Uhhhh, let me say first, that I should have known better than to buy something called a "Merchant Resource." Having said that, I clearly do not understand what a "Merchant Resource" actually is. I thought it meant that I could use the components of the Resource to help create my own texture set for, lets say, a t-shirt, and then I could then sell the texture set on Renderosity. This is clearly not the case.

A few days ago, I bought a "MR" from a highly skilled artist, who clearly labeled the product as a "MR" on the main sales page for the product. 3 times in fact. When I unzipped the product and read the Readme, the use of any part of the product, in any commercial textures that I may make and sell, is NOT ALLOWED. Huh? Again, what am I missing?

So, I then read through Renderosity's EULA. In about a half dozen different ways, the EULA states that making a commercial texture set from a "MR" would be violating the EULA. 

Could someone clue me in?

Thanks!

Message the vendor or the Market Place for a clarification. I got caught on this same sort of thing several years ago and never followed up on it. I bought some Eye Makeup PSD layers for V4. Clearly labeled at the time in the store as being a Merchant Resource, however, once bought and reading the ReadMe, it clearly stated that I could NOT use the makeups for characters for sale. That really ticked me off but I didn't return the file for a refund. I should have. I chalked it up to a loss; relabled the unzipped folder; and have nevered messed with it. So, I suggest to you that you persue this with both the vendor and the Market Place to find out if it is a Merchant Resource or not. If it's not and you bought it thinking that it was an MR, then ask for a refund. I didn't so I'm stuck.

I would advise to get in touch with the vendor.   A merchant resource is exactly what that says.   A resource to use for your own product.   Of course you would have to substantially alter it otherwise you would just be redistributing someone else's work so maybe that's what was not clearly stated?  

Is this a skin texture MR or another type of texture MR?  Skin texture MR's require that the user alter the texture base to a certain degree in order to create a commercial product. 

If they were textures you could use to make a t-shirt, chances are the "merchant resource" was just a repacking of someone elses work anyway.  Nearly all of the non human skin merchant resources available on renderosity are just zipped up filterforge textures that are available for free to all filterforge users.

The rendo vendor has taken another persons work, bundled it into a product for themselves, released it, and added usage restrictions...  it's really quite hillarious.

for example, looking at the new releases, this product: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/digital-patterns---plaids/101383/

is likely derived from this: http://filterforge.com/filters/8870.html

this product: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/lts-i-dream-of-knit-autumn/101315/

is likely just the argyle option of this:http://filterforge.com/filters/6014.html

Frankly, nearly every sweater texture pack sold by multiple vendors on this site, each claiming ownership of the textures, is just repackings of Malkov's freely shared knit filter.

It takes a special kind of person to package up someone elses freebies and release them as commercial product, and a very special market place to condone and encourage such behavior.

Thank you for your input!

It all seems too good to be true, so I thought I'd ask the community how they view this practice.

To me, the Renderosity EULA is worded, in several places, such that Merchant Resources would violate the EULA.

I guess this falls into the category of buyer beware. Kinda of like buying 3d model replicas of brand name cars, furniture, etc. and believing the vendor when he/she states that he/she has the right to grant you commercial use of the model in your work. As a former professional photographer, I can tell you that you do not want to produce commercial work using someone else's brand name product without prior written consent.

Alas, I have drifted off topic! Again thanks for any input!

I ALWAYS read the readme on merchant resources, and pretty much anything else I purchase from renderosity before buying.  

As to what joequick has said, whooooaaaa that has me HEATED right now.  I was completely unfamiliar with 'filter forge'.

In all honestly, most of the copyright hoopla that goes on around here is laughable at best most of the time.  This however, is clearly questionable ethics.  I would not doubt one single bit if your post on this issue goes missing in the very near future.  

I have a new texture set coming out right now, it's called: color me pissed.

Quote - It all seems too good to be true, so I thought I'd ask the community how they view this practice.

Well, that, right there, is your clue:  if it seems "too good to be true," it probably IS "too good to be true"-- i.e., flim-flam.

Always remember:  there is no free lunch.  Nothing is ever really free.  If someone offers you something for "nothing," there is always a catch.  

Always.  

Quote - Always remember:  there is no free lunch.  Nothing is ever really free.  If someone offers you something for "nothing," there is always a catch.  

 Always.  

It wasn't free - it was an item they bought in the marketplace.

There is some painting with a pretty wide brush here. Not everyone who sells Merchant resources is against the products being used to create other products. Nor is every resource out there a copy of someone elses work.

The knit example given is actually just as good at showing why it is just as likely not to be a copy of someone elses work. I've no clue how easy or hard it is to make changes to the texture in filterforge but you can get the exact same sort of textures with genetica and making changes in it is dead easy.

As far as the EULA goes that needs to be compared to the licence which says that there may be addional permisions or limitations as far as merchant resource use goes and that those are listed in the read me. If the limitations in the read me of a merchant resource indicate that it may not be used by merchants in products for resale then you should contact customer service and tell them you want a refund because the product was falsy listed as a merchant resource but the readme says it may not be used as a merchant resource.

-I suspect this is just full of spelling errors but the page is preventing my spell check from working and the use of copy/paste so I can't take the text out and check it. Sorry about that.-

The whole point is, if it is listed as a merchant resource, technically it is a resource that merchants can use for distribution for selling products, whether it must be modified or can  be included as is (based on usage rules). If not, it should NOT be called as such, period. A merchant resource is exactly that, a resource merchants can use on their products for selling.

Quote - Uhhhh, let me say first, that I should have known better than to buy something called a "Merchant Resource." Having said that, I clearly do not understand what a "Merchant Resource" actually is. I thought it meant that I could use the components of the Resource to help create my own texture set for, lets say, a t-shirt, and then I could then sell the texture set on Renderosity. This is clearly not the case.

A few days ago, I bought a "MR" from a highly skilled artist, who clearly labeled the product as a "MR" on the main sales page for the product. 3 times in fact. When I unzipped the product and read the Readme, the use of any part of the product, in any commercial textures that I may make and sell, is NOT ALLOWED. Huh? Again, what am I missing?

So, I then read through Renderosity's EULA. In about a half dozen different ways, the EULA states that making a commercial texture set from a "MR" would be violating the EULA. 

Could someone clue me in?

Thanks!

Hi there!

Can you please email me (kimberlyc@renderosity.com) with the product name? I'd like to look into this further. :)

Kimberly

I am unclear about using all I have bought to use in poser for my characters I use in my stories on my website. my stories are copyright assumed and I don't claim anything on the characters. If I publish a story I would drag out my charcoals and sketch the scene.

Whats the sence if i can't buy a product to display on my own private website. As far as merchant resource being sold by the original creator wouldn.t that be a transaction so the buyer could alter it? I took a copyright course on the net eons ago and am a little familiar. This would be goog for Renderosity to give enlightment.