When filling out copywrite paperwork for a game,
Is there any checklist of do’s and do not’s from Epic?
Where is the line between what was made by our team and Epic Games tool set?
Anything to point me in the right direction.
While I don’t see any “Do’s & Don’t” checklist, you really need to read the EULA, which quite frankly should have been done before you ventured into producing a game with the software. This can save you time and a headache if there’s something you don’t agree with since by downloading/using the engine you are automatically bound by the EULA.
The EULA can be found here: Game-Engine-Technologie von Unreal - Unreal Engine
Specifically, in Section 10 it states
Epic or its licensors own all title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in the Engine Code and Content. You own all rights in the Products you develop under the License, other than the Engine Code and Content, Third Party Software, and any Contributions. All rights granted to you under this Agreement are granted by express license only and not by sale, and all of those rights are limited by the terms of this Agreement. No license or other rights will be created hereunder by implication, estoppel, or otherwise. Any attempted sublicense under this Agreement that is not consistent with the terms of this Agreement will be null and void.
Section 11 goes on to say:
You agree to retain and reproduce in all copies of the Licensed Technology the copyright, trademark, and other proprietary notices and disclaimers of Epic and third parties as they appear in the Engine Code and the Content.
You agree to place the following notices in the credits for any Product (replacing xxxx with the current year):
“[Product name] uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere”
“Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 - xxxx, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.”
Hope this helps!
From your question, it sounds like you’re asking about filing a copyright application with the US Copyright Office or some foreign equivalent. JTSmith is correct that Section 10 addresses what Epic owns. You are not permitted to claim the Licensed Technology in your copyright application. But at least in the US, your application can disclaim coverage of preexisting copyrighted content.
Thank for helping me out on this!
Thanks for your help answering this!