Ask HN: Legality of using artwork from GPL-ed games

2 points by buggy_code 17 years ago | 3 comments

I realize you guys aren't lawyers, but I want to see if any if you have dealt with this before.

Here's what I am considering doing: I want to use the art work from GPL-ed games, and I don't want to distribute my source code under the GPL.

Here's what I'm considering doing:

* write my iPhone game (not releasing it's source)

* when run, my iPhone game contacts the debian (or source forge) servers; downloads the corresponding .tar.gz or .deb

* my iPhone game then extracts the art work + boots up and runs the game

* this artwork, of course, will then be cached on the phone for future uses

I'm thinking of doing something similar for desktop games too.

1) has anyone tried this? 2) has anyone considered this? 3) before I pay expensive lawyer fees -- is this clearly legal or clearly against the GPL?

thanks!

asciilifeform 17 years ago |

> * write my iPhone game (not releasing it's source)

> * when run, my iPhone game contacts the debian (or source forge) servers; downloads the corresponding .tar.gz or .deb

...

> is this clearly legal or clearly against the GPL

It is clearly against the spirit of the GPL. Do you really want the negative publicity of being a parasite, even within the letter of the law?

makecheck 17 years ago |

Seems to be summed up by 2(b) in the GPL:

    You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in
    whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
    part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
    parties under the terms of this License.

That suggests you need to GPL your application to use art from a GPL'd game.

demallien 17 years ago |

Why go through all of the angst? Most people find it too hard to put pirated stuff on their iPhones, so why don't you just GPL and release your own source code? It's highly unlikely that you have some amazing new algorithms hiding in there that no-one else has thought of...

I've been thinking quite a bit about this myself, and for my current project, that's exactly what I'm going to do.