Visual Novel Renders vs Copyrights

[aggin23]

Hi everyone!

I created a thread about the low-budget start in VN making and got recommended to use 3d live games to make the renders.
My question is how risky is to use heavily moded games like Skyrim/Sims/GTA to make the screenshots for my VN game. The game would be probably hardly recognizable, but you would probably still know which game I used. I wouldn't really care, but I want to create a Patreon or a similar type of support method so I can get money for a better PC, which would allow me to start making my own renders and models. Are there any alternatives to Patreon that are anonymous? Do you have any additional tips?

 

[AnimeKing314]

The alternative to patreon would be subscribestar which is far more lax in rules compared to patreon (still nothing illegal but the do allow loli/shota and incest content). The problem is they tend to want you to post their link on social media and have some arbitrary amount of following before they actually make your page live. Also no platform where you receive money can be completely anonymous (unless you go through bitcoin and/or set up a money laundering process but good fucking luck with that). Honestly though, even if it isn't anonymous you probably don't have anything to worry about unless your game gets a huge following.

 

[Mimir's Lab]

The problem is they tend to want you to post their link on social media and have some arbitrary amount of following before they actually make your page live.

Is this true? I was able to get my Subscribestar account active by having a link to Subscribestar on a YouTube channel with 0 subscribers and no videos. They just had me wrap one of my characters in a Subscribestar logo material to verify that I'm a creator.

 

[aggin23]

Also no platform where you receive money can be completely anonymous

Do you know what kind of verification Patreon requires for withdraws? It's not that hard to create a stealth PayPal acc for that. I have seen a dude using images straight from porn videos and having that game on patreon, I guess if someone starts reporting his profile then they will block the withdrawals and require an ID (which is also easy to fake), am I right?

Also, do you think there is a sense in replacing objects from the game and adding a style to the screens to make them more unrecognizable (something like the screen attached)?

 

[AnimeKing314]

Is this true? I was able to get my Subscribestar account active by having a link to Subscribestar on a YouTube channel with 0 subscribers and no videos. They just had me wrap one of my characters in a Subscribestar logo material to verify that I'm a creator.

I gave several accounts including here and itch as proof and even with a fair number of followers and over 500 downloads they said it wasn't enough then didn't respond when I replied to them.

Do you know what kind of verification Patreon requires for withdraws? It's not that hard to create a stealth PayPal acc for that. I have seen a dude using images straight from porn videos and having that game on patreon, I guess if someone starts reporting his profile then they will block the withdrawals and require an ID (which is also easy to fake), am I right?

At some point though if you want the money in your bank account then you have to provide your banking details and it isn't that hard to follow the money trail. Even if the paypal account and the patreon account aren't actually under your name there will still be a way to link it to you assuming you actually want to use the money.

 

[aggin23]

your banking details

There are several methods to do that, but I would rather avoid that and run the patreon peacefully.

So what about editing the screenshots? Let's say I would replace almost every object besides the characters with a png photo (with rights for commercial use), the chars would be heavily moded anyway and look much different from those in the game.
How would they be able to tell that's a screen from a game and not a drawing with a similar style? There must be a point where they can't do anything to you because they can't prove you used their game?

 

[Jofur]

It's a bit of a legal grey area. I think the developers have a right to disallow you to use their in-game screenshots to make money. At least if their art is show in the screenshots. Fairly certain a few corporations have done that to try and shut down emulators before. If you don't show any of their assets I can't see them caring one bit. I don't think there are any legal precedence over making money using the render tech of a game engine for pictures and art. Only similar thing I can think of is using something like pirated Maya or Photoshop.

Then of course it comes to the actual models themselves, even if they are in-game and mods, the creator still holds the copyright to those models. So technically you would need the permission of the nude body creator to make money of their work. Fortunately I don't think most corporations(and especially modders) care. I've seen plenty of games use Sims 4 or Honey Select for graphics.

If you want to be 100% sure, do it in Blender or DAZ, or don't monetize it. But if I was you I wouldn't worry either way.

At some point though if you want the money in your bank account then you have to provide your banking details and it isn't that hard to follow the money trail.

Not that I want to encourage tax evasion, but can't you just buy things with paypal directly without ever going through your bank? Granted your shipping address is still a paper trail, if you don't do some shady PO-Box fake address type stuff.

 

[aggin23]

paypal directly without ever going through your bank?

I can always get a Stealth PayPal, buy BTC, and then convert & withdraw it using a BTC ATM or even just go for gift cards like people practicing ewhoring do. The thing is I want to run it just like anyone else, without doing any blackhat moves.

I would definitely use Blender, unfortunately the only thing I got at this moment is a mediocre laptop.

 

[Girm Ork]

I think screenshots are fine if you are not planning to release your game on Steam. The copyright holders own 3D models and animations, but the image was produced by YOUR graphic card, it is not completely their property.

 

[UpAfterTen]

I think screenshots are fine if you are not planning to release your game on Steam. The copyright holders own 3D models and animations, but the image was produced by YOUR graphic card, it is not completely their property.

That's not how copyright works. The goto for this is

You must be registered to see the links

where a sculptor made a sculpture of someone else's photo, was sued, and lost. The same applies to a 3D printing that someone else created, or 3D models that someone else made. The person who made the model has the IP rights to it. It doesn't matter if it was created with your graphics card.

That's why you get a license to use a 3D model someone else created when you buy it on, say, the Daz store. You're paying for the ability to use their intellectual property in your own stuff.

I say this just so OP goes into this with both eyes open. A lot of people fly under the radar because they're not big enough to be noticed by Bethesda/Rockstar/Will Wright, but flying under the radar isn't the same as being totally legal and open to a cease and desist.

Is it likely to happen with someone making a small porn game? Probably not. Is it something that could happen and it's always going to be a Sword of Damocles hanging over whatever you're making? Definitely.

 

[woody554]

another thing about the lawsuits is you're fucked even if you're right and some big company decides to fight you as far as they need to. doesn't even matter if you're the copyright holder. I have a friend who's been locked in a legal fight with a global tech giant for two decades for them stealing his invention. the tech company is even using HIS original blueprints while claiming their product has nothing to do with his, but doesn't matter they're never admitting to it and have billions to fight him legally.

so whatever you do, keep your head down and have a secondary plan.