache on a face and having a laugh with friends.

The main problem is that once you've made them, it's possible they could leak, as in a friend could want to see them, then they show a friend, and so on, until they are posted online, which as far as I know becomes a whole different realm.

So given that risk alone is reason to make sure the Giant is okay with it, in the very least as a courtesy.

Violating copyright law is a civil offense, not a criminal one. In other words, Rich Burlew would have to sue you before you got in trouble.

[WarriorTribble]

Giving it to his brother is redistribution.I'm thinking it's on same level as buying a DVD and watching it with friends in terms of "redistribution."

[Mr._Michael]

If you are doing it on a day to day basis? Write out the translations, and let them see the comic online. I suppose you could do the same thing for the entire 500+ cartoons: use a small notebook, and number each page to correspond to the number of the cartoon online. That way you aren't distributing the comic at all. Click to the next comic, turn the page to the next translation.

And if you DO translate the entire comic, offer it to Rich in case he DOES decide to offer official translations. It would have to be double-checked and such, but half of the work would be done already. That would be a very cool thing to do for Rich...

[Roderick_BR]

Giving it to his brother is redistribution.
And Rich will go to his house and knock on his door.

Seriously, whatever you do at home, no one can do anything about it. If I want to print a page with Belkar yelling "I'm a sexy shoeless god of war" (citation pending) and make paper airplanes with it to throw around at home, after modifying the text, whatever. As long as I don't print it in series to redistribute, or posting the Belkar-Plane online.

[Castamir]

This is where malicious interpretations of the copyright law become outright ridiculous.

You've been listening to MAFIAA's drivel for too long. Just like loading a CD you purchased is 100% legal, translating the comics on your own machine is entirely kosher. You can't post the results anywhere without Rich's permission, but your home is your castle.

There's nothing short of a signed contract that can prevent you from legally modifying any piece of copyrighted work. It's named copyright for a reason. You do own a particular copy of a piece of art -- be that a book you purchased, a flyer that was given away or a jpg of a comic kindly distributed by Rich. You can burn the book, delete the comic from your browser cache or draw a moustache on the flyer to your heart's content. You can modify it but not copy to others.

I do have a big printout of #300b (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html) hanging over my desk. Do I need to pay anyone because of that? No way. Can I make posters and distribute them around? No.

[NerfTW]

Indeed. Despite what the RIAA wants people to believe, there are reasonable limits to "redistribution". Your younger brother who lives with you, and essentially has access to everything you own, is not redistributing.

Plus, as pointed out, it's a civil matter, not criminal, and therefore Rich would have to be bothered to go after this, as opposed to, say, the newspaper that used an image of Belkar to advertise an article last week.

[nagora]

Okay... first of all, i havnt been able to find a contact mail adress, thats why im posting and asking here...
second... the Q is perhaps answered in the FAQ section... :smallredface:

but....

I have some younger siblings that cant read english yet. may i translate the stripes and print them so they can read it anyway? it will not go on a webpage, or anything else then in a stack in the kids room...

i would really like an answer, before i do anything wrong... :smalleek:

I think its sad they have to wait 3-4 years to be able to enjoy the comics... so far i have read them out load in our native language, but even tho i love the stripes, i dont wanna use all the time i read new content, with my siblings on my back, bugging me to tell them what it says... :smallwink:

Yes, even in America it's legal. Distribute to the public and you're in big trouble, though.

[nybbler]

This is where malicious interpretations of the copyright law become outright ridiculous.
[...]
I do have a big printout of #300b (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html) hanging over my desk. Do I need to pay anyone because of that? No way. Can I make posters and distribute them around? No.

Copyright law is malicious. You infringed copyright by making that big printout, and if the Giant has registered his copyright, you could be liable for $100,000 in statutory damages.

If you put copyrighted images on your web page, not only are you liable for the violation, but everyone who goes to your page is too (even though they didn't know it was there -- copyright violation is strict liability).

(Disclaimer, I'm not a lawyer, don't play one on the net, and would love to go Belkar on copyright persecution lawyers)

[Taznia]

thanks for all the answers!

I did get some usefulll answers... but unfortuantly im still nt sure what to do... its seems lile its kind of a borderline sitation... :smalleek:

I didnt manege to find a mail adress or a contact link or anything, so that i could write and ask Rick... :smallsigh:

I will put it on hold till i can get a straight answer... :mitd:

If anyone knows how to get a question to Rick... ?

Well... i would like to send an officiel request... :smallbiggrin:

And I will ofc. offer the translation for Rick...

well... Big smiles everyone for the quick answers!

-Taznia

[Mr._Michael]

I would think it was easy enough to contact Rich through these forums; he posts here as "The Giant". Just click on his profile (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=14856), and send him a 'Private Message'. I can't tell you whether he'll read it today or next month (Rich is a busy guy, with LOTS of people sending him messages) but that is a valid way to contact him.

If you put the phrase "Copyright Question - Request Permission" you'll have a fine chance at getting his attention! :)

[strayth]

Giving it to his brother is redistribution.

He can legally do this.

Save the file and modify for your younger siblings all you want. Just don't throw it on any websites, simple as that.

And Nybbler's wrong too, etc. If someone displays an image you can print it just fine. You just can't claim credit or sell it.

For more on copyright and violations, visit http://www.loc.gov, and I believe http://www.copyright.org.

