This is a guess but I think "Moroblivion" is "Morrowind" "Oblivion" and maybe somebody tried to converge the two and got sued.

It's a port of Morrowind to Oblivion, but it requires you actually have Morrowind installed (it has a program to convert all the NIFs and esms, even some esps). I still don't fully understand what the problem is since they don't give you Morrowind or Oblivion to download, only the program to convert it (which is automated).

The problem is that some of the assets being converted aren't owned by bethesda, so they can't publicly allow it to exist because it allows the transferring of one games assets to another. Which is why this mod is also not allowed.

A humorous observation to me is the little outcry for "theft" this would (and has gotten), but if it was a modder's work being stolen everyone would grab their pitchforks and torches. B)

Yes, but you must have all the stuff on your computer to begin with. If someone wanted to port my meshes from, say, Oblivion to Fallout 3 for their own amusemant, then that's fine by me. As long as the end product isn't redistributed, then I really don't understand the need. I know it's tied up with copyright law and such, so that's why it needs to be there, but morally, I honestly can't figure out why it's wrong.

I've contacted him and this was his response:

damn... i gotta download it before its taken off nexus lol.

I think its gone already

so did he release the mod? if possible can you pm me and tell me if he released it and if it has been removed.

no, he hasn't released it yet.

Some people have selective reading. It's like selective hearing, but in text.

he said he is also going to upload it to alternate places like facepunch studios (since they dont have a rule for model ripped mods considering what they are also doing with models from fallout 3) rpgbananna, and esnips.com

In copyright theory, why it's wrong is that the assets that aren't owned or were liscensed by bethesda for morrowind will be distributed into oblivion, which isn't part of the contract. If you make a game, and have a contract with me to make a tree for that game, but then later allow my tree to be used in another game, I can sue you because you allowed the misuse of my product and breach of contract. That's obviously an extreme lamens and fairly poor example, but the IP laws are boring and no one actually cares about them.

So it's basically the same crap the record companies are shovelling only here uploads just get deleted instead of people getting arrested. Gotcha.

I just want to make sure that you know I'm seriously not trying to be a jerk; I'm genuinely curious as to how this all plays out. I'm not a law student and have only studied the basics of law required in University, so I don't know all the fine print and what have you. I know the record companies use some contractual loophole or somesuch to say they still own content even if it's on your computer--that by buying it, you're really only 'renting' it for use and aren't allowed to make copies for any reason whatsoever. I don't see this type of behavior in the videogame industry; heck, the mere fact that I bought Fallout 3 online (Steam) can attest to this.

I'm just wondering that if it's all on my computer and stays on my computer, if it's legally incorrect to piddle with it as much as I like. Case in piont: I converted the Flame Atronach mesh from Morrowind to Oblivion for my own use (nobody else has this mesh, it is unique to my computer) and know for a fact at least two of the Bethesda devs have been to my website and no doubt saw screenshots of this, as well as my posting screenshots in the various screenshot threads. Nobody ever said anything to me about it. Granted, I don't really play Oblivion anymore, but I still have that mesh (which, mind you, is the first mesh I ever put in Oblivion back in the early days of mesh importing when it was a nightmare.. that mesh is horrid technically and has awful rigging). This is something I made for myself and never planned to redistribute it (in fact, I edited it some so it more closely resembled the character I was making it into), so is it wrong for me to have something like this?

Technically you're not allowed to do that, as that is not what those models were intended to be used for and you don't own them, you're just allowed to use them under a licenses. Loopholes aside, personal use is personal use and fortunately for us, we don't live in an orwellian dystopia and no one actually cares that much. Morroblivion is a tool that allows and helps people to misuse those assets under liscense, so it's not allowed here. No one got sued, they just asked for it to be taken down.


The music industry is a different beast, and there are many loopholes on the user side as well, but that's a discussion that'd be more appropriate for derailing another unrelated thread. B)

For what it's worth, I think 99% of digital rights management is pointless, but I understand the want to protect your property. It's just the way it's handled is a bit silly, imo.


back OT:
That suit sure is nice.

This topic a little old, but I'd thought I ressurect it in reference to a a legal issue question:

I've heard from people from time to time that for an artistic endeavor, you can use assets, images, whatever from someone else provided it is sufficiently modfied into something "substantially" different. For instance, if an artist were go google image searching, and took 20 copywritted images, pulled them into photoshop and collaged them all, manupulating each one a little bit, and made something "new" out of it, I don't think they could be in any legal trouble. They can even sell the result as orignal artwork if they wanted.

If it was illegal, would it then be illgeal to cut advetising images out of a magazine and make a collage? Would be it illegal to photograph a copywrighted object and sell it as artwork?

Now take this nano suit from Crysis. What if the author were to load up the original model in one viewer, and piece by piece replicate the entire mesh from either scratch or by copying bits and pices across and reassembling it. Maybe they change the color, the alpha maps, adjust proportions, whatever. The point of all of this, is that I don't really see how a company could claim ownership over an asset AFTER it has been manipulated, converted, reworked, and tweaked to work for a different platform.

At the end of the day, company's should remember that imitiation is often the best form of flattery. And unless someone's makng money from your original work, all its doing is raising awareness and visibility. If I really like crysis nano armor in Fallout3, maybe it will inspire me to go buy crysis, no?

RELEASED!

http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=965612&st=0#entry13949260.