Weapon Licensing...
by Chris · in General Discussion · 08/10/2005 (5:38 pm) · 7 replies
So many of the FPS games released in recent years all contain the same type of weapons, eg, AK47 - P90 -etc...
Do these companies acquire licenses to use the name and likeness of said weapons? You couldn't just slap a ( insert car maker and car model here ) in a game... So I would have to assume one would need to license usage of the real world weapons they use.... Am I missing something?
-EDIT.
For example, the soldier pack, which I really like BTW, comes with an M16. Did they need to license the use of it?
Do these companies acquire licenses to use the name and likeness of said weapons? You couldn't just slap a ( insert car maker and car model here ) in a game... So I would have to assume one would need to license usage of the real world weapons they use.... Am I missing something?
-EDIT.
For example, the soldier pack, which I really like BTW, comes with an M16. Did they need to license the use of it?
About the author
#2
This suggests to me that Valve looked into it and decided to try and avoid legal problems of not licensing
08/10/2005 (7:45 pm)
Well the old Counter Strike had the real names and then in CS:S they made them fake names.This suggests to me that Valve looked into it and decided to try and avoid legal problems of not licensing
#3
Might be that if you plan to go commercial, you'll need a license.
08/11/2005 (5:00 am)
They changed names long before CS:S as far as I know.Might be that if you plan to go commercial, you'll need a license.
#4
That being said, the Kalishnikov rifles are "open source" in a way, so finding a company to license you the right to use it's likeness/name might be a challenge ;)
08/11/2005 (6:13 am)
I am not a lawyer, but, to my knowledge, yes, you need a license for that sort of thing, just like cars. It's someone's brand, it's their intellectual property. Ask a lawyer for some help. That being said, the Kalishnikov rifles are "open source" in a way, so finding a company to license you the right to use it's likeness/name might be a challenge ;)
#5
Look at the 8mm mauser there are versions from tons of different country's as well as the SKS rifle which was the pre-cursor AK-47.
AK-47 are also manufactured by different company's in different country's and it would be impossible for any one of those company's to actually nail you for re-creating "thier" ak-47 unless you specifically had thier precurser name on it.
I would check to see if there are different versions of the weapon you are considering from different manufacturer's because if there are then I am pretty sure you wouldn't have any issue.
08/11/2005 (9:13 am)
I would have to guess if you called it a Bushmaster AR-15 then yes you would be infringing, however several company's make the AR-15.Look at the 8mm mauser there are versions from tons of different country's as well as the SKS rifle which was the pre-cursor AK-47.
AK-47 are also manufactured by different company's in different country's and it would be impossible for any one of those company's to actually nail you for re-creating "thier" ak-47 unless you specifically had thier precurser name on it.
I would check to see if there are different versions of the weapon you are considering from different manufacturer's because if there are then I am pretty sure you wouldn't have any issue.
#6
So, yes.
08/11/2005 (9:37 am)
The original version of GTA:Vice City had the Colt Python and other brand names for guns. In later releases, they were required to change the name because they didn't get the proper licensing for these names.So, yes.
Torque Owner Matt Harpold
I havn't heard anything about having to license the auctal weapons, but maybe it happens behind the scenes? Although there are plenty of mods that use real life weapons.
It'd be rather difficult to come up with "current era" weapons that don't look like/work like current projecthile weapons.