Image Rights

[mhoover]

I'm about to deploy a free video game that I want to give the source code away for.

I don't want to make money from the game, but I might want to make money using some of the images in the game.

I'm definitely dynamically linking all the files, so I should be able to release it under the LGPL license.

If I'm giving away all the software source code does it even matter?

Please give me your opinion on this, even if it is off-the-cuff.

I've re-written the TERMS OF USE twice already.

Thanks for your help!

[wysota]

If you release your application under LGPL then you have to release the source code. You can even static link. The thing about dynamic linking is relevant only if you make use of a LGPL component but make your application closed-source. If you make it open source then there is no problem.

[Lykurg]

but I might want to make money using some of the images in the game.

What kind of images (Background, figures)? You can release the game under GPL with ugly default images and provide an extension pack with the images under another license for free. E.g.

If you release your application under LGPL then you have to release the source code.

Typo: -> GPL. That's the matter if no "word-trade-mark-designer" (or whatever) is involved in name seeking: two damn similar abbreviations

[mhoover]

Sorry.

I'm not concerned about people redistributing my images. I'm concerned that one day I might want to make a comic book with the same characters and someone's going to say, "Hey! You can't use those characters. They were released under an open source license! You're making money on something that was released in a free package."

Is that silly?

Would someone have legal grounds to say that?

Would GPL or LGPL make a difference?

[Lykurg]

I am not a lawyer, but

you are the author of the images, so you can change the license to whatever you want. So you can sell your images afterwards without any problems.

But an error I made every time again. Using LGPL means in that case, that you use Qt with the LGPL, your code and program is closed software which only must be dynamic linkable to Qt. So chose the Qt-LGPL and release your application and/or/only the images under a proprietary license where only you hold the rights on them. Then you are totally save.

Lykurg

[fullmetalcoder]

I'd say GPL is not the best choice for the artworks. A flavour of Creative Commons probably fits better.
Anyway, as mentioned above as the author of the work (may it be code, art, docs, whatever) you are allowed to relicense it anyway you may like at any point in time but you cannot "cancel" previous licenses. Which means you could for instance make money with a comic but you could not prevent people from using the original artworks under GPL (or any other license you choose to use).