NationStates Jolt Archive

Terms of Service...


When you submit content to NationStates.net, you grant the site and its administrator(s) a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to reproduce, distribute, transmit, and publicly display such content.

The portion of the content of this web site that has not been submitted by users is copyright under international law Max Barry 2002-2003.


I have a few concerns about this, and would like clarification. When I signed onto nationstates, I used the name 'zoogies' and various variations of it that I use when I sign on to virtually any forum....I also had an old website (but that host went down, and so did the site :() based on random, senseless stories that me and a friend made regarding a culture that we named 'zoogies.'

When I roleplay here, I didn't use anything from that 'world' that we had already created, because it was a fantasy/medieval/ancient history setting...and had never really mentioned (can't be positive) the meaning of zoogie in its original context...does this still mean that the Max has the sole, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to reproduce, transmit, and distribut e and publicly display things regarding 'zoogies' and 'zoogiedom' and 'the zoogie people' and such?

I don't mind if he did anything from my roleplays - well, I couldn't imagine why, but I wouldn't mind - but I just want to make sure that the other 'zoogies' identity is still mine...

This is not a legally binding answer, because I'm not a lawyer, but:

Don't worry.

Basically this means that you can't sue us for distributing the webpages that you've posted on to the world. We have no intentions (last I checked at least :-D) of stealing anyone's ideas.

I don't know why Max Barry would want to publicize anything I wrote but if he did would I be notified?

I don't know why Max Barry would want to publicize anything I wrote but if he did would I be notified?

He wouldn't legally have to. Whatever we write is his as long as the Terms of Service is a binding contract and legal (flawless). If he did end up stealing an idea, I doubt he'd admit it, for it would ruin his career. I keep all my stuff I write saved on my computer and on another site anyhow though...so if he ended up stealing stuff (we're two pretty different writers...so I doubt he would) I'd drag his face through the mud.

That being said, I tend to flatter myself...so who knows if I'm even good enough to copy?

I actually had a similar discussion with a lawyer friend of mine, regarding this issue. This is essentially called intellectual property and it's what it sounds like.

What I interpret the ToS to mean is, basically, "You play on Nationstates, you are publicly displaying it to the world. And (Max Barry) can perhaps borrow some of the material you use, but only on the site."

Notice how the ToS says "nationstates.net" and my interpretation says "on the site"?

If he was going to use our material in novels, we could possibly sue him (it's a legal matter and I am not a lawyer!) for stealing our "intellectual property".

The ToS basically means it's all public, he might refer to it and use it on the site. Perhaps the best example of this is player submitted issues...

Don't matter to me.

I think this thread spawned from a thread I created. I stated that I would be writing a novel, possibly involving characters and the like from my stories here on NS.

I think the real question is this: can we use material that was posted by us on this site for something like a novel?

A couple random notes that aren't supposed to mean much of anything ...

- The forums are no longer hosted by Max, they are on Jolt servers. Since I don't know much of anything about this, though, I'm not sure how this would affect any of that stuff. It would probably also depend on whatever agreement Max has with Jolt.

- Max payed out of his pocket for NS for quite a while, and if he wants to take a couple of ideas then hope they help him get back some of the cash he lost keeping us here.

I think the real question is this: can we use material that was posted by us on this site for something like a novel?

That was something touched on in my Web Design course... I believe the lawyer guy would've said, yes we can. A web site is, if I remember correctly, goes under the whole Internet Freedom stuff. Individual nations can proscribe blocks of certain materials (like Australia banning online gambling)...


It's sorta splitting hairs, but I believe that, because of the ToS, everything we do here is in the "public domain". "The people" now "own" everything we say here. So the first person to take the materials and publish it, would theoretically be the first to "copyright" the material. In theory.

A judge might throw the case out and any wangling of "that's mine!" would turn into a moral victory, not a legal one...

A couple random notes that aren't supposed to mean much of anything ...

- The forums are no longer hosted by Max, they are on Jolt servers. Since I don't know much of anything about this, though, I'm not sure how this would affect any of that stuff. It would probably also depend on whatever agreement Max has with Jolt.

- Max payed out of his pocket for NS for quite a while, and if he wants to take a couple of ideas then hope they help him get back some of the cash he lost keeping us here.
Since the servers are in the UK, it all falls under UK law.

Since the servers are in the UK, it all falls under UK law.
Times like these I'm glad I'm not a lawyer. However little I know about US law, I know even less about UK law.

There's nothing to be worried about. Max Barry isn't going to nick all your ideas. These terms are only in place so that no one tries to get money for their issue being accepted.

There's nothing to be worried about. Max Barry isn't going to nick all your ideas. These terms are only in place so that no one tries to get money for their issue being accepted.
why would they do that? that's just dumb :confused:

Heh, does anyone else remember this news item?

http://www.nationstates.net/news/2003/05/11/index.html#legal

There's nothing to be worried about. Max Barry isn't going to nick all your ideas. These terms are only in place so that no one tries to get money for their issue being accepted.

Whew, thanks. I'd hate to write a book just to find out it's illegal.

Even if NationStates tried to take anything from our RPs, technology, opinions, or whatever, I think they would still need to credit whoever made it up...

I think this thread spawned from a thread I created. I stated that I would be writing a novel, possibly involving characters and the like from my stories here on NS.

I think the real question is this: can we use material that was posted by us on this site for something like a novel?

Yeah, except you have a larger problem in that you created such a magnificent world and wrote thousands of posts of fantastic writing in your roleplays...mine was mostly inside jokes, and the only things that really mattered was the name 'zoogies.' :P Anyways, thanks Salusa...just making sure.

I think the real question is not whether Mr Berry is going to "steal" anybody's ideas posted here, but whether he could legally take them.

For example, if for whatever insane reason, he decided that the world needed a "Best of NationStates" book reprinting selections from the site, then wouldn't it be entirely within his rights to do so, without paying a nickel/ruble/shekel to those that wrote the contents?

Similarly, if someone other than he were to do so, wouldn't he be able to sue them for infringement of copyright, even if they did not use the "NationStates" title?

I wouldn't be worried about Max stealing anyone's ideas, I'd be worried about the ignorant idiots this site draws stealing them and using them elsewhere.

I wouldn't be worried about Max stealing anyone's ideas, I'd be worried about the ignorant idiots this site draws stealing them and using them elsewhere.

As I read the wording of the terms and conditions he wouldn't be stealing them, they are already his and he possesses them all legally - not that I am a lawyer or anything even vaguely approaching it...

As I read the wording of the terms and conditions he wouldn't be stealing them, they are already his and he possesses them all legally - not that I am a lawyer or anything even vaguely approaching it...

I know... I was just pointing out that people using the site are more prone than the creator to use the ideas elsewhere.

I know... I was just pointing out that people using the site are more prone than the creator to use the ideas elsewhere.

Then why the use of the word 'stealing' in connection with the site owner?