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TFP Official Modding Forum Policy


Roland

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General Guidelines

 

Our community of modding is based on the idea of collaborating, sharing, and standing on the shoulders of others to ever improve. It is important that there is respect and honor shown to each other. The following are guidelines for conduct we suggest in order for you to avoid any legal issues and/or any disputes with other members of our forum. Again, these are codes of conduct we hope everyone will choose to follow.

 

1) Copyrighted work should be used only with permission of the original creator. This includes content from other games, from DLCs, music creators, images found on the internet or from other file authors. Even if you are from a country that does not have copyright laws it is expected that you will seek the permission from copyright owners before using their property in your own mod.

 

2) All files uploaded should have been created by the uploader or used with permission from the original author of the content before uploading the file.

 

3) You should always provide appropriate credit when possible to authors who have given you permission to use their content within the file description.

 

4) If you are collaborating with one or more other users to create a file then you should have a written agreement that is maintained as to who is the original author of what so that questions and misunderstandings do not arise later.

 

5) If you give your permission to another author for them to use your work within their own modifications then you cannot take back that permission once the other author's file has been released.

 

6) If you upload your file you should understand that you no longer have control over how it is used. TFP is the sole owner of all derivative content created using their code and files. Also, other users could use your work without your permission. Before uploading your file you should decide whether you can accept these possibilities.

 

7) If you are using assets and/or tools under a license that you purchased then you are bound by that EULA and should not grant any permissions to others to re-use those assets if that would cause you to breach that EULA. Make sure you understand and abide by all EULA's that cover what you have purchased.

 

 

Forum Rules

 

These rules will be enforced and used to arbitrate disagreements. Failure to comply with these rules could result in the removal of your uploaded file and thread and possibly a permanent ban from the forums.

 

1) All files uploaded become the sole property of The Fun Pimps as derivative works of 7 Days to Die. TFP offers all mods on its site as open source material and free to download and to modify subject to the following stipulations:

 

  • All mod authors MAY CHOOSE to include a personal Terms of Use* as a separate post in the thread featuring their mod. The Terms of Use should list the permissions you are granting with your mod and what permissions you are withholding unless contacted first. Any mod without a Terms of Use in its description will be considered to be open source. Your Terms of Use cannot contradict the rules and guidelines set here.
  • All mod authors must disclose any tools or assets in their mod that they have licensed. Such licenses only grant the person who purchased them the right to use those tools and/or assets and they cannot give permission for others to re-use them in their own mods.
  • If a mod has been left inactive for a year and the mod author cannot be reached then any Terms of Use will be removed and that mod will be considered open source.

 

2) All forum users must abide by the Terms of Use of the mods they download. By downloading the mod you are agreeing to the Terms of Use of the mod author.

 

3) Since Steam Workshop support is still pending, the Mods sub-forum in particular serves as a de facto repository for publicly released mods. Thus all threads in the Mods sub-forum must contain a link to download the mod. Unreleased works in progress can be discussed in the Discussion and Requests sub-forum instead. If you have a modded server, where the mod is not available outside of that server, then you can showcase that server in the Servers & Coummunity sub-forum.

 

4) Do not actively solicit for donations. You may include a link in your thread for voluntary donations but no financial sum should ever be required of users to download part or all of your file. This includes not requiring payment to be part of a team of testers for early access to a new version of your mod that you are developing. You can have a private team but nobody should be required to pay to be on the team.

 

5) Never post off-topic content in another mod author's thread. If you have a dispute handle it through mail and get a moderator involved. Arguing in a mod author's thread disrupts the thread and makes it impossible for the mod author to effectively communicate with his followers. These types of posts should be reported at once.

 

6) Do not distribute a mod posted here on another website without the mod author's express permission. Mod authors are free to post their mods on other sites, so long as they (i) abide by the conditions set out by those sites, (ii) maintain a link to the mod which can be accessed independent of the other site.

