Copyright on unity asset store

omegadrakk

Hi,
I have an asset I wish to sell on the unity asset store but I wish to know, do I need to put the copyright on every source code file that make the asset or just one main file is sufficient?

EvanGreenwood

I don't think putting a copyright into every source code file is going to make a difference to someone who is inclined to breach your copyright.

The Unity Asset Store copyright policy will cover it, and human decency... But having your name in there, as well as the support details is a good idea. But I don't think you *need* to put it in every file.

LexAquillia

@Blackships is right. One thing you might want to do is "seed" your code with and identifier that you will know iris yours, but that is probably overkill. By virtue of the fact that you created the code means you own the copyright, you don't need to place the copyright notice on every little thing to assert your copyright .

farsicon

I would suggest compiling and obfuscating code instead of using script files - if you really have something worth protecting. Apart from that, look at licencing in your package. I'm not sure what the options are, but that's where I'll start. Most of the time people who buy things tend not to re-distribute them, but it helps to be careful to protect your IP in some cases.

hermantulleken

Keep in mind that your code can be a powerful marketing tool. Rather use a DLL if you want to obfuscate. If source is important to your customers, they would be more appreciative of clean code that is clear to understand and modify. Maybe only a small percentage of your customers would care; but perhaps that one customer moved to write a positive review can have a big impact on sales.

Another thing to keep in mind is what exactly are you selling. If you are just selling the convenience of pre-written code; that is one thing. But if you are also selling future expansion and support, that is quite another. People don't (necessarily) pay for code; they also pay for your understanding; something that is quite hard to pirate.

Elyaradine

I know we'd never buy code if we were unable to edit it or see deep down what it was doing with our assets and the rest of our codebase.

If you obfuscate and hide your code, you're going to lose potential customers. If people want to steal your stuff, they're going to do it whether you obfuscate or not. I don't see the point in inconveniencing or alienating genuine customers to make it harder for people who'd steal your work anyway (except if their stealing your work somehow made it worse for your real customers).

omegadrakk

thanks for all your answers