News - New WG WoWS EULA is announced

[Tpaktop2_1 NA]

I was going into port checking out a ship and then there is a new EULA going into effect 11/30/2023. You can read it here

A few items I noted:

• 9.3.8 you must not make, or seek to make, any commercial use or profit out of the Fansite Content (including for example by selling subscriptions to your Fansite) without our prior written consent.

Tpaktop2_1: So will WG go after YouTube over my videos on my channel? Because I am not making any money of the WoWS content.

• 10. User Generated Content

Tpaktop2_1: That is some killer stuff there. I mean account killer stuff.

It looks like the PLAYER CONTENT POLICY is changing mostly:
https://legal.na.wargaming.net/en/player-content-policy

I wish WG would mark the difference in what is being amended or changed.

[Ensign Cthulhu]

16 minutes ago, Tpaktop2_1 NA said:

So will WG go after YouTube over my videos on my channel?

Youtube isn't a fansite.

17 minutes ago, Tpaktop2_1 NA said:

10. User Generated Content

I think what WG generally means here is "Don't be a jerk while streaming our game. If we catch you at it, the jerk behaviour is on you and you'll suffer consequences up to and including account deletion." 

 

@Lord_Zath As a CC and monetized streamer, can you sort out the OP's concerns?

 

[HogHammer]

18 minutes ago, Tpaktop2_1 NA said:

I wish WG would mark the difference in what is being amended or changed.

That would have been nice.

That being said, I would believe 99% of people do not read EULAs.  It's just easier to scroll down and accept.

I just read the entire new set a little while ago (first time in total).

[Arcus_Aesopi]

36 minutes ago, Tpaktop2_1 NA said:

I was going into port checking out a ship and then there is a new EULA going into effect 11/30/2023. You can read it here

A few items I noted:

• 9.3.8 you must not make, or seek to make, any commercial use or profit out of the Fansite Content (including for example by selling subscriptions to your Fansite) without our prior written consent.

Tpaktop2_1: So will WG go after YouTube over my videos on my channel? Because I am not making any money of the WoWS content.

• 10. User Generated Content

Tpaktop2_1: That is some killer stuff there. I mean account killer stuff.

It looks like the PLAYER CONTENT POLICY is changing mostly:
https://legal.na.wargaming.net/en/player-content-policy

I wish WG would mark the difference in what is being amended or changed.

That could be read to mean that you cannot use WoWS for YouTube or Twitch content without WG's consent.  It wouldn't matter if you're making money or not, just whether ads get shown or paid subs... which both platforms utilize.

Really sad... 

[Kawaii_shirasu_azusa]

Is it a rule that you don’t have ownership of your own account?

They even imagined a situation where players cheated community managers, rather than the other way around

Edited November 13, 2023 by Kawaii_shirasu_azusa

[MysticalWar]

I don't think I have to worry about this my video's seem decent enough and show the fun of Wows with the music to hopefully bring people into wows.

[Frostbow]

1 hour ago, Tpaktop2_1 NA said:

9.3.8 you must not make, or seek to make, any commercial use or profit out of the Fansite Content (including for example by selling subscriptions to your Fansite) without our prior written consent.

I wonder if YouTube channels such as "World of Warships Best Replays" are covered by that. (Not sure also if the YouTube channel is eligible for earnings.)

[Aragathor]

Why do I have that weird feeling, that WG wants to go after anyone criticizing them, by using the changed EULAs? Like a certain Finn?

 

EDIT: So it looks like it's a nothing burger judging by the post below.

Edited November 13, 2023 by Aragathor

[HogHammer]

2 hours ago, HogHammer said:

That would have been nice.

That being said, I would believe 99% of people do not read EULAs.  It's just easier to scroll down and accept.

I just read the entire new set a little while ago (first time in total).

Well I messed up a little. I re-read, and the changes are listed.  (Forgive me, I initially rushed over the document)

Changes are at the following section numbers:

[This clause 10.6 enters into force on 30 November 2023.]

10.6 Please refer to our Player Content Policy for more information on how you may create and share User Generated Content.
 

