I'd like to hear some discussion about whether airline liveries will be part of FS2020. Am I correct that ASOBO would need permission from the various airlines to use their liveries in the program? Is that a small issue easily achieved, or a difficult legal obstacle to overcome? Would the airlines expect to be paid a royalty? I don't recall hearing anything yet about liveries?

 

Edited December 7, 20196 yr by David Mills

1 hour ago, David Mills said:

I'd like to hear some discussion about whether airline liveries will be part of FS2020. Am I correct that ASOBO would need permission from the various airlines to use their liveries in the program? Is that a small issue easily achieved, or a difficult legal obstacle to overcome? Would the airlines expect to be paid a royalty? I don't recall hearing anything yet about liveries?

 

I was told by a knowledgeable  source that they already secured permission from World Travel, Orbit and Pacifica Airlines.

17 minutes ago, domkle said:

I was told by a knowledgeable  source that they already secured permission from World Travel, Orbit and Pacifica Airlines.

Indeed, there is a reliable source confirming that all these airlines will appear in Farming Simulator 2020.

Seriously it is an interesting question I would also like to know about.

Microsoft would need to get permission from the airlines. As to how difficult it would be is up to the airlines. While it could be done easily and for free, it would most likely require some sort of contract and payment. This could a lump sum up front or an ongoing royalty and be different for each airline.

Something that would make things more complicated are changes down the road. What happens when airline A says yes, airline B says no, and then a few years down the road airline B buys airline A? They might well cancel the agreement airline A had and request all logos be removed from the sim. There have been games taken out of distribution, either temporarily or permanently, because of licensing issues before.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/ruse/ruse-has-been-pulled-from-steam-and-its-website-deleted-due-to-licensing-issues

https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/12/15631624/alan-wake-digital-stores-expiring-music-licenses-steam-sale

Might be best for Microsoft to just stick to the fictional airlines they've used before to avoid all of this, and leave it to add-on developers to sort out.

Edited December 7, 20196 yr by goates

1 hour ago, domkle said:

I was told by a knowledgeable  source that they already secured permission from World Travel, Orbit and Pacifica Airlines.

I really do hope to see them back. For anything else, the community can provide in given time 🙂

If there was an issue with an agreement, they'd just patch out those liveries, and wait five minutes for modders to add it back in anyway.

As for adding them to the game, Microsoft would certainly need to ask, and there would definitely need to be a legal agreement.  Whether it would cost money is hard to say, as some airlines might see it as valuable self-promotion that costs them nothing.

Licensing of intellectual property is a very complex issue and it’s highly unlikely that Microsoft will even bother. 

3 hours ago, domkle said:

I was told by a knowledgeable  source that they already secured permission from World Travel, Orbit and Pacifica Airlines.

I think they would fly over David Mills head... 😉 And checkout this fanwiki page incredible https://msfs.fandom.com/wiki/Orbit_Airlines

So we know Microsoft have signed license deals with the manufactures so we might expect branding of these liverys but commercial carriers is a different thing entirely. Microsoft have said in the past they are working with 60 different partners for various things so some of those could be a Delta or British Airways, who knows but unless a deal is made we'll see more of the Orbit's and World Travel I suspect.

Lol the airlines should be paying Microsoft to be in the simulator. It's essentially an advertising platform for them.

What about all the AI programs out there, payware and freeware, how do they go about using logos,repaints etc? I can't imagine they have permission from all airlines/companies around the world.

3 hours ago, jlund said:

What about all the AI programs out there, payware and freeware, how do they go about using logos,repaints etc? I can't imagine they have permission from all airlines/companies around the world.

This.  Not to mention, JustFlight/Flight1 charges for these traffic AI addons too.  It’s not like they’re freeware.  

4 hours ago, richfx said:

Licensing of intellectual property is a very complex issue and it’s highly unlikely that Microsoft will even bother. 

Ooooh, I wouldn't be so sure...

 

Forza's a good example. Literally every single car, save for maybe the fictional ones which are very few in number, have to be licensed. I'm pretty sure the tracks might need to be licensed too.

There was a problem with Porsche not being in Forza for FM4-FM6 (later added in via paid expansion) and FH2 and 3, due to Porsche's agreement with EA, and Toyota and Lexus in Forza Motorsport 7 and Horizon 4, with Toyota and Lexus just being added in after Toyota finally gave in.

 

They'll probably try to get liveries in the game. No, scratch that. They will get liveries in the game.

Edited December 7, 20196 yr by Concodroid

At the LAX airport int he reveal trailer, there's no liveries on any of the aircraft. Other than that, I'm really surprised that Asobo hasn't said anything on this topic other than the fact that AI aircraft will be in the game.

5 hours ago, jlund said:

What about all the AI programs out there, payware and freeware, how do they go about using logos,repaints etc? I can't imagine they have permission from all airlines/companies around the world.

Many freeware probably don't, and possibly some payware too. A small add-on developer might be able to fly under the radar and avoid an airline's attention, or maybe the airline would be more willing to grant them permission for low to no cost. Microsoft, on the other hand, is much larger and stands to make far more from the sim, thus it is more likely money, potentially large sums, will need to change hands.