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Permanent link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2440/51188

Type: Article
Title: Fan based production for computer games: User led innovation, the 'drift of value' and the negotiation of intellectual property rights
Author: Humphreys, Sal
Fitzgerald, Brian
Banks, John A.
Suzor, Nicolas
Citation: Media International Australia, 2005; 114:16-29
Publisher: University Queensland Press
Issue Date: 2005
ISSN: 1329-878X
School/Discipline: School of Humanities
Statement of
Responsibility: 
Humphreys Sal, Fitzgerald Brian, Banks John and Suzor Nic
Abstract: Fan based or third party content creation has assumed an integral place in the multimillion dollar computer games industry. The emerging production ecology that involves new kinds of distributed organisations and ad-hoc networks epitomises the ‘drift of value’ from producer to consumer and allows us to understand how user-led innovation influences the creative industries. But the ability to control intellectual property rights in content production is critical to the power structures and social dynamic that are being created in this space. Trainz, a train simulation game released by Brisbane developer Auran, which relies heavily on fan created content for its success is used as a case study. The licence agreements between Auran and the fan creators are analysed in order to understand how the balance between the commercial and non-commercial is achieved and how the tension between open networks of collaboration and closed structures of commercial competitive environments are negotiated. It explains the intellectual property issues involved and highlights how the interface between copyright and contract will have a critical impact on this example of user led innovation.
Keywords: fan-based production ; Intellectual property ; modding
Description: Copyright 2005 (The authors). Copyright © QUT. All rights reserved.
RMID: 0020092191
Published version: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00005010/
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