Let's talk Copyright for Workshop assets.

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Since copywriting is a huge deal in creative works, I want some clear information regarding copywriting for the Workshop.

So can I copy protect concepts under my name, will Valve have an issue with it? Or will it be registered as "their" assets? What I do know is that Valve copywrites our work once accepted in the game (if I'm not mistaken).

Any other information provided will be helpful for everyone that's in the dark.

AndrewHelenek

The second you submit your design to the workshop valve gains all of the rights. You loose everything, it isn't 'yours' anymore.

AlecMoody

FWIW copyright is just a means to formalize the rights you automatically have to your creative works. It's a public record so people can't dispute who created the work - it makes litigation easier.

The second you submit your design to the workshop valve gains all of the rights. You loose everything, it isn't 'yours' anymore.

Where in the eula or workshop agreement does it explicitly state that?

GhostDetector

AlecMoody wrote: »

FWIW copyright is just a means to formalize the rights you automatically have to your creative works. It's a public record so people can't dispute who created the work - it makes litigation easier.



Where in the eula or workshop agreement does it explicitly state that?

I think what he means is, once the item goes in game you have no right to pull it out of the market. You will no longer be able to use that asset to make money elsewhere. You can still say that you made it and all but you no longer have any hold on the intellectual property.

You grant to Valve the following rights, which Valve may exercise or not in its sole discretion:
a.You grant to Valve a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, assignable right and license to (a) use, copy, distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, modify, and create derivative works from Your Contribution in any media, (b) identify you as the source of the Contribution, and (c) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

Legal Agreement- <it justs loads a blank page for me for some odd reason but I found a forum thread that contains the "rights" section

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Thanks guys, it's all clear now.

GhostDetector

Here is the entire section if anyone was wondering

6. USER GENERATED CONTENT

A. General Provisions

"User Generated Content" means any content you make available to other users through your use of multi-user features of Steam, or to Valve or its affiliates through your use of the Software or otherwise.

You grant Valve and its affiliates the non-exclusive, irrevocable right to use, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from, distribute, transmit, broadcast, and otherwise communicate, and publicly display and publicly perform, your User Generated Content, and derivative works of your User Generated Content, in connection with the operation and promotion of the Steam site. If you use Valve cloud storage, you grant us a license to store your information as part of that service. We may place limits on the amount of storage you may use.

If you provide Valve with any feedback or suggestions about Steam, the Software, or any Valve products or services, Valve is free to use the feedback or suggestions however it chooses, without any obligation to account to you.

B. Content Uploaded to the Steam Workshop

Some games or applications available on Steam ("Workshop-Enabled Apps") allow you to create User Generated Content based on or using the Workshop-Enabled App, and to submit that User Generated Content (a “Workshop Contribution”) to one or more Steam Workshop web pages. Workshop Contributions can be viewed by the Steam community, and for some categories of Workshop Contributions users may be able to interact with, download or purchase the Workshop Contribution. In some cases, Workshop Contributions may be considered for incorporation by Valve or a third-party developer into a game or into a Subscription Marketplace.

You understand and agree that Valve is not obligated to use, distribute, or continue to distribute copies of any Workshop Contribution and reserves the right, but not the obligation, to restrict or remove Workshop Contributions for any reason.

Specific Workshop-Enabled Apps or Workshop web pages may contain special terms (“App-Specific Terms”) that supplement or change the terms set out in this Section. In particular, where Workshop Contributions are distributed for a fee, App-Specific Terms will address how revenue may be shared. Unless otherwise specified in App-Specific Terms (if any), the following general rules apply to Workshop Contributions.

Workshop Contributions are Subscriptions, and therefore you agree that any Subscriber receiving distribution of your Workshop Contribution will have the same rights to use your Workshop Contribution (and will be subject to the same restrictions) as are set out in this Agreement for any other Subscriptions.
Notwithstanding the license described in Section 6.A., Valve will only have the right to modify or create derivative works from your Workshop Contribution in the following cases: (a) Valve may make modifications necessary to make your Contribution compatible with Steam and the Workshop functionality or user interface, and (b) Valve or the applicable developer may make modifications to Workshop Contributions that are accepted for in-Application distribution as it deems necessary or desirable to enhance gameplay.
You may, in your sole discretion, choose to remove a Workshop Contribution from the applicable Workshop pages. If you do so, Valve will no longer have the right to use, distribute, transmit, communicate, publicly display or publicly perform the Workshop Contribution, except that (a) Valve may continue to exercise these rights for any Workshop Contribution that is accepted for distribution in-game or distributed in a manner that allows it to be used in-game, and (b) your removal will not affect the rights of any Subscriber who has already obtained access to a copy of the Workshop Contribution.
Except where otherwise provided in App-Specific Terms, you agree that Valve’s consideration of your Workshop Contribution is your full compensation, and you are not entitled to any other rights or compensation in connection with the rights granted to Valve and to other Subscribers.

C. Representations and Warranties

You represent and warrant to us that you have sufficient rights in all User Generated Content to grant Valve and other affected parties the licenses described under A. and B. above or in any license terms specific to the applicable Workshop-Enabled App or Workshop page. This includes, without limitation, any kind of intellectual property rights or other proprietary or personal rights affected by or included in the User Generated Content. In particular, with respect to Workshop Contributions, you represent and warrant that the Workshop Contribution was originally created by you (or, with respect to a Workshop Contribution to which others contributed besides you, by you and the other contributors, and in such case that you have the right to submit such Workshop Contribution on behalf of those other contributors).

You furthermore represent and warrant that the User Generated Content, your submission of that Content, and your granting of rights in that Content does not violate any applicable contract, law or regulation.

Edit: So you can actually pull your item from sale however valve isn't obliged to recall the items that have been already distributed.

(b) your removal will not affect the rights of any Subscriber who has already obtained access to a copy of the Workshop Contribution.]

AlecMoody

You grant to Valve the following rights, which Valve may exercise or not in its sole discretion:
a.You grant to Valve a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, assignable right and license to (a) use, copy, distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, modify, and create derivative works from Your Contribution in any media, (b) identify you as the source of the Contribution, and (c) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

You are licensing valve your content in perpetuity but they do not own the content. You lose no rights and you can still use it for another game if you wanted. This is very different than if you make content under something like a work for hire agreement where you never own any rights to your creations.

GhostDetector

@alec

You're right. Contributors do own the item but once it is out in the market, Valve is not obliged to recall the items that have been distributed. Meaning you can't file any action against Valve if you want the item in another game exclusively.

Also, Valve can sublicense the item to other people meaning you aren't in charge of your contribution.

(c) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.