 

 

*You may choose to use one of the licenses from creative commons as your Terms of Use if you so wish.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

Edited by Crater Creator
Updated rule 3: threads in Mods need a download link (see edit history)
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Reasoning behind the Rules

 

Rule 1 & 2

 

The fact is that TFP owns all the mods as soon as they are uploaded. Period. Mod Authors do not have any control over what they have posted and it is at TFP's discretion how mods are used. As we all know, TFP is very generous and plans to be even more generous in the future with their game and what they will allow to be modified and changed and derived. It is in that spirit that they, in turn, expect all of the mod authors who make use of TFP's code and files to also be generous and allow others to be creative with their work.

 

However, TFP also expressed a desire to support those who want some measure of protection for their creativity and who might like some say as to how their work is being used (aka The Hitler Principle). Therefore they have decided to allow those authors who feel it is important to do so to set their own permission levels for the use of their mods.

 

From the feedback we have received we believe that most mod authors will not bother with a Terms of Use statement and so there will really be very little change or impact from what has gone on before. We also believe from what has been said that most if not all mod authors that do want to include a Terms of Use will usually grant permission for their work to be used and to be further modded if they are asked beforehand.

 

So as long as people remember to be as generous as TFP is in their own work and to be respectful enough to ask first and give credit there should be no problems going forward. Also this places the burden on the mod author to choose his or her own level of permissions and there won't need to be one size fits all permission rule for everyone.

 

Rule 3

 

One way to not share your mod is to divide up all your files between server and client and then invite people to come to your server to experience the changes you've made to the game. That is perfectly fine to do but you cannot create a mod author thread in the modding forum to advertise your server.

 

Rules 4 & 6

 

Selling the derivative work of 7 Days to Die violates your EULA with The Fun Pimps and cannot be tolerated if it becomes known. Having a small link or button for voluntary donations is fine but that is the extent of what is allowed. Also posting your mod at another site that charges fees is not allowed nor is advertising your mod that exclusive to your server and then charging admission to your server. You cannot monetize your mods in any way. Posting your mod at another site should always be accompanied by a link back to this modding forum where they could also download your mod independently of the other site.

 

Rule 5

 

Mod Author threads have one topic and one topic only which is discussion to help downloaders, to report bugs, to collaborate with and help the mod author, and in all ways to promote and enhance the thread for that mod. Any arguments or disputes or accusatory posts are considered off-topic and if reported will result in infractions and bans. We want all disputes handled privately. Period.

Edited by Roland (see edit history)
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Reasoning behind the Guidelines

 

Just a list of good behavior suggestions. Some mod authors have a...casual...view of copyright infringement and plagiarism. Sticking an image of a Coke can into your mod probably isn't going to set alarms off over at Coca-Cola and most would probably not think twice about lifting such images off the internet somewhere. We hope that people won't take that same view with the work of their fellow mod authors here in our community. We hope that out of respect for each other you will always seek permission first even if there is no request by the mod author requiring it simply because it is the decent thing to do and is sure to engender good feelings even if the answer is, "Sure, you didn't need to ask" and then giving credit whenever possible.

 

To alleviate any fears, we as a Moderator staff are not going to police mods for copyright infringement. If we were ever to get a cease and desist letter regarding any copyright infringements (as unlikely as that might be) we would notify the mod author and give him or her a chance to remove the offending material. If unable to get a reply or if the mod author refused to remove the material then we would have to delete the mod and possibly ban the user from the forum.

 

In other words we will let companies police their own intellectual property if they wish but we will also comply with their wishes should they make a stink. Most likely as long as everyone is following the rules of not monetizing their mods there will be no problems at all and things will go on as they have with no real change.

Edited by Roland (see edit history)
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Terms of Use Clarifications

 

1) The default setting for the forum is that a mod can be downloaded for any purpose so you do not have to list anything that can be done without your permission. You only need list your restrictions.

