Couple of questions

[Mental2k]

May I enter custom covers I made for comercial games?

Does the "sega" and "DC swirl" symbols count as copyright material?

Also can I have the curve down the side of my cover?

[MetaFox]

I think Dan Potter's suggestion of having a homebrew template for all covers is a good idea.

ie: no sega logo or dreamcast swirl, or icons for peripherals. We should create our own icons - and have a standardized artset for homebrew - based on the US and/or EU/JP covers, but not using any copyrighted material - ie: you can have the black swoop, but not the Dreamcast and swirl.

And ESRB logos are out as well, unless you send the game out to have them grade it (and who wants to pay for that? :P)

Actually, as of right now - I'm starting up DIRB (Dreamcast Independant Rating Board) - if anyone wants to join as judges for content - PM me.

[DCDayDreamer]

I remember Dan making that comment after DCEvo started using the new temoplates I made up.
The NTSC black swoop (used the white one - a bit smaller) is there with PAL blue for the front, the back uses JAP NTSC design with PAL blue, all in all, a mix 'n' match of all covers.
Dan was concerned about the SEGA and the swirl on the cover templates.
I even remember my reply to him (went something like this):

I mentioned the fact that we couldn't please everyone and if it came to SEGA giving us a hard time about it, I'd spend the rest of my days hacking the IP bin from showing SEGA and their blurb on screen even with legal homebrew releases.

My point was (and is), does it really matter?, we're using a SEGA console for something it wasn't meant to be used for. Even if the SEGA blurb was taken out of the IP bin we'd only be hiding it, same as cover logo's, I know the logo's are copyrighted but most people seem to make (and want) covers to recognise the DC game via similar covers to the commercial ones.

That's only my opinion by the way, I didn't post that to start a war :P.

[MetaFox]

[quote author=DCDayDreamer link=board=DCGP2004;num=1096668276;start=0#2 date=10/01/04 at 18:50:54]I mentioned the fact that we couldn't please everyone and if it came to SEGA giving us a hard time about it, I'd spend the rest of my days hacking the IP bin from showing SEGA and their blurb on screen even with legal homebrew releases. My point was (and is), does it really matter?[/quote]No, but I think we shouldn't use Sega's intellectual property at least out of respect for Sega. We don't need to use it, so why should we? It's just as easy to make a homebrew template that doesn't have the copyrighted graphics, using graphics that are just as eye-catching as the originals.

[MetaFox]

[quote author=Ian_micheal link=board=DCGP2004;num=1096668276;start=0#4 date=10/02/04 at 00:25:12]Correct No real respect to sega ether way no permission is given to run any thing on the dreamcast other then retail games. Images including bor mods and many games in the dc scene contain copyright images. Bit late now the horse has bolted. Every release containes to make it boot a copyright image that is inside the ip.bin that image has the same rights as the covers or logos or any other copyright image.[/quote]I assume you're talking about the first bootstrap in the IP.bin?

The two bootstraps in the IP.bin that can be rewritten have been rewritten. The first bootstrap can not. We are within our rights under international fair use laws to use that bootstrap, as it has to remain unchanged in order to boot. A company is not permitted to disallow another company or individual from using proprietary code if that code is required for independant code to function.

Using images from other companies in your productions, however, is in no way covered under fair use. It's the intellectual property of the company in question, and you have no legal right to use those images without permission.

[DCDayDreamer]

I hope I haven't started off any serious legal debates with my earlier post - it was only an opinion :-[.
In case anyone is wondering - I do respect SEGA, and yes I'm guilty of using their name and logo on covers, but only as a mark respect and not to blatantly disregard copyright (if that makes sense) :P.

Back on track here...

How about I try and make up some cover templates for the comp? maybe using Darksaviour69's logos on the templates I already have. If someone does go to the effort of making covers, they could easily paste in their design into the 'tabbo' templates for their own use .

[DCDayDreamer]

A quick example of what I meant:



Maybe someone else has a better idea (and is better at art) .

[Saoshyant]

Homebrew is your own work, your own imagination, thus it should have your own covers for it and if possible do not include the SEGA logo on it as it is not licensed work. Moreover, never charge money for it. I have seen some people on ebay-like websites selling homebrew and emulators for Dreamcast, those people just do not know in what kind of sh*t they are getting into. Anyway, I even think as standard the DC homebrew scene should really have its own logo. Why not make a competition for the best ones, then exposing them on public so we all could vote for the best one choosen over the best ones (did it sound confusing?). It involves two steps. First, participation of those interested, work that would be judged by a few decent people, maybe volunteers, second exposing the first 5 ones or so, so everyone could vote for the really best one. Then it would be used as the standard logo. Oh well, whatever, I don't really think anyone's gonna acre for what I say, but here it is as I felt inclined to post it.

[DCDayDreamer]

That's a very good suggestion, we really could do with our own standard homebrew template for the DC scene.

Of course the most popular printed covers will always be the commercial ones that go with the poor quality rips of commercial games available on the web (strange why people still use that stuff when the real deal is so cheap).

The big problem for Dan and co is that they've ventured into the commercial world with DC releases, any logo or licensed text is a big NO-NO on any cover. As for the rest of us we're a fan base, that doesn't give us any excuse of course for using any logo, it's just seems to be the norm up to now. Who knows?, things may change in the future!.

[Ian_micheal]

[quote author=MetaFox link=board=DCGP2004;num=1096668276;start=0#4 date=10/02/04 at 05:58:40]
I assume you're talking about the first bootstrap in the IP.bin?

The two bootstraps in the IP.bin that can be rewritten have been rewritten. The first bootstrap can not. We are within our rights under international fair use laws to use that bootstrap, as it has to remain unchanged in order to boot. *A company is not permitted to disallow another company or individual from using proprietary code if that code is required for independant code to function.

Using images from other companies in your productions, however, is in no way covered under fair use. *It's the intellectual property of the company in question, and you have no legal right to use those images without permission.[/quote]

Lets forget the legal battle sega would not doing any thing if you hosted isos lets face it. Some other people with hacked webrowsers as well no trouble from it from sega ether.

I think by now some one would of asked maybe even got sega's blessing on homebrew releases. How can any one say they respect sega with out ever asking permission from them to sell homebrew games and gain money from there hardware. I see no respect to them at all if you can explain using and selling software with out permission is *respect-full let me know. I dont know how you can explain it really. Respect to sega by gaining money *from there property with out permission is not respect-full thats why i gave up any idea of selling homebrew games.

I do respect sega i dont see how selling software and gaining money would be.


If you care to explain it to me i be very grateful.