Is it illegal
It''s probably already been said, but you cannot use copyrighted music in a game, unless you got the music legally, and you are not distibuting it to others.
related to Doc''s post:
the use of those MUSIC and IMAGE files is perfectly legal, because USE of copywritten material is not limited, just distribution and copying. If USE was illegal, phillips wouldn''t be able to sell CD players , and as far as the images and sounds go, all FreeCraft and such are is just really complicated "viewer" programs.
now of course those programs may (and probably do) violate some rights of the original company, realated to the GAME .. but not the media. But luckily it is a very grey area, because games are idea, and therefore not copywritable, only the actual source code is copywritten ... so ONLY if the writters of the game have had access to the source code would they be infringing the copywright - this is how copywrite differs from patents .. in patents, you can violated them without ever knowing they exist at all, in copywright, they must show that you had access to the original work (or that you easily could have), or you have not commited infringement.
For instance, if I redraw a famous paiting I''ve seen, it''s infringement (violating the dirivative work section)... but if somebody in the Amazon jungle who had never seen the orginal, drew the same exact thing, it is not.
the use of those MUSIC and IMAGE files is perfectly legal, because USE of copywritten material is not limited, just distribution and copying. If USE was illegal, phillips wouldn''t be able to sell CD players , and as far as the images and sounds go, all FreeCraft and such are is just really complicated "viewer" programs.
now of course those programs may (and probably do) violate some rights of the original company, realated to the GAME .. but not the media. But luckily it is a very grey area, because games are idea, and therefore not copywritable, only the actual source code is copywritten ... so ONLY if the writters of the game have had access to the source code would they be infringing the copywright - this is how copywrite differs from patents .. in patents, you can violated them without ever knowing they exist at all, in copywright, they must show that you had access to the original work (or that you easily could have), or you have not commited infringement.
For instance, if I redraw a famous paiting I''ve seen, it''s infringement (violating the dirivative work section)... but if somebody in the Amazon jungle who had never seen the orginal, drew the same exact thing, it is not.
Just to clearify the above post. You might be able to use it in a game for yourself but if you distribute it then you are breaking the law.
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