 

2) Your Terms of Use statement must be its own post so that it carries a time stamp of when it was posted. You can link to the post from the OP of your thread if you wish to make it easier for people to find. The most recent "last edited by" date will always be the date by which we will judge when a Terms of Use statement went into effect.

 

3) Your Terms of Use has no effect on mods created by others prior to the date of your statement. These rules are not retroactive.

Edited by Roland (see edit history)
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I was asked whether the guideline saying that people who upload their mods should accept the idea that others may take their work against their wishes invalidates the rest of the rules.

 

The answer is no. The guideline is simply a suggested code of behavior. We feel people should be mentally prepared to the possibility that someone will take their work and use it contrary to their wishes. If that is an unbearable thought then you shouldn't post your mod publicly.

 

The rules state that we will impose consequences on people who ignore the wishes of the mod author and take without permission.

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There's absolutely no way to stop people from taking your work against your wishes if they really want to...years of Warez/Torrents/File Sharing/etc. has proven this.

 

But the fact that there are guidelines for sharing content in the official forums (and I'm assuming that since these are TFPs rules, they extend to the Steam forums for 7Days as well) makes a huge difference as that's where people generally go for content.

 

Thanks for these.

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Update: changed the wording slightly to emphasize that a Terms of Use statement must be its own post in the thread so that we can determine the date it was posted.

 

EDIT: Mod Authors, you need to make sure that your ToA is not buried and unfindable in your thread. This means you must either state in your OP that you have a ToA and link to its post or if you have decided you want one you should create a new thread for your mod and make the second post your ToA so that it is easily found. Just PM a mod to have your old thread closed if you do this.

Edited by Roland (see edit history)
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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Sales of mod "licences"?

 

@madmole, @roland, et al.

 

CBSM is a well known mod (in forums mod section, [MOD] tag in its title, alters 7DtD files to provide additional in-game features) for tens of thousands of 7DtD dedicated servers:

https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?29827-CBSM-Cloud-based-Server-Manager

 

It is not available for download, but you can register for a free account with Envul to use CBSM mod with limited features, or pay a monthly subscription for a "license" to unlock full features of the mod:

https://cbsm.envul.com/7-days-to-die-pricing/

 

This is not a monthy hosting or service fee, which is separate and extra. It is a mod integrated with a web service frontend. This seemed highly suspect, especially when compared to Roland's rules 4 and 6 above, so I looked up the domain registration for envul.com, which is publicly available:

https://www.godaddy.com/whois/results.aspx?recaptchaResponse=03AOPBWq_WkHadlfHP_07N0EsOSgsN9xBFNHEba1_unJl8nPK9fgzipXiezvvRbppgfwTwE9VhWAyurigWXkuSRg6vM0eujn9kx80ePEKzL15wXx1InCli0RIKS18Y3cV1aqueRM_88Xy_oVZIk9l8EeJYf68YS2V7bdU-JGYFxD82jR_wrc0YtkVd1qfWwwhP1k4wUJwmtW1PZLd_0Q5HLgQ8GjV-VYu5cfJS3jRmOBy5cvpM_iMeT-SrAibq91IpoPaf7ZkEP9rWqlVMHODtS9ghSSncaKeKLTf8TKZrtGvDcaOyHHPhWEKNhXnIre4JxU2MJzjx7DTl&domain=envul.com&prog_id=GoDaddy&pl_id=1

 

Envul.com lists one Tyler Paquette as the registrar, and a business address is listed for TDG Marketing of Brantford, Ontario in Canada:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/tdg-marketing-brantford

 

Apparently Mr. Paquette is TDG's in-house Developer, a company with an annual revenue of $7 million and 35 employees:

http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Tyler-Paquette/1985213504

 

My question is this: Is Joel Huenink aware that Envul is generating commercial profit off a mod designed specifically for TFP's intellectual property? If so, I hope TFP are receiving proper licensing royalties from Envul. If not, TFP can say thank you to Google and a dedicated 7DtD fan for this information.

