Licensing
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Contents |
The Game
The Instagib Project source code and most of its media is available under the GPL v2. This means that you are free to modify and redistribute the source provided you release it under the GPL as well. Some media isn't licensed under the GPL, and the work that isn't is specified at the Non-GPL Content page.
The Source
The source code is available under the GPL because the Quake 3 Engine Source, which T.I.P. is based on, was released under the GPL by id Software. This requires that we do the same. However, this is not a flaw, rather, it helps us even more when we have our source open to the public so that they could provide insight, as well as patches.
If you are considering making use of the source, it is demanded that you first read the GPL (Or at least the simplified versions above) to avoid any confusion and/or problems in the future.
The Media
The media (Textures, sounds, maps, models, etc.) is mostly from Open Arena which is available under the GPL. By using this content, we are required to keep any derivatives of those works under the GPL as well, and provide the source. This doesn't applied to Non-GPL Content.
Contributions
Media
Failure to license your work automatically copyrights it, meaning you reserve all rights. This means that nobody can distribute your work, modify it, etc. This makes it kind of complicated if not impossible to include in The Instagib Project, and therefore we would rather you licensed your work either under a Creative Commons license or the GPL. If you have another suggestion for a license or have any questions, please contact us in the forums.
GPL
We used to think that the content you contributed had to be licensed under the GPL, but that is no longer the case[1][2]. One is still allowed to release their source under the GPL if they believe it suits them, but you are now welcome to use any license from Creative Commons as well. The GPL is not an easy read, so if you're not into that, you can take a look at the GPL Overview that seems to sum things up nicely. An even more human readable version of the GPL is available here. If you want more information on art and the GPL license, take a look at this Blender 3D article.
It is best for us if you license your work under the GPL, to prevent any licensing headaches. If you still don't understand what the GPL is about, basically it means:
- Anyone can use your work, modify it, and re-distribute it
- You must provide the source either with the work or on request
Source in Context of Media
When speaking about media (Sound, pictures, maps, models, images, textures, etc.) we mean the possible available source. So for example, say you created a texture in Photoshop, the source for that texture would be the PSD file which contains the various layers and other information for the end result. Another example could be a project file for something. Other examples include:
| Work | Source |
|---|---|
| BSP | MAP |
| TGA | PSD, XCF, etc. |
| MP3 | AU, etc. |
| MD3 | MA/MB, 3DS, BLEND, etc. |
It is important to keep these source files handy, regardless of whether what you're working on requires you to distribute the source as well, since it's the best and usually only way to go back and modify the end result.
Keep in mind that not every type of work has a source. For example if you record something straight to WAV and that's how you release it, you don't have a source for that, so you just release that. This is one of the reasons why it is criticized to use the GPL license for anything other than source code in regards to software or programming.
Creative Commons
You can choose the license that best suits you here. You can choose whether or not you want your content to be able to be used by others for commercial uses, whether or not you want to allow modifications of your work and to what degree, and more. Creative Commons is cool in that it gives you a human readable, simple and to the point license which is easy for you and others to understand, yet it still holds strong in legal matters. Creative Commons licenses are popular among artists who don't want to dabble much with legal ambiguity and just want something to protect their work in the ways they want.
For more information on Creative Commons and its philosophy, check out these cool short videos:
Source
All contributed source must be licensed under the GPL v2.