[Irbis]

You know, I'm reading this and I don't know if people in this thread are bored so they try to begin a flame or simply listened for too long to MPAA/RIAA and other such groups spewing bull**** because it suits them - bull**** that has nothing to do with how an actual copyright law works, but with one they wish to force on people.

Have you heard about a little section labelled 'exemption from said law'?

Even Rich himself is using one specific clause [allowing him to use D&D copyrighted material as his comic is a parody, so he can legally do that] from these exemptions.

Seriously, how can anyone actually THINK that giving something to your family is piracy? Are you RIAA workers? He can legally give his translations to every single person in his family and to all his friends and it still [B]won't be a copyright issue. In fact, in sane countries [I don't know how it is in the US in these MPAA days, but here and in all neighbors it is the case] he can make backup copies of any dvd, book, cd or basically anything he owns and lend them to anyone he wants, altered or not, as long as he is not profiting from it in any way and people involved are close.

Next time someone will probably tell me that I'm a pirate because I lend two dvd's to my girlfriend and because I ripped two dozen mp3's from cd's I legally own to listen to at work :smallmad:

[chibibar]

ok... DVD example is bad.

If you read the DVD copyright, you are GIVEN right to watch with your friends in YOUR own home, but if you look up the law, you cannot bring it to your friend's house who has a theater seating and watch it there (technically) but no one is gonna sue you on that EXCEPT if your friend is charging entrance fee.. then it is a whole different story.

As per comic, the following is my PERSONAL advice on the matter. It does NOT reflect Rich's view, but does cover the rules he already stated.

1. Printing out the comic and translating them is ok for your brothers (gray area)
2. Once translated, you CANNOT repost them on a website, distribute to your friends (outside of your home) or rescan them on to your PC for anyone. The reason is that, the moment it is in electronic form, it is too easy to be leaked and such then you get into trouble.

Personally.... I highly suggest that you do NOT make the actual translation, but let your brother read them in the original format and have a handy dictionary nearby. This is a good way to learn another language :)

[Penquin47]

Chibibar - depends what level their English is at. For beginning and even some intermediate language learners, trying to read a chunk of text like, for example, Celia's closing argument at the trial, is a headache inducing nightmare. If you're only able to understand a third of the words, and you have to look up two-thirds... by the time you've sorted out all the words, you've lost the meaning of the sentence. By the time you've made it through the first three speech bubbles, you're mentally exhausted.

For advanced and high advanced learners, reading it in English is a great idea. But from the sound of the OP, his siblings aren't there yet.

[factotum]

for example, Celia's closing argument at the trial, is a headache inducing nightmare.

Bad example...English is my first language and I found that block of text a headache inducing nightmare. :smallsmile:

[Irbis]

If you read the DVD copyright, you are GIVEN right to watch with your friends in YOUR own home, but if you look up the law, you cannot bring it to your friend's house who has a theater seating and watch it there (technically) but no one is gonna sue you on that EXCEPT if your friend is charging entrance fee.. then it is a whole different story.

Except, you know, most of copyright shown in the beginning of the movie when you insert the DVD is an outright lie intended to scary the people. The can write that by inserting that DVD you just sold your soul to Satan and it will have no legal effect whatsoever. None!

The only thing that matters is the law of the country you are in and somehow in not a single country the law actually does have the things they write in their scary legal threats.

Not to mention that adding such threats and various dvd-checks, regional codes, etc. to the movie you legally bought in such a way so you cannot skip it when the first thing pirates do is to remove them only makes honest people getting far worse thing than a pirate [and makes the life of pirate that much easier].


1. Printing out the comic and translating them is ok for your brothers (gray area)
2. Once translated, you CANNOT repost them on a website, distribute to your friends (outside of your home) or rescan them on to your PC for anyone. The reason is that, the moment it is in electronic form, it is too easy to be leaked and such then you get into trouble.

Nope, he can do both of these things as long as he is not redistributing them to strangers. There is a little thing called fair use - he can scan them, edit, print, rescan, delete, even make a little paper airplanes for his brother to play with.


Personally.... I highly suggest that you do NOT make the actual translation, but let your brother read them in the original format and have a handy dictionary nearby. This is a good way to learn another language

Yep, unless he is too young to actually use it. But, well, then he would be too young to get most of the fun that is OotS.

[Taznia]

Personally.... I highly suggest that you do NOT make the actual translation, but let your brother read them in the original format and have a handy dictionary nearby. This is a good way to learn another language :)

I would happily do that... only problem beeing that 1 is absolut beginner in english (something like: My name is... bla bla bla.. im an bla bla years old etc.)

The other one can say Yes/no/thank you.... and thats about it.

So... for reading it themself in english is kind of impossible... :smalleek:

I know that some of the good twisted jokes will blow a bit, or change radikal if they need the same meening AND beeing funny...

But so far its gooing to work i think... only thing im REALLY worried about, is.. hmm stribe 13??? where they have an argue about spell/ spelled and level... :smalleek: That is the challenge im most nervous about :smallcool: hehe

And about beeing to young to get the fun in OoTS...
they get most of it; beeing breeded as roleplayers :thog:

Seriously... nothing is as fun as watching kids playing PnP, trying to play a drunken dwarf... and for larp, small kids DO make the best goblins :biggrin:

[Yoritomo Himeko]

While I honestly can't see The Giant having a problem with what you're doing, you should just ask him for the sake of courtesy.

The Giant only has a problem with people using his artwork, comics, and characters for other people's projects.