January Challenge: Create a Map for Print!

[Darken]

That is so cool. Google really rocks.

I thought everyone knew that

its got some other things built in nicely... for example:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=golden+ratio+*+4

[Steel General]

@Bryguy - How about a map of a place in your favorite book? I think even if its based off of a map in the book as long as you give credit to the original artist you should be OK.

** Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this **

[Midgardsormr]

Or you could look around in the CWBP and see if there's something in there you'd like to map.

[Gamerprinter]

Bryguy - why not create a Conquer Club styled regional map, just make it big!

GP

[bryguy]

@Bryguy - How about a map of a place in your favorite book? I think even if its based off of a map in the book as long as you give credit to the original artist you should be OK.

** Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this **

uh... idk which book is my favorite, it takes me about 3 days to read any book... from 200 pages - 900 pages, it takes me 3 days, more than 900 takes more


hmm...maybe one of the world from the Inkworld trilogy?? (Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath (Inkhert is coming out as a movie on january 23! yay!) ) but Id have to find a map for it, as the maps in the front of the books are not that good....


@--> Gamerprinter

Huh, might be able to do that, but it would have to be one that I create (maybe a map in Risk Map form? with territories and bonuses and such?)

Ive been working on a map for a challenge on Conquer Club, maybe something in that style...


So many choices! Im horrible at making choices

[Redrobes]

What I was getting at with the CC thing is that many tokens are CC licensed like say Kimmos character tokens. I was just giving warning to everyone that some people would get funny about selling maps with those tokens on them even if you created the map yourself but used lots of 3rd party tokens. So just be mindful about what tokens your popping down on the map. If those tokens came with a package then check that they say that you can create commercial maps using them. I know of a few packages where thats true and not true but its not for me to stick my neck out and make that statement for anything other than mine. And for the record, tokens shipped with the box set for mine are ok, those from the web site download are CC so not ok. (Just to make life complicated !)

For interest and since I use a lot of them... CGTextures can be used for free or commercially - BUT, it appears, not as CC (which I didn't realize)

http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=license

http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=faq

so your safe to use these textures as long as the resulting image is not CC licensed it seems.

I think the only time I would have a distinct CGTextures texture is in last months challenge entry but since I used the Dalek tokens too I wasn't going to send that to GP anyway. Weird and confusing all this licensing stuff. Hmm, gotta be careful with Ansium stuff then.

[MarkusTay]

Well what do you know - one I can actually particiapte in (and may be able to finish).

One of my earliest PS maps - and the only one that is not derivitive - was made at a really bad resolution (so low I don't think they even invented a number for it LOL). It was also pretty amateurish - although I was proud of it at the time - and I've always wanted to 're-visit' it.

This gives me the perfect excuse, and gets me away from cartographic 'writer's block' I'm having with the world map.

@Bryguy - How about a map of a place in your favorite book? I think even if its based off of a map in the book as long as you give credit to the original artist you should be OK.

** Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this **

Becasuse I mostly do Forgotten Realms maps, I am VERY familiar with this problem.

NO... you cannot use someone else's IP (Intellectual Property) for any commercial endeavor without seeking their express permission first. Derivations do not fall under 'fair useage'.

I get away with doing what I do because I do not except any money for it... even when offerred. I cannot legally except payment for a map containing IP belonging to WotC/Hasbro (except from Hasbro... but that will never happen).

[Redrobes]

I don't think people are making money from these maps. The prize is just a print of it. Its a fine line I admit and I know people got stopped from producing iced birthday cakes with disney characters on them. GP will print Annas maps and he has permission from Anna but the Greyhawk campaign world is owned. GP - does Anna have that permission or can we do 'own work' campaign world maps from books and similar stuff ?

[Gamerprinter]

The way Anna explained it to me - first know that Anna is from Sweden and their laws may be different compared to anywhere else, however, her renditions of Greyhawk is her work, not WotC. She owns them and WotC cannot stop her from creating them. Sharing her maps is different though, and the laws are a bit shakey on these grounds.

I am charging for the printing, laminating and shipping of the maps. I am not charging for the map itself - it is essentially being freely distributed. Money from sales is paying for the work in creating the print, not the map itself.

To those who own the maps, a price may be assigned for distributorship - in Anna's case however, she essentially wants to freely share her work with the world. If you order her maps, you are ordering the printing, not the map.

One cannot sell maps that one did not create, without permission from the creator.

If a client such as a member here orders a map to be printed. I am not charging them for their map, I am charging for the work of printing, finishing and shipping.

Although I do have publisher clients who have assigned a minimum surcharge over and above my map printing charges (which I pay them monthly), almost all the publishers work that I print, there is no surcharge - the maps are available freely, you just pay for the printed work.

I have an attorney and these issues have been discussed. In many ways the work that I offer sits outside the laws, in that the laws specifically apply to those taking ownership where they don't have the right. I am not taking ownership at all. I am only offering a print service.

Believe me, if WotC called for a cease and desist order on Anna's maps, I would stop immediately. Anna has tried to contact WotC, with no response.

That's where I sit in the legal issues involved here. So unless I'm told otherwise I will continue to offer Gamer Printshop services.

GP

[Redrobes]

Ok so doing a book map is ok for this challenge. Its important to me as this is looking like what I want to do. Own work completely but of a book map - not WotC in this case and I want to give the map out freely its never going to be charged for. Thats ok then yeah ?