Hey guys, I was wondering if I was allowed to use UGC-generated hair for character creation in my game (The character creation part of the game won’t be monetized). I read on other related forum posts that I should get in contact with the creators…but in the case that I can’t will I still have my game potentially taken down if I decide to use UGC-generated hair?
I would highly advise you to ask the creators of the UGC items.
Although it’s unlikely your game will be removed for adding UGC items without permission, it’s not an ethical game making practice.
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I searched in the terms of use of roblox but found nothing related about UGC objects having copyright or anything like that.
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This is referring to all UGC (which would include places, models, shirts & pants… anything that is user generated, including UGC catalog accessories.)
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Regardless of whether or not you monetize it, you can only use UGC if you’ve been given explicit permission to use it by its owner. If you cannot contact a UGC owner and you decide to use their content without permission, they can file a DMCA request against your game (which can lead to strikes against your account if the request is valid).
Extract from the Terms of Use:
For any UGC that Creator has ever created or will create and makes available through the Services (…) Creator retains all copyrights that Creator may hold in the UGC (…) Creator may be asked if Creator would like to share such UGC with other Users. Creator is not required to share Creator’s UGC, but if Creator does agree to grant this right then other Users may use Creator’s UGC to create their own Experiences and other UGC on the Service without any obligation to Creator.
Just be respectful of copyright. If somebody doesn’t tell you if you can or cannot use their content, this isn’t implied permission - you haven’t been given the rights so you shouldn’t use it.
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I recommend you just contact the creators. Although it is a tedious process (they usually take forever to respond), it won’t make you in risk of getting copyright issues.
If all else fails just use Roblox’s humongous already-existing category of their own hair assets.
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Thanks for digging in the ToS for this. I suspected it was in there but I couldn’t find it.
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That is the only thing related to the word UGC in the terms of use of roblox
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No. Roblox has referred to other content as UGC, not just the catalog UGC program.
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Yes, but that’s the only thing related to the word UGC. search for “UGC” here.
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Thank you for this detailed response! But I would like to point out that other games such as Meep City uses the Roblox catalog allowing players to customize themselves with UGC hairs and accessories. I doubt Meep City developers would get in contact with every UGC creator because that would be incredibly tedious. So how did they manage to keep the game up for so many years without any form of DMCA requests from the creators?
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This question is based on speculation - there’s nothing to suggest MeepCity didn’t get permission to use any UGC accessories. Even if the game features content it doesn’t have the rights to use, this shouldn’t concern you or tempt you to do the same thing - see the Common Misconceptions subheading in this article:
Other people are doing it!
Just because others violate copyright law (and don’t get caught) does not mean you should follow their example. You may still be liable for copyright infringement, even if you believe that “others are doing it too.”
UGC creators (to my knowledge) tend to have no issue with responding to requests to use their content, but they appreciate people who respect copyright and ask them instead of using their work without permission. Instead of worrying about other games, focus on your own circumstances. If you’re mindful of copyright and intellectual property (even if this forces you to tediously contact UGC creators - many of whom will happily respond) then you won’t be risking DMCA strikes against your account. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
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Nothing bad will happen. Once put on roblox, it can be use by anyone for any use. Including making games. If the ugc creator has a problem with it then it’s their fault for publishing it. You dont need to ask for permission either
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Please don’t spread misinformation. Uploading an accessory to Roblox to sell for people to wear on their avatar does not mean it is open-source whatsoever. Buying a shirt doesn’t give you the rights to use the shirt however you like - only to wear it. The same applies to UGC accessories.
UGC creators have retained all copyright over their content for years. If the Terms of Use excerpt from my reply doesn’t make this clear then feel free to ask any UGC creators, Top Contributors, Community Sages, or anybody who is well-versed on the matter for further clarification.
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ah ok. Didn’t know. thx for the information
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Ahh, I see. Yeah, that makes sense. I’ve come in contact with a few UGC creators these past few days and they gave permission to use them, but for those that I can’t message (Only their friends can message them) what should I do in that case?
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Message them on the DevForum, not on the Roblox website. Most developers with any fanbase (UGC creators especially) don’t tend to keep their Roblox messages open publicly because of high volume and spam, so if you’re not using forum DMs, this is probably why you’re finding it tedious.
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Alright, thanks for your input! I’ll try my best to message each UGC creator.
Might be a dumb question, but would it be okay to use UGC that is available in the toolbox for my games such as clothing and accessories? (The free models containing UGC were not uploaded by the original creators of the assets)