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Is Creating a Game based on Marvel Characters Legal? Pls reply, Official Gdevelop People.

A topic by Crowbar Coder created 5 days ago Views: 138 Replies: 9
Viewing posts 1 to 5
Submitted (3 edits)

I have a question. I have submitted a game based from characters from the Avenger movies. All sounds, drawings, and illustrations are either drawn by myself or in the public domain. Would the  game be considered legal or am I breaking any laws? Would I have to take the game off gd.games after the Game Jam or is it fine? Or would just turning off ad revenue in the game be fine?

Submitted(-1)

I am not Offical GDevelop People but I Think it is only legal if the art was NOT made for the jam on purpose

Submitted

Thanks, but I was meaning is it illegal to make a game based on characters in a movie, like the Avengers, and put it on gd.games. 

Submitted(+1)(-1)

Bro, it's not illegal to break a rule of an online game jam. The cops ain't coming to your house over something like that.

Submitted(-1)

Here, as long as you're not earning a single cent off your game, I'm pretty sure you're fine as long as you disclose it's fan-made. Anything other than that and yeah, I'm pretty sure that copyright infringement.

Submitted(+1)

Thanks for the help! I will turn off ad revenue sharing then so I don't earn anything from my game. But I would still like the official Gdevelop view on this issue please as well.

Jam Host (1 edit)

Unfortunately, the marvel universe IP isn't one you have the right to use, so your game has been disqualified from the jam.

It's still technically in the jam, but it won't be ranked with the other games.

If you want to avoid any IP infringement going forward, I suggest that you re-color/modify your assets and designs enough so they don't resemble marvel characters, and change the name/symbols in your game to not be so clearly about the marvel IP.

__________

You made a neat game for the jam, and I know you thought you were alright if you made the assets yourself, but the "legal right" to use something is often a complicated mix of copyright, trademark, and IP rights. Sorry.

Submitted (4 edits)

thanks for the reply.

 That wasn’t in the game jam rules though?

You mean I cant’t even be rated by the judges? 

I’m so disappointed, I put a lot of work into the game. I understand though about the copyright, that’s why I posted the topic. I was hoping to at least be able to finish the Jam, and then take the game off gd.games. 

Jam Host

It's doesn't specifically say you can't infringe on an existing IP, but we do say that you can't use assets you don't have the legal right to use.

Sorry again, I know you worked hard on it. It's an impressive game for the limited amount of time you had to make it.

Submitted (1 edit)

Thank you.

I did want more gdevelop credits from the Jam.

"sigh"