I have created a program that can convert pixel art images into useful sprite sheets. Those arts are not free but i dont have possibility to pay for them. And my game wont be published to any online trade markets like steam. and will only have subscription support like for example patreon. Will I have any problems with this?
Is it ok to steal an pixel art?
- Thread starter zetsuboy
- Start date
- Jan 21, 2022
- 8,674
- 16,720
if you put them on a platform to earn money, if the copyright holders find out or someone reports you - the platform will investigate. If they find you are infringing on copyrights, they will remove your account.
Yes.
Not only can you account be removed.
Depending on how far the author of the art is willing to go.
He may press charges and take you to court for "damages & lost revenues etc"
So you may end up having to pay a hefty fine for breaking dmca etc laws + having to compensate the author.
Is it worth taking the chance ?
And then we have the moral part.
Dont try to earn money on other's work.
Use the work as a learning tool, use it as a resource for expanding your knowledge but dont use it in any public scenarios to make $..
Make your own art. or use AI to help with it or get a 2D artist involved who knows pixel art
Robin Hood disagrees
But yea i in general agree with this. there is a big difference between dl a pirated software from a big firm and stealing an artists work who just tries to getby.
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- Feb 9, 2018
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There is a huge difference between taking someone's stuff to make it part of your own or using a product without paying for it. While the latter is legally as bad as the former, it counts as a mild form compared to the former. Edit: This is how having drugs up to a certain amount is counted as 'for self-usage' while exceeding this qualifies as 'intend to distribute'.Robin Hood disagrees
But yea i in general agree with this. there is a big difference between dl a pirated software from a big firm and stealing an artists work who just tries to getby.
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Not only that. if you take someones work and edit it. it may be considered as derived work that may not fall under fair usage, or you didn't have permission to edit the work.
However this is a bit of a gray area, as what can be called derived work vs inspired by?.
example. if you started with a blank canvas and made something that looks like the art you where "inspired" by.
Mostly everything to day is some sort of derived work in some form.
If you dont get caught is what matters. Plenty of devs who made bank stealing rpg maker tilesets (paid or from existing games) back then.
Ok i got you guys. I will try to modify assets as much as possible. Or try to buy officially but it's complicated cause i live in a most sanctioned country.