MS legal is okay with UT3 Master Chief mod

by Dustin Burg on Mar 27th 2008 12:15PM

The legal implications of creating a Master Chief or Marcus Fenix Unreal Tournament 3 character mod (like the ones we posted about the other day) never crossed our minds, but it did cross the Gamerscore Blog's mind and they went all the way to Microsoft's legal team to get answers. But don't worry, nobody is in trouble ... yet.

Filed under knowledge that we never knew but are now glad we do, according to Microsoft's legal team, their Microsoft Game Studios published characters and likenesses can be used for non-profit use as part of their Game Content Usage Rules that were first implemented for machinima. This allows fans to create mods like the UT3 Master Chief legally and also puts us under the impression that Microsoft's legal team isn't as ... "evil" as we all think they are. Mad props to Microsoft for being so cool, mad props to Master Chief for being so bad ass and mad props to attorneys. Without them, where would we be?

Source

Tags: bungie, bungie-studios, halo-3, master-chief, microsoft

Reader Comments (15)

"Map props to Microsoft for being so cool, mad props for Master Chief being so bad ass and mad props for attorneys."

....Maps props?????
lol

Cool...now where's the Raving Rabbids???

If Microsoft went against EPIC or Sony with this they would have had to have gone after Valve and the GMOD community. Microsoft finally realized that they gain more from not suing the living crap out of other people.

On a scale of Dictator to Gandhi I would rate Microsoft's legal team a Dick Dastardly.

Didn't they still ruin jetman?

So now, how about user mod on the 360?
come on already

So is Bungie giving the guy who did this the Recon armor for UT3? :P

I think Microsoft looks at this and says "sweet, free advertising on the PS3 and PC"

what about that halo RTS mod for C&C they shut down just before they announced their halo wars game?

So it's okay for it to be out for 360 as long as it's 400 points.

If anything, MS should sue because Master Chief looks better on the UT Mod--yes, I know it doesn't work that way.

Seriously. Look at the datail on that armor.

Umm...I'm confused. Are they talking about an actual Halo3 MOD or just a MODEL of Master Chief. PC FPS's in the past have always had all kinds MODELS from other games and properties and (as far as I know) no developer has ever been legally blamed. MODS on the other hand could potentially cause problems. Thinking back I remember a Dragonball Z mod for HL that was changed for legal reasons.