Is it legal?

**Aura** · August 15, 2015, 06:37 AM

Is it legal to ripping and adding some Lord of The Rings movie scenes to mod? Just curiosity...

**Dutch-Balrog** · August 15, 2015, 09:12 AM

non-profit stuff, doesnt hurt anything

**ElvenKind** · August 15, 2015, 03:44 PM

If you have played TATW, you could see all those pictures from LOTR movies when you load your campaign, or go to battle. So, as D-B said it, yes, it should be legal.

Unless stated otherwise..

**alreadyded** · August 15, 2015, 11:54 PM

For video and sound clips it has to be 30 seconds max or something like that to be "free use" I believe. Because this mod is not for profit (more specifically it doesn't affect Warner Bros. profit or compete with their LOTR games) Warner Bros. doesn't care so legality is meh

. Basically this mod is off the radar since it is made for such an old game that was never very popular to begin with, most likely WBs doesn't even know it exists since it doesn't compete with them. Making a mod for Skyrim would draw more attention and compete with WB's products (potentially reduce game sales) which is why the Skyrim LOTR mod got threatened with a law suit and shut down. I don't think they even used anything from the movies either, it is all about distribution rights and profits.

As far as this website's TOS goes I am not sure. I have seen a few mods deleted because they simply added the whole soundtrack from the movies, which is illegal anywhere to upload that or download it unless you already own it. Also what is the point? You can just turn the music off in game and play the soundtrack on itunes

. Personally I would just do what you want and not advertise that you did it when you do release it...

**Aura** · August 16, 2015, 10:24 AM

Well I know mods which deleted due copyright issues (copyin some material from a game to a med2 mod). I see no difference here. What is the privilege of Third Age?

**Diocle** · August 16, 2015, 11:08 AM

Listen Aura, on youtube there are tons, and when I say tons I mean exactly tons of videos taken from the LotR movies, everywhere on the net you can find sites showing materials from the movies, I don't think there is any copyright infringement if you use few minutes taken from the movies.

I don't think the Mod TATW is using any privilege compared to any other Mod Team on TWC.

**Ngugi** · August 16, 2015, 01:32 PM

Nothing to get excited about, this.

If WB knock on the door and demand TATW-links taken down, so TWC will do.

TWC can't and won't handle a lawsuit for such a matter.
Just as submods to TATW been taken down because it used content from other games and (without permissions) mods where creators/right holders reported in on it, or for example we ourselves spotted mods that, as mentioned, used complete songs from movies which is just plain forbidden, without ambigiouty to rule interpetation.
TATW itself stick to the ambigious path of fair use for non-commercial purpose, using only snippets of film, parts of music and images from said movies.

The question is not "What is the privilege of Third Age?" but "Will Warner Bro's care any day in the future?".
That they taken no action may be because of what alreadyded speculate, but I think they likely know about TATW. All people who yelled "But TATW exist too" when the Skyrim mod was taken down seemed with some impressive logic to belive that it somehow could in result in WB saying "Oh, there are other unlicensed mods out there? Sorry, our bad, you keep going!" instead of more likely "Then we close that too." and who would won on that? No one at all, naturally.
Personally I think additonally the fact that TATW (3.0) is released and downloaded (on ModDB, since TATW is not uploaded here ofc) by around a million people already simply made/make it pointless to bother to try and close a non-competetive mod to an obsolete game.

But for sure, if that day come, TATW-links on TWC will be down, too.

**Veteraan** · August 16, 2015, 02:08 PM

Well there was of course the Westeros Cease and Desist case which is definitely an interesting example of links only temporarily being down.

I think TATW is reasonably save (at least if TinCow will rise to the challenge again when called for).

Links:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...d-Announcement

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...a-release-date

**Aura** · August 16, 2015, 02:14 PM

It's nice to know TATW is safe for now.

Thanks for the information people appreciated...

**Vifarc** · August 19, 2015, 11:57 AM

If it is legal, it may be forbidden in the EULA.
Usually software must not be modified in any way.
But companies had few ways to enforce it, and it is bad commerce to sue customers for enjoyed stuff.
So companies decided to use Steam(works) as a DRM to controle the modifications. That's why you can no longer have excellent mods such as ThirdAge now.