[This clause 13.4 enters into force on 30 November 2023.]

13.4 For security purposes and to avoid retaining data that is no longer needed, we may also terminate or delete your Account if it has been inactive for at least ten (10) years. We will provide you with notice to the email address you used to register your Account that your Account has been marked for termination or deletion within forty-five (45) days. If you were notified that your Account will be terminated or deleted due to inactivity, you can avoid termination or deletion by logging in to your Account and restoring your Account. If your account is deleted, we may allow new players to create an account using the nickname previously associated with your deleted account.

That is really about it.  There are a few small edits.  The two clauses above are the main change.  That's it!

Here is the player context policy referenced above:  Legal Documentation | Wargaming.net

 

[I_cant_Swim_]

Proof-reading has its upsides.

Here's a bit that seems to invalidate itself:

10.4 You are solely responsible for your UGC and the consequences of posting or publishing UGC. By
posting or publishing UGC on or through the Resources, you affirm, represent, and warrant that:
10.4.1 any part of the UGC which comprises or incorporates any of our intellectual property rights
remains our property and, as between us and you, we own the UGC which you create that is a derivative
work of our intellectual property rights;
10.4.2 you are the creator of or otherwise own the rights in the UGC that you make available to or
through the Resources, or, for any UGC that is owned by a third party, you have the express authorization
of such third party to upload such UGC to or through the Resources;
10.4.3 no item of UGC that you upload infringes the intellectual property rights or privacy or any other
rights of anyone else or is illegal or breaches this EULA;
10.4.4 you waive and agree not to assert any moral rights or similar rights you may have in UGC;

 

in other words, 1) you are solely responsible for posting user-generated content (UGC), which you own, but: you grant Wargaming the right to modify and use such content. But you are responsible for the consequences.

See the conflict? Oh, of course you can fix that, but it isn't formulated well, is it.

 

[invicta2012]

The key word here is "Resources".  These are the facilities which WG runs to promote the game (i.e the old forums, or the current WG Discord site).

WG doesn't run your channel on YouTube and so all that matters there is your use of their IP and Fansite Material on your channels and those terms doesn't seem especially unreasonable. 

[Lord_Zath]

I'm going live soon, and if people want, we can always do a Zath Chat, so c'mon in.

My take on this - WG is making it easier to go after people they don't like.

Quote

2.11. We reserve the right to take legal action against players that misuse our games or other Wargaming IP.

2.12. We can revoke at any time, at our sole discretion, and for any reason, the right to use Wargaming IP to create and share Player Content.

2.13. We reserve the right to take down Player Content which is non-compliant with this Policy.

For most streamers/youtubers, this isn't a big deal. For those who go too far, WG has more tools to remove the content or more. 

Quote

Wargaming has the right to request access to Player Content behind any paywall, which you agree to provide without delay and free of charge

That's concerning b/c they can force videos that are YT member only or on Patreon to go public. I doubt that'll happen much unless they hear about it.

Quote

This work includes trademarks and/or copyrighted works that are the exclusive property of Wargaming. All rights reserved by Wargaming. This work is unofficial and is not endorsed by Wargaming.

^ This will now be part of my default description on all YT videos. This is the only change I'll be making. 

Everything else... it really doesn't apply to most of us. Even if it did, it would cost WG a lot in time and money to pursue action. So it has to be rather egregious. Like if potential sponsors do a search on World of Warships on YT and find a video that discourages their partnership. Fortunately (unfortunately?), I don't see any of my videos showing up in the top 100 from a basic search.

[HMS_Kilinowski]

On 11/19/2023 at 6:15 PM, Lord_Zath said:

That's concerning b/c they can force videos that are YT member only or on Patreon to go public. I doubt that'll happen much unless they hear about it.

The clause says, they have the right to gain access, which does not require to make that content publicly available. My guess is that if they want to check, whether exclusive content complies with their rules, they must be able to see and inspect it. One cannot expect WG to subscribe to certain channels or become premium members or patreons and pay for exclusive content just to inspect it.