Mac wrote:(06/02 14:53:05) Mac: As some of you will know, at the end of March, OpenUru submitted a request on behalf of the community as a whole to Cyan regarding licensing of "content"
(06/02 14:53:32) Mac: Well, we did eventually get a response.
(06/02 14:53:44) Mac: And it a generally positive one.
(06/02 14:54:38) Mac: At this time, I have to say it was a very brief reply, so there's not too much detail that I can pass on. That's why I said this might be a bit of nothing
(06/02 14:55:36) Mac: What I can tell you is that Cyan likes the idea. They want to allow the community to be able to use the assets to help develop MOUL/CWE
(06/02 14:56:23) Mac: But there are a few considerations that they need to apply. So thing will take some time to work out.
(06/02 14:57:06) Mac: Firstly, they want to ensure that these game assets are used for MOUL and not, for example, ported to other game engines.
(06/02 14:58:08) Mac: Secondly, they want to make it clear that in releasing these assets to the community, that they're not "abandoning" them or placing them in the public domain.
(06/02 14:59:21) Mac: The assets remain "Cyan's property" in effect, although people will be able to adapt and modify, and have ownership of their own resultant work
(06/02 15:01:45) Mac: So, what they seem to be talking about is a "controlled license": RWe don't know if they are goiung to put all assets under this license
(06/02 15:02:32) Mac: The note only refers to "certain assets". I don't know what that means at this time.
(06/02 15:03:16) Mac: The inference is that they may be choosing certain items to begin with and see how it goes.
(06/02 15:03:56) J'Kla: Previously the assets Cyan were most protective of were Textures
(06/02 15:03:57) Mac: There is maybe one other thing that was mentioned, and possibly quite important:
(06/02 15:05:47) Mac: What has been mentioned is that Cyan would like all licensees to be on a register.
(06/02 15:06:07) Alabanda was expecting something like that.
(06/02 15:06:07) Mac: Why? is the obvious question.
(06/02 15:06:50) Alabanda: Presumably to make tracking license violations easier.
(06/02 15:06:55) Mac: It goes back to the earlier point about not having abandoned ownership. It'sa a way of showing that Cyan still controls the assets.
(06/02 15:07:25) GoMeLeonardo: this seems very similar to the FCA Licence then
(06/02 15:07:54) Mac: That's really as much as there is to say. There is obviously still a lot of work for Cyan to work out the detail of what they really need from the license
(06/02 15:08:20) Mac: Yes, Leo, I thought it sounded not far from the FCAL too.
(06/02 15:08:54) Mac: So, in summary, a small step in the right direction.