Legal Information, in more depth.

[IHaveRegistered]

I hope this counts as on-topic. I believe it is. Sorry if it’s not.

As we all know RunUO is a completely legal program.
There is a complete legal page on the website if many of us don't know it yet. http://www.runuo.com/legal.php?page=license I am doing this because of my brother (Once more) Still seems to believe that RunUO is illegal, so i'm going to prove him wrong, again, for many, many reasons.

One reason for RunUO being legal is is the part where, on purchace and installation of Ultima Online TM, you agree to all of their terms and conditions. When you PAY for it, there are differen't terms and conditions. Called the "UO Terms of Service" on the webpage, here is the link to their webpage providing the terms and service upon paying for the game, and playing on Ultima Onlines servers. http://uo.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/uo.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=20 If you look at 5(d), you will see that it is illegal to “create or provide any other means through which Ultima Online may be played by others” THAT IS IF YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE GAME!!!!!

So I just thought. ‘Well hell! We’re not paying for it, so we’re not agreeing to that license!’ http://www.uo.com/agreement.html 5(c)

You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Software, including any proprietary communications protocol used by the Software.

For this quote, we aren’t ‘decompiling’ or ‘dissembling’ their software, we’re using our own made scripts (And the glorious scripts from RunUO) to have the graphics from Ultima OnlineTM move, do as we wish, etc etc.

I believe I’m done my half, Am I correct?
-Thank you all
-Azmodan

[psz]

Not quite.

It is NOT legal to use the sounds, art, names, maps or likenesses of EA owned things without their permission.

*BUT* if you use custom art, sounds, maps, etc, it is legal, thus making RunUO itself legal. How you use it is another story.

Combined with using a third party client (KUOC, Iris, etc), and you end up not using ANY EA software at all.

[IHaveRegistered]

So all you would need is a 'cusom' graphics, and then it's legal? HA! Guess what i got! lol

[psz]

Custom art AND sound AND music AND map. By art I mean EVERY Mobile, Static, and Item would have to be replaced with custom versions. (Similar to the UODesktop enhancements with the replacement weapons and armour)

[IHaveRegistered]

Damn. lol. I guess i should get started! lmao... here comes the rocking stick figures! Now in 256 different colours! lmao

[Aenima]

including any proprietary communications protocol used by the Software

That means that creating RunUO software is illegal, as we're using.. guess what? EA's communications protocol!

[IHaveRegistered]

:\ My brother dosen't have to know that... lmao

[psz]

Krrios could write a custom version of RunUO to go along with a custom version of his client that uses (slightly) different protocols ;->

[IHaveRegistered]

That would be awsome! lol.
I thaught it was legal though. Because didn't Ultima Online try to sue one of the emulator creators about 3 years ago (i think it was that long ago...) but they coulden't continue because they didn't have a case?

[Aenima]

I don't recall hearing anything about that.

[Aenima]

You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Software

How did Krrios get to know the Ultima Online file formats? How to read the MUL files? Hmm... I believe the MUL files are a part of the software.

[IHaveRegistered]

I'm pretty sure something like that happend. Ultima Online was going to press charges, but coulden't because they had no case.

Either that or i'm more crazy than i thaught... :\

[psz]

They threatened some old UOX3 servers that charged for accounts. They shut down. That's about all I've ever heard.

[IHaveRegistered]

*feuf* Now i don't have to go to a psyche hospital! lol

They threatened some old UOX3 servers that charged for accounts. They shut down. That's about all I've ever heard.

But we're not making them pay, so would it really count?
Either way! Would Ultima Online really even CARE?!

By the way, i like how this topic is going in such nice amount of depth :P lol

These discussions are pointless, every aspect has been looked into by many people.

RunUO is 100% completely legal. How you use it is up to you, if you want to use it for something that OSI prohibits, so be it.

As for OSI's "laws". I would also like to see an actual case where a "click-through" agreement actually won. I know of several that have not www.slashdot.org

[IHaveRegistered]

So in other words no one can tell if it's legal or not? Well... it's Un-deciphered for now. I hope it becomes legal if anything. Until then. It's legal enough for me! lol

No, it is 100% legal.

Like I said, how you use it is up to you.


Ping utilities are 100% legal. However, they can be used for illegal activities like DOSing a server. That doesn't make the utility any less legal than before, it just makes your activities illegal.

[IHaveRegistered]

Ping utilities are 100% legal. However, they can be used for illegal activities like DOSing a server. That doesn't make the utility any less legal than before, it just makes your activities illegal.

DOSing a server? Meaning trying to hack it? That would oviously be illegal.

Exactly, but that does not make the Utility Illegal. Understand?

[David]

I think folks are also mistaking civil liability issues with legal issues. It is not "illegal" to disagree with another party in a licensing issue.

[mebane2]

As I recall I heard that at one point OSI released it's protocal information thus opening up the freeshard emulators. Which is prob why later they added encryption. Which of course RunUO doesn't use. Since UOGateway doesn't actually modify any files of the UO client (as far as I know) but just redirects the client to a different set of files I think that is clean too.

So making RunUO is 100% legal. As is running a freeshard. The only thing that may be illegal is connecting to it with an EA client. And even if that is true, EA would have to go to a freeshard you log in, get the owner to let them know who is using there client, and they could maybe sue individuals. But there ain't no way they are gonna go after people just connecting with a client. At most they might paruse websites of freeshards and try to connect names of players with people on OSI shards and ban them.

But the fact is they would still be cutting off there nose to spite there face. I am sure that prob most of the $ they make off UO is through software sales not active accounts. Its certainly been about there only strength given the fate of many other of their online experaments.

[Yurup]

I am sure that prob most of the $ they make off UO is through software sales not active accounts.

I'm not sure about that. If that was their main source of income why would they let people download AOS for free?

[psz]

WAY more comes from accounts than the software. They only charge $10 for the software. And, as Yurup said, they've had it for free download for MONTHS now.

[PheonixSquadron]

The only thing that may be illegal is connecting to it with an EA client.

From what I heard, the UOgamers staff is using the OSI god client. Unless they've asked for permission to use it, im pretty sure thats illegal.

Originally Posted by PheonixSquadron

From what I heard, the UOgamers staff is using the OSI god client. Unless they've asked for permission to use it, im pretty sure thats illegal.

That does not make RunUO illegal though. Plus your "heard" is about as reliable as my "spirit visions". Don't believe everything you hear.