What is the process of "Copyright" in the RPG Maker World?

[Chester]

Hey guys!

I have some questions about Copyright and I'm sorry if my questions sounds "common sense" but I really want to make sure because Copyright is a big deal.

1) Does Copyright in RPG Maker work the same way as Copyright outside of RPG Maker?

2) If we create music/art do we need to buy the Copyright(I don't know how the process of obtaining your own Copyrights)?

    Or is it just once you create the art/music it is automatically entitled to you (for free) and no one can take it from you without referring to the terms you create?

3) Is there such a thing as copyrighting your own story?

Thank you for taking your time to answer my questions!

 

[Wavelength]

I don't know what copyright law is like in the country of "Dear Kitten", but in the USA it works like this:

• Yes, copyright law outside RPG Maker applies to RPG Maker.
• If you are the creator of art/music, you have some copyright protections automatically granted to you.  (Actually enforcing them on the net can be tricky, of course).  To protect you even more, you can put the Copyright symbol ("C" in a circle) on your title screen along with the current year, your company name, and the words "All Rights Reserved".  You do not need to buy or "register" this copyright.
• Stories cannot be copyrighted.  However, if someone blatantly steals your story in an attempt to profit off of it or confuse audiences into thinking that you wrote/endorsed it, then you can go after them for theft of intellectual property.

 

[Palsa]

When you say custom, are you meaning modifications of the run time package?

Because a modification is not completely original work.

My understanding is that your free to use and modify the RTP in your RPG Maker projects, with limited distribution rights, but you have to own the associated engine in order to sell that work, edited or otherwise.

In other words, you can use the RPG Maker XP RTP in RPG Maker VX Ace, but you have to own both engines if your planning to distribute your game for profit.

But I'm sure one of the moderators will provide a better explanation.

 

[Chester]

Changed custom to create. For better clarification. 

 

[Sharm]

Copyright is automatic.  You own what you create unless you give or sell those rights to someone else.  You usually don't want to do that, if you're doing stuff for someone else selling the license to use it is usually sufficient.

 

[jwideman]

I don't know what copyright law is like in the country of "Dear Kitten", but in the USA it works like this:

• Yes, copyright law outside RPG Maker applies to RPG Maker.
• If you are the creator of art/music, you have some copyright protections automatically granted to you.  (Actually enforcing them on the net can be tricky, of course).  To protect you even more, you can put the Copyright symbol ("C" in a circle) on your title screen along with the current year, your company name, and the words "All Rights Reserved".  You do not need to buy or "register" this copyright.
• Stories cannot be copyrighted.  However, if someone blatantly steals your story in an attempt to profit off of it or confuse audiences into thinking that you wrote/endorsed it, then you can go after them for theft of intellectual property.

Using the symbol and so on do not grant you additional protection, but they can serve as a warning and negates any defense of ignorance. Registration of copyright is the only thing that gives you increased protection, and whether or not you got it before suing makes a difference between getting provable damages and getting thousands above that. The good news is that by registering your game you get protection for all the assets you created along with it, all under one fee. Even better, you don't have to actually register until you plan to file a lawsuit.

As for not being able to copyright stories, I'm not sure what you mean here. Intellectual property is a catch-all term that includes copyright. Your copyright protects the whole work (not including assets licensed to you, which are already under someone else's copyright). This includes the dialogue or anything else written. What you can't protect is basic plot. I could make a game about a teenager who uses a time machine to save the planet from an alien that's been living inside it since the dawn of time. But the more closely it resembles "Chrono Trigger," the less of a gray area it becomes. If I were to write "Chrono Trigger: The Book" then that would still be copyright infringement - the only thing that changed was the medium.

Anyway, to address the OP's concerns directly: You'd be protected exactly the same way as if you created a video game without using RPG Maker. How much of your story is protected is something of a gray area, but nonetheless any protection would be included in the copyright for the game. If you're going to sell the game, wait until the game makes some money then register the copyright. I use the 10:1 rule here: the fee was $35 last time I checked, so I'd wait until the game made $350 in sales.