 

If the above details are already known to Joel, feel free to delete this post. Best wishes and may a16 bring many new sales.

Edited by Cernwn (see edit history)
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@Alloc

Thanks for the quick response. However, Botman and other dedicated server managers are not my topic.

 

It is understandable you would be opposed to anything negative being suggested of CBSM or Envul, as they require/promote your software as part of their setup:

https://envul.com/cbsm-wiki/setup-guide/

 

If CBSM isn't a mod as you claimed above, then perhaps CBSM should not be in the mods section of the forums? It is highly misleading and a misrepresentation to customers, when third party services are advertised under a false flag.

 

Regardless, my post is not an attack on yourself or your software (Alloc's fixes are freely available, not content locked behind third party registration or a paywall). Its intent was to bring Joel's attention to a potential loss of revenue, and Roland's to a possible breach of his above modding policies. Please disregard if either is not the case. Best wishes.

Edited by Cernwn (see edit history)
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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Hi guys,

couple of questions about this:

 

In made a Terms of Use post for my Custom Vehicles mod, and it's linked in the OP.

Right now the Terms of Use talks about the 2 assets that I purchased, and links to the Terms of Use section of my mod on github.

It also mentions that I am not sure yet how the Sketchfab licensing for those assets applies to us, modders.

I am still waiting for an answer from sketchfab about that...

 

So my questions are:

- If I add more purchased vehicles in the mod latter. I don't necessarily want to edit that post, because then it means the actual effectiveness date will be changed to the day of my edit.

How do we deal with that?

Could my Terms of Use post be more generic and not detail which assets have been purchased, and then the details would just be in my github Terms of Use?

 

- Whenever I receive more info from sketchfab, I will want to edit that post to add the new info. Is there another way to do that without changing the effectiveness date of my Terms of Use.

Could I actually make a 2nd Terms of Use post, that would contain the latest info, and link both Terms of Use posts in the OP?

 

Thanks!

Edited by manux (see edit history)
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Hi guys,

couple of questions about this:

 

In made a Terms of Use post for my Custom Vehicles mod, and it's linked in the OP.

Right now the Terms of Use talks about the 2 assets that I purchased, and links to the Terms of Use section of my mod on github.

It also mentions that I am not sure yet how the Sketchfab licensing for those assets applies to us, modders.

I am still waiting for an answer from sketchfab about that...

 

So my questions are:

- If I add more purchased vehicles in the mod latter. I don't necessarily want to edit that post, because then it means the actual effectiveness date will be changed to the day of my edit.

How do we deal with that?

Could my Terms of Use post be more generic and not detail which assets have been purchased, and then the details would just be in my github Terms of Use?

 

- Whenever I receive more info from sketchfab, I will want to edit that post to add the new info. Is there another way to do that without changing the effectiveness date of my Terms of Use.

Could I actually make a 2nd Terms of Use post, that would contain the latest info, and link both Terms of Use posts in the OP?

 

Thanks!

 

Ok, so I received answers from Sketchfab, and it looks like they are fine with the idea of a modder including in his mod, another mod that has sketchfab purchased assets in it.

- As long has the original assets are not directly available in the mod, meaning that they need to be in a binary format, like they always are in our mods.

- And as long as the second modder does not extract the assets from the binary files, to modify them more, before inserting them in his mod.

- And as long as the mod is distributed for free.

 

So I will modify my original Terms of Use, since it doesn't really matter anymore, other modders can just include my mod in theirs, without having to re-pay for those assets...

 

This is how Sketchfab perceives this problem. It does not mean that Unity or other stores will have the same point of view...

 

Here's my new Terms of Use post.

Please let me know if you see a problem with it...

Edited by manux (see edit history)
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  • 8 months later...

Installing mods for clients

 

Hello TFP. I administer a public server in Switzerland for a French speaking community.

