Writing DM Clone for Android. Some questions.

[cicobuff]

Hi, I'm doing a port of DM to the Android platform.
Basically I will be releasing it as a free and open-sourced (after some code clean up ).
But I am wondering if there will be any copyright issues if I use the images on the original DM? If so, who do I write to for permission?

Am wondering if anyone where can shed some light on the copyright issues I may face.

[Gambit37]

You can't give away someone else's work for free without their permission.

But.... Paul Stevens has done exactly this with CSBWin and had some contact with FTL about it. He can tell you what you can get away with.

[Paul Stevens]

Sorry. I remember no contact with FTL. Failing to make
contact was probably the best thing that happened.
So I proceeded with the idea that if anyone complained
then I would pull back, apologize, and ask everyone to
get their graphics from some other source.

[Gambit37]

Oh, I thought FTL had asked you to at least credit the original team or something? I must be thinking of Christophe and the Encyclopaedia.

I guess the quote by computer scientist Grace Hopper applies here: "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission."

[Paul Stevens]

Yes. I remember something like that now. It was
the macintosh version, I believe. CSBwin initially
had credits for the original developers. But I
think that the fellow who developed the macintosh
version had said something about 'public domain' that
attracted the attention of someone. We were politely
asked to avoid such phrases.

[cicobuff]

Thanks for the replies.

@Stevens: Is there an email I could write to?

I guess I'll take your approach and credit the original team and everyone else. Is anyone raise a holler, I'll just pull it out. But it'll probably mean that I have to forgo hosting it in android market upon release and host it myself. Anyways it'll be a couple of weeks more before a release can be made.

[Paul Stevens]

@Stevens: Is there an email I could write to?

None known to me.

[Gambit37]

I guess I'll take your approach and credit the original team and everyone else. Is anyone raise a holler, I'll just pull it out. But it'll probably mean that I have to forgo hosting it in android market upon release and host it myself. Anyways it'll be a couple of weeks more before a release can be made.

Doing a fun not-for-profit port is one thing; releasing it in a marketplace environment, for free or other wise, is quite something else and the copyright holders would definitely take notice of that. You'll definitely have to host this yourself in a low key way.

Regarding an FTL email: you'd need to speak to Wayne Holder. But no-one here knows his email, and even if they did and you managed to write to him, he doesn't respond to DM enquiries. If he wants to get in touch with you, he will.

[Jan]

If he wants to get in touch with you, he will.

Or his lawyer.

[Sophia]

the copyright holders would definitely take notice of that
...
he doesn't respond to DM enquiries.

Ah, how I long for the good old days of 20 year copyrights...

[Gambit37]

20 years? I thought USA had always been 95 years from initial publication?

[Paul Stevens]

Fron the Copyright Office

As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first.

[Sophia]

Hey, I said they were the old days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Act_of_1790

Practically speaking, nowadays, the length of copyright in the USA is the amount of time that it has been since the cartoon Steamboat Willie was made.

[Gambit37]

Ah, right, I thought you were referring to "old days" within your own lifetime

[Sleepless]

Any news about DM for Android? I would really like to play the greatest game ever on my Galaxy S.

What can you say about this site, http://kenai.com/projects/adungeonmaster. Looks like something I'm looking for but cannot see if it works or not.