Trans-Pacific Partnership and Video Games

[HakuroDK]

Okay, so this is a very scary topic I just discovered through Jim Sterling's YouTube. I am not 100% sure if it applies to us here in the RPG Maker community, but I figured I would share it so as to pass the information around and combat this.

Below is a detailed description of what is going on.

 

[EternalShadow]

Problem is - because the reach of these implications are so broad, it boils down to a "arrest everyone" kind of thing, which of course is impossible. 

My best guess is it will only really be used to, for example, extend jail sentences for already-arrested/implicated people that commit a different crime if evidence of such is found.

For example, if someone hosts pirated games on their server or something and is found and arrested, then their computer searched and modding tools are also found, this could add onto the sentence.

Still worrying, though as it means if this does actually go ahead as-is, prisons will be even more overcrowded.

 

[HakuroDK]

What I find chilling about this is he part about "whistle-blowers" and games journalists who could face jailtime for doing their jobs.

 

[Clord]

Don't they understand that they just end up hurting their own business with oppressive stuff like this?


If a human history has proven something over and over again, oppression doesn't work that well in a long run.

 

[Hoppy]

Billions can die from this trade agreement, it's needs not pass, not to mention destroy international business for good.

 

[Clord]

It has already started to crumble even before being implemented.


Japan already backed out of it due the public outcry.

 

[Hoppy]

It has already started to crumble even before being implemented.

Japan already backed out of it due the public outcry.

TPP would destroy their agricultural sector for good, and Japan has a huge agricultural lobby that can be compared to the US oil lobby.

 

[Seacliff]

Does anyone remember the 'Anime and Manga Guardians' group that striked a pose last year? They claimed to stop all piracy for Anime and manga.

What happened? A simple anime streaming/downloading site got shut down... for two weeks. Then everything practically stopped there.

Needless to say, this agreement kind of reminds of that, though it's not quite the same thing. This really just seems like something America is pushing on other countries, but I doubt will pass. As Clord said, it's already crumbling before it really started.

 

[SWAMPFOOT9000]

If this goes through, the RPGmaker comunity is pretty much dead. A vast amount of games made with RPGmaker are fan-games, and if this law gets enforced, people will probably be too scared to even create any fan-made content at all.

WE MUST MAKE GAMES AGAINST THIS LAW IN PROTEST!!!!

 

[Seacliff]

If this goes through, the RPGmaker comunity is pretty much dead. A vast amount of games made with RPGmaker are fan-games, and if this law gets enforced, people will probably be too scared to even create any fan-made content at all.

WE MUST MAKE GAMES AGAINST THIS LAW IN PROTEST!!!!

By definition, fan games are already illegal.

This MIGHT make things a bit more strict, but it all boils down if the company that owns the rights cares enough to take action or not. Bashing every game using a name they own would ruin the companies image, which is why (smarter) companies don't really do much about it. Not even this law can change that.

 

[SWAMPFOOT9000]

By definition, fan games are already illegal.

This MIGHT make things a bit more strict, but it all boils down if the company that owns the rights cares enough to take action or not. Bashing every game using a name they own would ruin the companies image, which is why (smarter) companies don't really do much about it. Not even this law can change that.

Yes, they were technically illegal, however, I don't think anybody has ever been arrested over of it. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

Not to mention, I've heard from other places that according to the TPP, if you use a copyrighted resources without a licence, you can be charged even if the copyright holder doesn't know, or even care! If this is correct, than you could literally report somebody for using somebody else's copyrighted material, and unless the copyright holder directly allows it, they could be charged. I hope wherever I heard this from is wrong, but it wouldn't surprise me very much considering how secretive they've been about this whole thing. 

 

[AceOfAces_Mod]

This may also affect game development too (I hope that it's not). Say that Epic Games says nobody can access the source code anymore and you have to deal with what they allow you. What happens if you want to add a feature (say replace Nvidia PhysX with Havok Physics) or debug the engine? You get the idea (which is a speculation).

