Some advice needed

What must i do to put other people's games or apps on my website,I mean legal wise,Im not going to sell them i just want people to have more of a variety,Not just my stuff.I always get alot of indie games from a local magazine's cover dvd.Can i put those games from the cover dvd onto my website?.

I will also have a link to the artist's or gamedev's website if they have any.I guess the question is can i put a game onto my website without the knowledge of the person who created the game?.I will never sell any of thier games or claim it as my own.

I guess the question is can i put a game onto my website without the knowledge of the person who created the game?

I'm not a lawyer, but I think the answer is "no". You're copying their work to your server and distributing it without their permission. If not legally, then morally it also feels wrong, because you're indirectly benefiting from publishing other people's work without their knowledge, which even if you're not making money from adverts, is in a way promoting your own website. The only exception is if the software is explicitly shareware (i.e. it actually says "please send this demo to all your friends!"), but you'll find most software and games, even if free, doesn't say that.

Alternatives:

• Require the author submit their work, like other community sites do
• Simply link to an existing place online (e.g. the author's website) where the user can go to find the game.
• In each and every case, contact the author and obtain permission.

Distributing other people's work yourself is a step too far though, IMO.

Thank you Ashley.So it's an absolute must to get permission from the author first before i could publish it on my website.There are a few people who wanted thier games published on my site but i don't know how to proceed ,should i sign some kind off agreement with the author before they could publish it on my website?.

If they told you it's OK and they want you to, then it's probably fine (that's what a submission form on a community site is saying implicitly: that you want to have it distributed on the site). If they then ask you to take it down, take it down. I can't see any problems arising that way for a small site.

Check the game's license if it allows distribution.

Check the game's license if it allows distribution.

Ah jes,So if a game allows distribution then i could add it to my website right?.Ok here is an example off such a licence.

[quote:2byg9q0i]Spelunky, which includes the executable, sound files, and this readme, is

freeware. This license allows you to distribute Spelunky freely, so long

as you distribute it unmodified and whole.

This license prohibits you from selling or otherwise profiting from Spelunky,

any part of Spelunky, including its source code, or any custom levels made

with Spelunky's built-in level editor.

So this means that i may distribute this game on my website ,As long as i don't profit from it(ask a fee to download the game).Then i should have no trouble's at all seeing that everything on my site is free anyway.

Correct, as long as you don't modify Spelunky in any way.

Thank you for the advice.

Ah yes, there you go, a licence explicitly saying you can do it. That's OK too