Q: I'm an underage game developer on Roblox. I didn't get fully paid. Is the content I made still legally mine?
I was told I would be paid a commission fee and a percentage of revenue. I only received the commission and was told I would not get my percentage. The exact role I had was the lead animator. I took the animations from one program and edited them before importing them into the game engine. In addition I animated a few different animations myself that are used in game. Are the animations I imported technically mine and would allow for ground of a dmca takedown request and are the animations I made still my property. The game is extremely successful and if I can threaten a DMCA takedown I could get my payment.
A:
As the creator of the animations, you are likely the owner of the copyright in those animations, regardless of whether they were created using another program or were edited from existing animations. However, the exact terms of your agreement with the game developer may affect your rights in the animations.
If you were not fully paid for your work, you may have legal options to seek payment for the work you performed. You may want to consider consulting with a lawyer to review your agreement with the game developer and explore your options for seeking payment.
It is also important to note that filing a DMCA takedown request may not be a guaranteed solution to this issue. The DMCA provides a mechanism for copyright owners to request the removal of infringing content from online platforms, but it is not a substitute for seeking payment for your work.
In summary, you may have rights to the animations you created, but the specific terms of your agreement with the game developer may affect your rights. It may be helpful to consult with a lawyer to explore your options for seeking payment and protecting your rights in the animations.
Marcos Garciaacosta agrees with this answer
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
