Question about music

[PortalStormzzzz]

Say I make a mod for Half Life 2, but use music from Episode 2 and put the music in the mod file. is this illegal? I'm not sure about the license to use valve's music for games so I'm just wondering.

 

[Vegeta897]

I think it would be, because you'd essentially be letting anyone download it even if they don't own episode 2, or even halflife 2.

Isn't there a way to access the song within its gcf?

 

[PortalStormzzzz]

Yea, I was guessing that.

If I mod episode 2 and use Half life 2 music, I suppose it works the same way?

Is there anyway to make a mod only available to Orange box users? like some game checker or something? (kind of like when gmod says you must have counterstrike and etc installed)

 

[Vegeta897]

You could always just send an email to gabe and ask nicely. I'm sure he'd give you permission without thinking twice.

 

[PortalStormzzzz]

I'm doing that.

It's gaben@valve software.com Right?

 

[Vegeta897]

Let us ( .. me?) know how it goes!

 

[97AndyMacK]

I too would like to know. But I think you'd be fine with it, I mean, it's only game music. Now, if it were an illegal copy of the Bach Double...

 

[PortalStormzzzz]

And the message is away. hopefully a response shall come soon.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

It's illegal, unless you add a dependancy to the EP2 GCF.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Which is pretty much what most mods do (but usually with HL2 / DM). It allows you the freedom to use much of the content in those games, but obviously you are limiting your playable audience. But which guy on the planet doesn't own HL2 these days...?

 

[Vegeta897]

Yeah, that's what I was trying to get at with an earlier post, but I don't know how mods work with regard to accessing gcf files for content.

 

[VolkenM]

Game soundtracks would fall under Copyright and IP laws, such that you require the author's permission to use it in your mod before you do so. I wouldn't recommend it either way.

In my opinion, any mod would be better with its own, original soundtrack, rather than a composite of music from other games, as it helps give it identity.