Oolite Bulletins

There is that great website for Indie games called IndieDB or ModDB. Screenshots and builds and all sorts of stuff can be easily uploaded.

Maybe it would be a good idea to set up an Oolite page there?
For example Pioneer (formerly a Frontier remake) has a page. It would definitely help with exposure and bringing in more fans!

Oolite already has a page in the Indie section at SpaceSimCentral, but more is better.. good idea.

Ok, I've read through their terms of service and it seems someone from the team must set up the page first (downloads, screenshots and the like can later be submitted by any members of the community)

2.3 You warrant that you are the owner or creator of any User Developed Content, or any User Generated Content you choose to upload, or that you have received permission from the owner or creator of any such content to make such submissions and to licence that content as set out in this clause

Cim? A_C?

I already have an account over there but I'd need your permission to set up the page myself...

The specifics of "as set out in this clause" being:

2. Use and ownership of user provided content

2.1 All rights in any games, addons, modifications and related downloadable content that you upload for distribution via the System ('User Developed Content'), remain with the owner of such material unless otherwise agreed in writing. You grant to DBolical:

2.1.1 a non exclusive, and sub-licensable licence in all rights in the User Developed Content necessary to facilitate the distribution of the User Developed Content via the System; and

2.1.2 the right to use still images, graphics or any other audio, visual or audio visual elements contained the User Developed Content for the purposes of promotion of the System only.

Oolite is GPL software. We can't grant extra rights on top of that license without the permission of all copyright holders (and there are a lot of them, so that's not practical)

Reading the GPL, it should give them "all necessary" redistribution rights, and is non-exclusive. It is not sub-licensable, but has terms which achieve similar effect. However, whether DBolical share that opinion will depend on exactly what rights "all necessary" means for their lawyers. You'll have to ask them - if they're willing to "facilitate distribution" under GPL terms, then they already have permission. Otherwise, they don't, and we aren't able to grant special rights.

The specific terms in GPL version 2 that they might be concerned with, at a quick glance are:

• 3 - requirement to also distribute source code, and they'd have to use 3a for that since we don't make offers under 3b that they can rely on under 3c
• 4 and 6 - no rights provided except under GPL, additional terms not imposable on redistribution, no sub-licensing allowed

GPL version 3 has similar restrictions.

Oh, it sucks. I'm not well-versed in the legalese, but I'll shoot a question on their forums. Maybe someone will come and clarify whether games under GPL can be uploaded to the site or not.

The answer I got today is:

Nay, that clause seems only to be worded in a very confusing way.

Not only you can upload GPL releases here, as long as all GPL copyright and author notices are preserved unchanged in release files, but the original authors can also request downloads to be taken down by the site staff without any hassle.

DBolical cannot take your or anybody's (copy)rights or author rights, and the site is completely out of conflict with GPL terms. (EDIT: distributing GPL games and engines here has to be under GPL terms without any need for extra rights.)

As TheHappyFriar mentioned, there are dozens of GPL games both on Desura and DBs (Mod DB, Indie DB) and so far there were no problems with publishing any of them (only with the unclear wording of publishing terms a couple of times, this is not the first time).

So I think there should be no problem with starting an Oolite page on ModDB. To minimize hassle, I suggest a_c or cim set up the bare bones page with a build or two (I suggest 1.77 and the most recent nightly) and I'll help with filling out the news/screenshots etc.