Map Art Trademarking
Made something worth protecting? SolarCiv lets you trademark a filled map so other players cannot duplicate it without your permission. This is useful for original map art, portraits, flags, posters, collectible designs and items you plan to trade.
Trademarking is an in-game copying restriction, not a legal trademark. You can still display, trade or give away a protected map - the owner keeps control of whether other players may make new copies.
Protect a map in three steps
- Put the filled map you want to protect in your main hand.
- Type
/trademark add. - Look at the map's item description. It should now show an attribution such as By YourUsername.
That's it - the map is marked as yours. Players without the appropriate permission cannot make copies of this protected item using a crafting table or cartography table. As the registered owner, you can still make copies.
You can use /trm instead of /trademark. The command works on the map you're holding, not on every map in your inventory.
Trademark commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/trademark add | Register the filled map in your main hand as your protected work. |
/trademark remove | Remove a trademark you own, allowing the map to be copied normally. |
/trademark public | Mark an unregistered map as public domain, with attribution. Other players may copy it. |
/trademark watermark top left | Add your name as a visible watermark at the top-left of a trademarked map you own. |
/trademark watermark bottom right | Add your name as a visible watermark at the bottom-right. |
Watermarks use top or bottom followed by left, middle or right. For example:
/trademark watermark bottom middle
The watermark is optional and separate from the copying restriction. Use it only if you want a visible name printed over the artwork; it may cover part of your design.
Protected or public - what's the difference?
| Map status | Who can duplicate it? | What appears on the item? |
|---|---|---|
| Trademarked | The registered owner (or authorized staff) | An attribution such as By YourUsername |
| Public domain | Anyone | An attribution such as Made public by YourUsername |
| Unmarked | Anyone, using normal Minecraft mechanics | No trademark attribution |
Public domain is not a toggle on an already protected map. If you've previously used /trademark add, first remove your own trademark with /trademark remove, then use /trademark public on the map.
If you want to sell a protected map while retaining your ability to create more copies, keep a copy yourself before trading it. A buyer may own the physical item but does not become the registered trademark owner.
Troubleshooting
"You need to be holding a map"
Make sure you're holding a filled map, not an empty map, and that it's in your main hand.
"This map has already been trademarked"
That item already carries a trademark or public attribution. You cannot register it again directly. Only its registered owner, or authorized staff, can remove an existing mark.
"You can't duplicate this"
The map belongs to another player and is not public. Ask its registered owner for more copies instead of trying to duplicate it.
"You can't remove this trademark"
Only the owner of the marked map can normally remove its trademark. Staff may have administrative override permissions.
"You don't have permission"
The command or watermark feature may be restricted by your player permissions. Contact staff if you believe that is a mistake.
Trademarking protects the marked map item against supported duplication methods. It does not retroactively change unprotected copies that were made before you registered it, nor does it stop someone from independently recreating an image.
Sell and display your art
Protected maps can still be displayed in frames or traded with other players. Trademarking is particularly useful for signed maps, nation flags, collectible artwork and player-run galleries. For more ways to trade, see Player Shops and Trading.