Policy Question: Posting the Work of Others

[daglob]

I want to post two skins, one that goes on a Johnny Patches mesh, the other on a hex by someone named Sceptre. I've sent Johnny Patches a PM asking for permission to post his mesh, but neither of the Sceptre's listed in the members has been active in almost five years. This situation has come up before, and I just changed the skin to fit another mesh.

This time I thought I'd ask: what is the policy on posting someone elses' work? If I post Sceptre's mesh, I will include the readme file that came with it, as well as referencing it in my own readme file. Is this permissable, or do I need to start changing the skin?

[Vertex]

Well, I'm a mesher not a skinner but I'd say you're on the right track already.

I'd say standard practice is and should be the following:
1. include original readme of original creator if possible
2. state in your readme that your "skin" is just a refit of the other person's work
3. Attempt to get permission IF it is not already stated clearly in their readme .. or somewhere else.
4. If you post preview pics in the forum, AND you have done any work other than merely refitting.. post a pic of how it looked before you altered and after to show what you truly did.


With all that done I really don't think anybody would have any complaints about altering existing material... UNLESS it is stated that the person does not want their work edited and re-released in any fashion.. in such case.. honestly enjoy what you did and keep it to yourself.

[Podmark]

I want to post two skins, one that goes on a Johnny Patches mesh, the other on a hex by someone named Sceptre. I've sent Johnny Patches a PM asking for permission to post his mesh, but neither of the Sceptre's listed in the members has been active in almost five years. This situation has come up before, and I just changed the skin to fit another mesh.

This time I thought I'd ask: what is the policy on posting someone elses' work? If I post Sceptre's mesh, I will include the readme file that came with it, as well as referencing it in my own readme file. Is this permissable, or do I need to start changing the skin?

I'm not sure I'm following right so please correct me if I'm wrong:

You've made two skins.
One goes on a mesh by Johnny Patches.
The other on a hex by Sceptre.
Neither mesh is available online.
You want to know if you can put the meshes online although you can't contact Sceptre to ask if it's ok.

Is that right.

Johnny is easy to contact so that will be fine.
You mention that Sceptre's work is a hex. Who's mesh is it a hex of? If it's someone from the no hex list then that's an automatic no.

[daglob]

It's called Male Basic Glasses, and is a hex of Beyonder's Male Longjacket Effects. It has no wings, so he should have no problem with it being hexed. What I may do is get the mesh and Scope it myself, so that it will be my hex. I'd still like to know what the policy would be should I come up with a situation where that is not feasable.

[Podmark]

It's called Male Basic Glasses, and is a hex of Beyonder's Male Longjacket Effects. It has no wings, so he should have no problem with it being hexed. What I may do is get the mesh and Scope it myself, so that it will be my hex. I'd still like to know what the policy would be should I come up with a situation where that is not feasable.

Yeah the male_longjacket is hex/skopable. And that combination is easy to achieve, if you need help doing it let me know.

Honestly, I'm not sure what the policy is for releasing unavailable meshes is. Obviously the creator would be the one to ask but in the case of those we can't contact I'd check the readme. Otherwise I might assume don't release but that potentially undermines every mod and skin that has been made.

Hexes are an odd issue. They're modifications of existing meshes, so I don't know what rights the hexer really has.

[GogglesPizanno]

I think if you are releasing a currently unavailable mesh (yet one that was available at some point in time -- as you indicated it had a read me) without any alteration or modification, just a new skin for it, it shouldn't be an issue in my mind as long as you keep the read me's and any other original files intact in the download.

Unless it obviously uses pieces or meshes that were deemed non-skopeable by the original creators and that's why it is no longer available....