First of all, DMCA actions are initiated. One doesn’t receive a DMCA strike without a complainant filing it.
- Does terrain fall under DMCA?
Interesting question. DMCA here generally applies to code, visual material, overall appearance… Not including an idea or game mechanics.
But Roblox aims to provide effective ways to prevent straightforward copying of the assets and making rather mirror like games blatantly copying the work.
Terrain? Probably not, unless the landscape is very distinctive or includes copyrighted material(s), elements etc.
- Using other’s assets strictly for personal use.
I assume you mean assets that weren’t shared for public (re)use and without author’s permission.
Asset owners and Roblox still hold rights to the asset, so even personal use exclusively in a personal setting may be considered a copyright infringement. Owners possess the detrimental rights to use, distribution and reproduction.
The final answer mostly depends on which assets we are talking about. Assets stolen with SynapseX’s saveinstance()? Almost definitely a violation. Assets of other devs you got access to (team create, personal files, sharing, …)? Depends on specific circumstances whether it’s an infringement or not.
Analogy: You created a special fusion reactor and successfully registered a patent in most countries. Someone took the information to their garage and played with the patent description (which is and has to be publicly available), until they made an exact copy. They won’t share it with anyone. Still infringing? Most will say yes, although there are exceptions. Some countries/jurisdictions allow such personal use on certain IPs for education, innovation promoting, and other purposes. Also, the famous fair use convocation.
What I wanted to say is, depends on the circumstances, on the asset, possible exceptions. Will you get a DMCA strike? Shouldn’t happen. Will you be infringing copyright? I would operate under the assumption I am until considering every aspect.
Small disclaimer: This is not a legal advice.