I realize I’ve only just registered, but I’ve been lurking these message boards for approximately 6 months, give or take. Now, I want to bring a topic up which seems to take place quite a bit in the mIRC channel (or so I have noticed). The influx of modifications resulting to an NDA is simply astonishing. Is the world really coming to a state where absolutely no one can be trusted?
First of all, a modification is just that: a modification of a game, with intent (usually) to distribute freely. So I asked myself, why are groups of people that are bent on creating a free product becoming so tyrannical with their property? Is it because they fear people stealing their work, or for them to become the egotistical sons of bitches they truly are, and so they can place the fear factor? Too many modifications are becoming “professional”, in hopes they will get noticed by development companies. Well, I’ve got news for them, Cliffe and Gooseman didn’t get noticed by Valve because they acted professional (quite the opposite actually), but because they created a masterpiece that millions of people have downloaded, and hundreds of thousands are still playing 6 years later.
People are so paranoid that someone is going to steal their work, that they have to put stupid shit in place to protect their IP. There isn’t even a use for a damn NDA with a free product. Say if someone does actually join a team, sign an NDA, and claims work as his own and leak material to the public, which of the team members is going to waste a year of their life and thousands of dollars on a petty transgression, and the only fault caused was making the evil-doer look like an asshole?
Not only that, but if you are going to create an NDA, know how a fucking NDA works! I recently applied to a modification, unmistakably stated that I was 16, yet they send me an NDA to sign. Ok, well, an NDA isn’t legally binding (null and void) when signed by a minor (18 and under) in the United States, so it’s pretty damn useless. I realize I am quite redundant, but redundancy seems to be the only way to get my point across.
And to simply put it, an NDA for a non-commercial project is total bullshit.