 

I tried to maintain a community on a server with mods (the beautiful vehicles manux, among others) but I have now deleted because the players are not necessarily able to install or have laziness (a lounge " installation of mods "with tutorial and download link and everything needed at the support level was available).

 

After a while, the players were not renewed, we were only a handful to play.

 

It's really a drag on new players.

 

Now I have again a correct influx without the mods (12-15 players on average, 28 max yesterday).

 

Do you plan to download the mods directly by connecting to the server as for Ark: Survival ? Or an official launcher ?

You offer a game completely moddable but people do not have access.

 

Thank you for your work.

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  • 5 months later...

Question about modified versions of original 7D2D assets.

 

I am creating a modlet that adds Xyth's excellent NPCs to POI spawn groups. To see them in action, I am taking some of the original 7D2D prefabs, and altering them (slightly) to spawn NPCs instead of zombies. Other than the spawn groups, the POIs are not modified (or at least not much).

 

Here is the question: Can I distribute this modlet through GitLab or similar?

 

I would imagine the XML/Xpath is not an issue, but the prefab files might be.

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Question about modified versions of original 7D2D assets.

 

I am creating a modlet that adds Xyth's excellent NPCs to POI spawn groups. To see them in action, I am taking some of the original 7D2D prefabs, and altering them (slightly) to spawn NPCs instead of zombies. Other than the spawn groups, the POIs are not modified (or at least not much).

 

Here is the question: Can I distribute this modlet through GitLab or similar?

 

I would imagine the XML/Xpath is not an issue, but the prefab files might be.

 

As long as they need a copy of the game to use them then it is fine. Providing modified versions of the POIs is no different than providing modified versions of other xml files.

 

POIs do not have to be wholly original in order to create a prefab pack and distribute it. Good luck with your project!

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As long as they need a copy of the game to use them then it is fine. Providing modified versions of the POIs is no different than providing modified versions of other xml files.

 

POIs do not have to be wholly original in order to create a prefab pack and distribute it. Good luck with your project!

 

That's good news, thanks!

 

(As an aside - this likely won't be ready for a while, for technical reasons which aren't relevant here. It's just good to know that if/when I can get them to work, I can distribute them.)

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  • 1 month later...

Just thinking... and I have 0 legal sense :)

 

Question: For mod[lets] where the creator doesn't care about what happens to the mod[let] (in terms of other non-TFP people taking their personal work, graphics, etc) and also do not contain any externally licensed content (that they would need to declare), is there a good "default license/ToA" they should/could use if they want to throw one in the mod[let] source code or link to their own ToA post?

 

There's a link above to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ and for someone who may not be used to adding a license, but for one who wants to "do the right thing" it may not be obvious what one to choose. I've been picking "The Unlicense" for all my github modlets as its basically wide open usage and a simple drop down choice in github, and was thinking of also linking back to this forum thread just for the sake of it. I believe if someone (**who met the conditions above**) picked "the wrong license/ToA" it wouldn't really matter as TFP policy would override it, but it might help to be guided to choose a correct-er one by default than one that's obviously not enforceable/applicable.

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After deliberation, we’ve updated forum rule 3 to specify that threads in the Mods sub-forum require a download link. This is an acknowledgment that users use the Mods sub-forum as a de facto repository for finding mods to play, at least until a built-in solution like Steam Workshop support is implemented. If your mod isn’t far enough along to have something to download yet, that’s okay but please keep discussion of it in Discussion and Requests instead.

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  • 4 months later...
On 2/21/2017 at 9:39 PM, Roland said:

1) Copyrighted work should be used only with permission of the original creator. This includes content from other games, from DLCs, music creators, images found on the internet or from other file authors. Even if you are from a country that does not have copyright laws it is expected that you will seek the permission from copyright owners before using their property in your own mod.

I might be asking a stupid question here, but I want to be sure. 

 

Let's say I make a model of a famous movie zombie and make it a mod for the game. Would I be allowed to make it available for download? I wondering because I have seen a number of famous things made into mods that are available for download.

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