My question is: should I submit this form to Epic for a free and open source game?
I won’t “sell” the game, but I am considering opening the possibility of donations. Would donations made for the development of an open source game count as revenue from the game? Do royalties (and $1 million USD gross revenue exemption) apply to donations?
Thanks for the answer! After some more thinking, it does seem fair to count donations as revenue, and, in any case, safer to submit the notification of release.
Now this brings another question: what if someone forks the game, also does a “notification of release”, and starts receiving donations or other revenue? Do we both have a $1 mllion USD exemption?
Does this apply per game, per fork of a game, or per person/company/non-profit having a revenue from the game?
(not that I think I’ll get anything close to $1 million USD, at this point this is just a theoretical question…)
Hello!
Yes, you should submit the “Notification of Release” form to Epic Games for your open source game, even if it’s free. Donations received for the game are typically considered revenue, so you might need to account for them in your royalty obligations. It’s a good idea to check the latest licensing terms or consult Epic Games directly to confirm how donations impact royalties.