Why do you think modders ask for respect for the mod download links they provide? 2 reasons for this. Being able to control the number of downloads and make sure they have a few well-deserved euros for their work as an artist. Normal in a way. Unfortunately a grain of sand has crept into the cog.
Modsbase.com, Sharemods.com or even dl-file.com, all these sites offer to host game mods and not necessarily those of our favorite agricultural simulations. Most have tracking tools (download counter, geolocation, etc.). When downloading a mod, these sites display advertising spaces and offer to share the income with modders or at least with the people who made the said file available. Example with dl-file.com which pays $ 5 for 1000 downloads.
Vultures are on the prowl
In short, in a perfect world, a modder would give everyone the link to their mod, and players would download it in order to pay the creator. Yes but… Sensing the good vein, for a very long time already, platforms like farmingsimulator19mods.com, fs19.lt proposes to you to list all the existing mods of a game - here Farming Simulator - to "facilitate your research". In fact, it is not. These sites are primarily online to make money on the backs of artists. How? 'Or' What ? By simply downloading the modder's file, and re-uploading it to their own account. Or by attracting a maximum audience to their site via their Youtube channel with “putaclic” titles like “this map is magnificent 😲” when it is not. Google ads are re $ t €.
Is it legal?
Yes and no. Modders can't say too much about Giants Software, because using the Giants Editor implies a ban on explicitly selling a mod. This is written into the contract (EULA) when installing the software. But, copyright, on the other hand, applies to all original creations, whatever they are. Scripts, textures, 3D models… In theory, taking ownership of a mod is punishable by a heavy fine. In practice, it is very difficult to assert your rights when the download sites are located on the other side of the earth.
Example with a modder who contacted us recently to have seen 2 of these creations on a French platform. The links have of course been modified, the income no longer goes to the modder but to the YouTuber who created the site, which in addition displays a download counter (!) “My mods were downloaded almost 10.000 times in 2 days. It might not seem like much, but the shortfall is $ 50 over this small amount of time. Do the math per day, when we see that this French site already displays more than a hundred mods, almost all stolen when it has just been launched. It's a shame. They take the community for pigeons, especially since most of them make a good living with Youtube. " says the creator, demotivated.
What to do in the face of this scourge?
Ideally, you should look at the name of the initial modder, and, rather than downloading via these platforms, go to the modding teams site or Facebook page. Often you will find there the download links of the latest versions, followed by a mention " Please respect the original link". A good hearer.