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2-D MMOG Glitch Released Completely Into the Public Domain

Posted by Soulskill on from the more-game-devs-should-do-this dept.

c0d3g33k writes "Glitch, a collaborative, web-based, massively multiplayer game developed by Tiny Speck, Inc. (tinyspeck.com) has been released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal License. I'm not at all familiar with this game, but it is rare that both source code and all game assets are released into the public domain, which makes this announcement noteworthy. An excerpt from the announcement: 'The entire library of art assets from the game has been made freely available, dedicated to the public domain. Code from the game client is included to help developers work with the assets. All of it can be downloaded and used by anyone, for any purpose. (But: use it for good.)'"

6 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 4, Insightful

    and ... copied.

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    1. Re:Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 5, Insightful

      How exactly would one steal a public domain work, even for a loose definition of "steal?"

      I see you're unfamiliar with Zynga.

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    2. Re:Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Ask Disney.

    3. Re:Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 by TheLink · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Copyright infringement is not stealing because it doesn't prevent the owners from using their own copies or restrict their access to them.

      Copyright term extensions on the other hand restricts the public's access to works that would otherwise be freely available to them.

      Therefore the latter is closer to stealing than the former.

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  2. I'm going to use some of this art in my game. by GoodNewsJimDotCom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm making a Zelda style 2d MMORPG called "Throne and Crown". Many of the art pieces I will be able to use in my game eventually. I sort of wish Congress would say there's a 10 year copyright law. That way, after 10 years, we could use the art assets, and 3d models of other games. Also it'd be pretty radical for the Internet to be a giant library. It'd be an awesome boost to education.

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    1. Re:I'm going to use some of this art in my game. by Teancum · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm making a Zelda style 2d MMORPG called "Throne and Crown". Many of the art pieces I will be able to use in my game eventually. I sort of wish Congress would say there's a 10 year copyright law. That way, after 10 years, we could use the art assets, and 3d models of other games. Also it'd be pretty radical for the Internet to be a giant library. It'd be an awesome boost to education.

      I'd be more than happy if copyright terms were simply returned to the 17 year + 17 year (for copyright renewal from those that bother) that was in the Copyright Act of 1790. 10 years of copyright is likely all that is needed, but you might make an argument that a few people might be more encouraged (hence the incentive) to make more stuff if they can continue earning money from it 17 years later.

      I don't know anybody who is encouraged to publish stuff if their kids and grandkids might be making money off of their stuff 76 years after you are dead... yet current copyright treaties want to even further extend and expand copyright terms. The Steamboat Willie complex is alive and well.