Quote:
Originally Posted by 0329liuken
I am no legal expert but can they just use PS4 logo and game title and font without permission?
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It's a huge topic and very tricky. It also differs from country to country. Also, I'm no expert myself, but I had some legal lessons on multimedia back when I was doing my bachelor.
I try to compress what I know as much as I can.
You can't use legal protected properties like the ones you described without permission. The same goes for Steelbooks. (Not just the artwork, but also the design. How they are build with their special spine)
Thing is, in many countries, it is allowed to copy them as long as you make them for yourself, or "few" copies for friends, family and such.
However: At the very latest, as soon as money is involved, it is illegal. (The line of when exactly depends on the country, but money involved = you are f**ked)
So every custom sold on eBay is illegal by law and if caught by customs could be destroyed.
But, besides a legal view, there is and should be a moral opinion as well.
If you do a few customs, with your own designs, or even when using someone elses artwork that is diffrent to those used officialy, you are hardly doing any damage to anyone. (it would also be nice to state who the artwork artist is)
On another note: The reason why Let's Players are allowed to do what they do is, they are promoting games for 0 expense of publishers. So they are tolerated, even supported. (This might even change in the future and is the reason why they try to fight for more rights, but that's another topic)
The same could be said for custom steels, reeling in more fish for scanavo.
However, If you go all Fantasybok, dishing out higher quantities and copying designs that were used officially by Scanavo, that will probably hurt them.
Personally, I have no problem with customs and bought one for FF7R myself. (not a fantasybok
)
As long as these guys sell a few, with their own or at least not officially available designs, I don't see any harm done. (Especially since the creative industry can be pretty unfair towards artists)
I do have a problem with the following criterias:
- Mass production
- copying an official design (from an available steelbook, futurepak or what ever)
- disguising the fact of it being custom. Not just giving no mention of it in the auction, but also or especially selling high value steels in sealed condition. (Bloodborne for example) Our only method of exposing fantasyboks is due to their inlay. If you can't see that before you buy, it's bad. And it get's even worse if you are a sealed collector and learn about it years later, maybe when trading it for something else.
Off Topic fun fact: In germany, if you take a picture with your smartphone, it's your photo and you own all rights to it (with some restrictions in relation to privacy)
It is similar in many countries. However, if you take a photo of the Eiffel Tower in paris, you get jack shit. The owner of the tower gets most rights instead. This is one of few crazy exceptions that are getting more and more.