I’m making a pretty large map for a commission and my client wants me to publish the map as a game so they can test it. I know that it’s pretty easy to steal a map with exploits and I don’t know if I can do anything to prevent that from happening
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Just mention your name in your map and type some copyright rules
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If you are using discord or something similar you could just stream your screen in a voice call. Then they can see the map without them having direct access to it.
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That most likely wont happen. My clients sometimes want to see it in game. You’re really over stressing. My scripts were never stolen. Stop over stressing.
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Believe me, that’s not over stressing. I know people who’s gotten their assets stolen with exploits. Better safe than sorry.
@pan_kaktu, I’d suggest sending as many screenshots as possible or screensharing.
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Send them images of the map instead.
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You cannot. Unless you detect saveinstances. You can overload a saveinstance but you will have to compromise.
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You can’t prevent it but in the event that they do, you can just file a DMCA request and ROBLOX will take it down.
In your case I honestly don’t think you have a choice. Looking at it from the game owner’s point of view, they’re probably paying you a lot of ROBUX to make this big map. They’d probably want to see it before they buy it. Screenshots give you a glimpse at portions of a map but they don’t tell the whole story. You need to give them access to the map.
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Just give it some copyright and make sure people know it’s yours.
i like to make life harder for them. save a second copy of the game to show, but press ctrl+g over and over till it takes ~500 clicks to ungroup everything. this means ur client cant edit the map to resell if they try to steal it with exploits. it also means the person they’re trying to resell it to won’t want it either lol. the og copy would still have everything ungrouped and update-able, so you’re able to continue working on it if the client wants you to change something.
or you could just dmca the game. that works too.
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It has to actually fall within the requirements, to get a copyright.
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You can’t. Don’t give them the map until they’ve paid. DMCA claims might work, but it requires you to give out your personal details and is generally a hassle to do.
This is a great suggestion:
A thief could easily write a script to un-group all of this immediately though.
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Get some part of the payment beforehand, if you don’t have any chance other than publishing it.
Just want to point out that you automatically have the copyright when you make art. It’s already yours. You don’t have to do anything to get a copyright (outside of a corporate setting, etc). It’s why you usually sign a contract to transfer ownership. That’s what they’re meant for in a legal standpoint. It’s to say “I transfer my ownership of what I made for the money I was paid for it.”
I know not everyone does contracts (though you should!!!), so it’s usually just a handshake deal to transfer ownership, which is fine for the most part so long as nothing bad happens, such as a disagreement of some sort.
Point is, everyone saying “just file a DMCA takedown request” is absolutely right here. This client cannot use your map without your permission, even if they downloaded a copy. If they make the mistake and do use it, you can appeal to Roblox and they have to take down their game. Note that the appeal process is most successful when you have a contract like I suggested above.
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A problem here:
One would be that most Roblox developers are not legally allowed to work. I have to confess that what I’m doing is illegal where I live, which is “black work”, where I don’t have a contract and hence not protected in any shape or form by the government.
I couldn’t even if I wanted to: it’s very hard to hire someone for “freelance” work, and even if you do, you must get payment in a real currency, it must get taxed (which here is 60% of the revenue) and the customer needs to have a company officially recognized in my country. none of this is valid for any job I’ve ever taken, I never ever once encountered an actually incorporated business. Not to mention the age requirement (which I do meet), but where my parents would still have to sign each and every single one of my contracts. Being under 18 also means a lot more restrictions and requirements from the company hiring me.
Maybe this is valid in the United States, but where I live - and most likely other places, too - this is the situation. The most I can do is fire a complaint to Roblox.
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I mean, I’m not going to be able to specify every situation. Obviously follow your local laws. Your situation doesn’t invalidate my advice though.
Just send them pictures. If they do steal it report them to DMCA