YARG Licensing (Yargcensing?)

I am not really too well-versed in legal stuff. All I know is that, at the end of the day, I own the copyright to YARG.

However, I obviously want people to be inspired by my work, or to take it and improve it, or whatever. That's why I left all of the game's files out in the open.

I just don't know how to go about it in a "proper" way.

So these are guidelines for the things I will (and will not) allow involving other people using the YARG name and... 'brand'...

Hopefully all of this is OK.

Merch

  1. If you're an individual (and not a business or a company or representing one), you can sell YARG merch (shirts, stickers, zines?, whatever) as long as you 1. make it clear that it isn't official and 2. it isn't mass-produced, either by yourself or through an online store (all of the Redbubbles of the world...)..
  2. I reserve the right to stop the sale of any unofficial item (I don't intend on exercising this right, unless you do something truly awful).
  3. If I ever release official merch, please don't bootleg it. This isn't a "rule" rule but it might fall under Rule II if it's particularly bad.
  4. No NFTs or other such crypto nonsense, please.

Mods

  1. If your mod is free, you can publish it anywhere :except Steam.
  2. If your mod is paid or accepts donations, you can publish it anywhere you can a free mod, as well as Steam if you shoot me an e-mail and I give you the OK.
  3. You must make it clear that your mod is unofficial. Don't call it "YARG 2" or whatever.
  4. Only distribute your mod files!!! Don't distribute the YARG exe, or any raw assets (like the music or sprite sheets ripped from the game or stuff like that).

Music

  1. Don't resell the music from the game.

Misc.

  1. Fan-games fall under all of the same rules as mods, with the exception that they cannot be sold under any circumstance.
  2. Any of this is subject to change at any point without prior warning.
  3. Obviously, gameplay videos and livestreams are OK.
  4. If you thought of something that isn't here and want to know if it's alright, or if you have any questions, shoot me an email at santumdev (at) gmail (dot) com. Chances are, if you're an individual and don't have an eeeeeeevil plan to Get Rich Quick™ with the game, I'll allow it!

Final notes: I try to be permissive and allow people to be compensated for their hard work. But please, don't abuse any of this.

If I find people doing things I'm uncomfortable with, or which infringe my copyright in some flagrant way, I'll have to lock things up more and more.

That's bad for everyone. So please, don't do that.

 

 

 

 

Piracy addendum: If you don't have the money to buy YARG, but really, really wanna play it... you have my blessing to torrent it from somewhere, on the conditions that you try to spread the word about it, and aren't a cybercafe or something. I'd also appreciate it if you bought it once you can afford to. <3

:x Except Steam

To upload something to Steam, you have to pay a fee. Because of Rule IV (which has to be there to avoid people republishing my game), people have to buy YARG before they can play your mod.

I don't think it's fair for you, as a mod maker, to have to spend money in order to publish your mod somewhere. Especially because, if people want to play your mod, they'll have to give me money. It just doesn't feel right to me.

If your mod is paid, however, you might be able to recoup the fee, and there's no problems there. In that case, your work is being properly compensated.

All of this being said, if you fully insist on making your mod free, and are fully comfortable with spending the Steam Direct fee, send me an e-mail and we might be able to discuss it.

(c) Santum

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