Is creating TS3 to TS2 and vice versa conversions against EAULA?

I posted this at modthesims, and I went to help chat at ea. The person in help chat said there were forwarding my question to the EA senior board of directors. Here's what I posted on mts:


I was so very excited to learn how to make The sims 3 to The sims 2 object conversions, but I think my bubble may have been burst. I visit a lot of smaller fileshare sims sites not just modthesims, and on one of the smaller fileshare sites I visit (which shall remain nameless) the site owner sent me a private message saying that my sims 3 to sims 2 object conversions were against EA policy, and that they had to sadly delete all of them.

Now I am personal friends with this person who is the site owner, so I of course was nice in my reply, and of course they were nice in the letter they sent. But I'm really discouraged now that I can't make these kinds of things. I know that mts hosts them (sims 3 to sims 2 and vice versa conversions), and I really, really hope they will not make it a rule that they will no longer host these kinds of things anymore due to EA policy.

Damn, I hate when someone rains on my parade!

Please tell me what you think of what transpired. I'm posting here, because it is a real life drama. Yes it has to do with the sims, but it still is a real life drama.

Hm. Well, if EA's copyright of TS3 data is exclusive and specifically states that any data contained in it may not be transferred to any other medium (this is pretty typical, most copyrights have that clause) then yes, you have to delete them. Fresh_Prince had to obtain EA's written permission to convert from NfS to TS2, and since both are made by the same company, it's a pretty safe bet that the same clause about no conversion is in ALL of their copyright notices. You could always try getting written permission, though i think you may have a hard time doing so because they are seeking to make money and if TS2 basically becomes TS3, they will make less money. Conversions from Need for Speed to TS2 would be a different case because the games are unrelated.

If MTS allows illegal (definition thereof could be debated) content to be hosted and approved with their knowledge that it is illegal, they open themselves to suit; or more likely Delphy opens himself to suit.. Since he is owner and pays the server bills which pay for the space, he can be sued by EA for copyright infringement. And that is pretty expensive even if you win the case.

Well, I decided to contact EA about this, and after giving me a run-around, for about a week, they finally said that it was okay as long as it didn't go against the EAULA. Which that was what I was asking if it DID go against it, but anyway, they went on to say, they can't account for cc made anywhere other than the exchange, and they aren't responsible for that. So I guess it all comes down to someone's definition of the EAULA.

EA has always loved the definite "Maybe!" Why should they stop now?

But if they said it was ok as long as it didn't violate the EULA, then went on to specifically mention the topic of CC, I would suspect that gives you permission to modify content shipped with the game itself and any eps...

You might need to provide copies of your correspondence when you want it hosted, though.

I would back up all the emails between you and them, like Ghost said.