I do agree with Jim Sterling and TARMACK however.

 

[Oddball]

If this goes through, the RPGmaker comunity is pretty much dead. A vast amount of games made with RPGmaker are fan-games, and if this law gets enforced, people will probably be too scared to even create any fan-made content at all.

WE MUST MAKE GAMES AGAINST THIS LAW IN PROTEST!!!!

i dont see how it would. Espeacilly sense i havent seen all that many fan games. Not sure this would effect it, sense the people that post resources give permission and terms up front

 

[taistelusopuli]

Regarding copyright, the basic rule is that releasing material created by someone else without a permission is a copyright infringement. It doesn't matter if the re-make/fan product is for free or with a disclaimer, exploiting someone else's work is without exception a crime. Punishable with fines and or jail time depending of the severity of the crime.

So, yes most of YouTube content is illegal for example 

 

[SWAMPFOOT9000]

Regarding copyright, the basic rule is that releasing material created by someone else without a permission is a copyright infringement. It doesn't matter if the re-make/fan product is for free or with a disclaimer, exploiting someone else's work is without exception a crime. Punishable with fines and or jail time depending of the severity of the crime.

So, yes most of YouTube content is illegal for example 

While yes, this is technically true, you left out a big detail. Any of this would only happen to somebody copyright holder gives a damn. You don't see componies like Activision flagging all of the Call of Duty videos they come across, do you? No. They embrace their comunity. However, if this law goes through, there's a fair chance that Youtube may very well have to start taking down Let's Plays, regaurdless of the Copyright holders opinion on the matter, so long that the one creating the Let's Play has no licence. (I can't say I know what the laws in Finnland are though...)

 

[SWAMPFOOT9000]

i dont see how it would. Espeacilly sense i havent seen all that many fan games. Not sure this would effect it, sense the people that post resources give permission and terms up front

I don't think that alot of the RPGmaker games that are fan games get posted to this site. However, if you go to a laid back place like GameJolt and look at the games made with RPGmaker you will see what I mean.

 

[Kes]

SWAMPFOOT9000, please avoid double posting, as it is against the forum rules. You can review our forum rules here. Thank you.

If you want to reply to more than one person, then use the MultiQuote button, bottom right of the post.

 

[taistelusopuli]

@SWAMPFOOT9000 You are completely right. Most game studios do not care. People in the music and film industry are usually the ones that care more and they are the main reason in the creative field why copyrights are a big deal. Let's Plays and amateur reviewers are usually considered as free marketing by the creators in the game industry. That is why they have not taken up the fight. Exploiting of their work has not damaged them financially yet (if it ever will).

I haven't paid attention to what the laws are regarding game entertainment in Finland (or Norway where I actually live). I have focused more on the music side of things since it is most important for me to know. What I said is the global main idea. Details of punishment and how hard the law enforcement is regarding the matter varies from country to country. And of course the amount of years until material becomes public domain.

NOTE! Before anyone asks, yes, I am conservative regarding copyrights but I defend the possibility to use material for journalistic and educational purposes (Let's Plays I just find boring in general and I think of them as loosely journalistic content) which is greatly hindered by current copyright laws and even more with the hopefully-not-upcoming TPP. I don't want TPP to come to force because it would allow businesses to invade countries and take over markets. Now I don't mean to be racist with the following but I don't want any of the American giant companies in my country. We have a good thing going here and I (and many others) don't want that messed up by private giant thieves. Microsoft already killed our Nokia (yes, Nokia was Finnish) - partly because of their own stupidity - but still.

 

[EternalShadow]

It would be quite hilarious if in a hypothetical scenario, someone were to report your own Let's Play of your own game.

 

[HakuroDK]

It would be quite hilarious if in a hypothetical scenario, someone were to report your own Let's Play of your own game.

That has actually happened before.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1t0fn1/youtuber_gets_his_own_videogame_gameplay_video/