Couple of questions about copyright/use of ideas on Achaea

Aalm

Hi there. I just had a couple questions on this topic. I tried to reach Tecton about something else recently, but he seemed busy. I hope it's okay that I ask here. I wasn't sure where to put it.

1. Am I free to use content for my own work that is in Achaea that I wrote up myself? (I am talking specifically about the pet dove I created for my character a long time ago.)

2. If it is possible to do this, how can I obtain formal permission to use a couple short things from Achaea itself, (I have something named Dardanel, which is close to the name of Dardanic Plains, and I would like to use the very short dream, that goes something like "Visions of family warm and ethereal, flow through your mind." [I am paraphrasing.]) If this is not possible I will simply delete the said content.

Thanks!

Santar

http://forums.achaea.com/discussion/comment/186621/#Comment_186621

Aalm

Thank you for the link, but that doesn't answer my question. I am asking whether my own stuff is still mine though I put it in the game via making an Achaea pet. Is my own pet still my own property? I need to know if I can use my dove, as I wrote it, for myself, for non-Achaean projects. When I asked Tecton a long time ago he said this wasn't a problem, but this was over a year ago and over an email, and I need to know formally. Less importantly, I also asked how I can go about borrowing a couple very minor in-game things for my own use. I am not writing in an Achaean setting, but rather my own. However, what I am asking is to borrow the ability to paraphrase one sentence of in-game content and use one fairly minor name for my own use. So not very much. If any of this is not to be used, I'd like to know how to go about legally getting the ability to do so.

If somebody can fully answer that, I'd appreciate it.

Xith

1. I would google it. Turns out Dardanic is Iron Realms' invention. But I think the real question is whether you intend to profit from it, and how much.
If you make $50 from a book that owes its success to a cool name like "Dardanic", I guess IRE could theoretically sue for copyright infringement if any exists, but I doubt they'd find it profitable unless your book made like $500,000. 

It's irrelevant in this case because you're using "Dardanel" which is not "Dardanic".
Just like "Mhaldor" is not "Mordor". 
The lake-town "Esgaroth" is not being stolen in "Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill", even though the cool name was appropriated.
Basically as long as you change a letter, you're not in trouble.


2. Your own writing is your own. Achaea wouldn't own stuff you create unless maybe it's part of the lore and made part of the world. But again, ways around that.

3. Google it though, srsly. Achaea itself appropriates a lot of other cultures and deities and mythologies.
The catch here is that while you could create any god named Thoth that you want (because ancient Egypt can't sue you), you can't create a death god named Thoth with the same swords and description and so on, without possibly facing consequences if you profit.

Kresslack

The answer is in the Terms of Service, listed here: http://www.achaea.com/TOS

Specifically, I believe this is the section you'll want:

6. Content and Content Ownership.
The nature of the Services, especially the games portion, is interactive. There exist opportunities to submit a variety of your writings, graphics, art, ideas, text, and other creative or productive products while participating in the Services ("User Content"). When you submit any User Content, you represent and warrant that (i) You have the right to post your User Content. (ii) Your posting of the User Content does not violate anyone else's legal rights. (iii) The User Content will not cause harm to the Services or individual users of the Services. You hereby grant the Company a royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive, sub-licensable, worldwide, irrevocable license to use, alter, publish, distribute, display, or perform any of your User Content in any and all media currently known, or developed in or discovered in the future. You further agree that the Services are composed of software object code, software source code, writings, files, logs, graphics, and other materials owned by the Company. You agree never to interfere with any proprietary rights, copyrights, or trademarks of the Company or any of its licensors. You agree that all data associated with the Services and residing on the Company's servers is owned exclusively by the Company.

Aalm

Thank you, @Xith and @Kresslack . I think the key point of the TOS is in the third-to-last sentence in the form of "non-exclusive."

If @Tecton or @Sarapis could confirm beyond shadow of doubt, I'd appreciate it.

Sarapis

Yep, if you wrote it as a player covered by our ToS, it's yours to use as much as it is ours, or at least that's how I understand the legalese. I'm not an attorney though, and I'm especially not your attorney or Iron Realms's attorney, so take that with a grain of salt.

Kresslack

On the note of lawyers, now that we've gotten that cleared up, Sarapis reminded me of Jim Carrey's SNL Lincoln commercial skit: