Colossus is a game written in java that didn't work using gcj, but does appear to work with icedtea. (Though I haven't done very extensive testing yet.) The program is GPL 2 licensed. The game is based on the classic Avalon Hill game Titan that is in the process of being reprinted by Valley Games.
The name change should avoid the main potential trademark issue, but Valley Games might still threaten to sue even if they don't have a good case. Some of the artwork is clearly too similar to the original artwork to use. (In particular on legion markers, but at least some alternate colors are provided with artwork that wasn't in the original game.) (Valley Games is redoing the artwork, but the original creators would still hold copyright on it.) Also the board design has potential copyright issues as well. The masterboard is fairly unique and the interconnections of the various terrain types may be copyrightable even if the artwork isn't the same as the original board. Also each of the battle boards also has terrain where the actual locations of particular terrain types might be copyrightable even if the artwork is different. The data for the maps can be changed and does include some variants, so it might be possible to ship the game with only some varient data and let people grab the "standard" maps from sourceforge.
I would be willing to try to package the game. (I've done the CLA but haven't packaged anything yet and don't have experience writing spec files from scratch, though I have mnade minor modifications to existing ones.)
Bruno Wolff III wrote:
Colossus is a game written in java that didn't work using gcj, but does appear to work with icedtea. (Though I haven't done very extensive testing yet.) The program is GPL 2 licensed. The game is based on the classic Avalon Hill game Titan that is in the process of being reprinted by Valley Games.
The name change should avoid the main potential trademark issue, but Valley Games might still threaten to sue even if they don't have a good case. Some of the artwork is clearly too similar to the original artwork to use. (In particular on legion markers, but at least some alternate colors are provided with artwork that wasn't in the original game.) (Valley Games is redoing the artwork, but the original creators would still hold copyright on it.) Also the board design has potential copyright issues as well. The masterboard is fairly unique and the interconnections of the various terrain types may be copyrightable even if the artwork isn't the same as the original board. Also each of the battle boards also has terrain where the actual locations of particular terrain types might be copyrightable even if the artwork is different. The data for the maps can be changed and does include some variants, so it might be possible to ship the game with only some varient data and let people grab the "standard" maps from sourceforge.
I would be willing to try to package the game. (I've done the CLA but haven't packaged anything yet and don't have experience writing spec files from scratch, though I have mnade minor modifications to existing ones.)
Sounds interesting and sounds like you've done your homework, so I say go for it.
Regards,
Hans
On Sun, Nov 25, 2007 at 20:14:40 +0100, Hans de Goede j.w.r.degoede@hhs.nl wrote:
Bruno Wolff III wrote:
I would be willing to try to package the game. (I've done the CLA but haven't packaged anything yet and don't have experience writing spec files from scratch, though I have mnade minor modifications to existing ones.)
Sounds interesting and sounds like you've done your homework, so I say go for it.
OK, I will start doing some ground work on it. I have a link to some page with information on being a packager and I'll go over that to get started. I'll ask questions as I need further help.
At a first cut, how much do you think I should cut out? I am thinking the artwork for the original legion markers markers is a definite no no, but the rest of the stuff is at worst borderline.
I have some scanned images of the original masterboard and battleboards I can show someone when I think I am getting close.
How does one handle subtracting stuff from a distributed tar ball? I would think that shipping the source tar ball from the project would be a problem, as just having a patch remove the artwork wouldn't work for avoiding copyright issues.
Bruno Wolff III wrote:
On Sun, Nov 25, 2007 at 20:14:40 +0100, Hans de Goede j.w.r.degoede@hhs.nl wrote:
Bruno Wolff III wrote:
I would be willing to try to package the game. (I've done the CLA but haven't packaged anything yet and don't have experience writing spec files from scratch, though I have mnade minor modifications to existing ones.)
Sounds interesting and sounds like you've done your homework, so I say go for it.
OK, I will start doing some ground work on it. I have a link to some page with information on being a packager and I'll go over that to get started. I'll ask questions as I need further help.
At a first cut, how much do you think I should cut out? I am thinking the artwork for the original legion markers markers is a definite no no, but the rest of the stuff is at worst borderline.
I have some scanned images of the original masterboard and battleboards I can show someone when I think I am getting close.
Tom 'spot' Callaway (tcallawa -- at -- redhat -- dot -- com) is the one to talk to when it comes to legal questions, those scans will come in handy then. I think it would be best if you first use your common sense to make something you think is clean or whitish-grey and then send it to him.
How does one handle subtracting stuff from a distributed tar ball? I would think that shipping the source tar ball from the project would be a problem, as just having a patch remove the artwork wouldn't work for avoiding copyright issues.
Correct, in this case what you should do is include a modified tarbal (with things removed, please put replacements in a seperate tarbal) and put comments above the Source0: in the spec explaining howto regenerate the distributed source tarbal from the original sources.
Regards,
Hans
On Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 09:31:21 +0100, Hans de Goede j.w.r.degoede@hhs.nl wrote:
Bruno Wolff III wrote:
Tom 'spot' Callaway (tcallawa -- at -- redhat -- dot -- com) is the one to talk to when it comes to legal questions, those scans will come in handy then. I think it would be best if you first use your common sense to make something you think is clean or whitish-grey and then send it to him.
OK, when I am ready for review I'll show him stuff.
Correct, in this case what you should do is include a modified tarbal (with things removed, please put replacements in a seperate tarbal) and put comments above the Source0: in the spec explaining howto regenerate the distributed source tarbal from the original sources.
I can probably do something simple. One option would be to reuse the images from the extra colors that were added by the colossus developers and were not in the original game. I can probably have a simple script do that and it should work OK if the graphics are repeated if the two colors contrast.
That should be enough answers for now. Thanks.