Legal & licensing
CSJS is a fan-made project run without a profit motive, independently of Valve Corporation and FWGS. Donations go solely toward server hosting and ongoing maintenance.
Non-commercial fan works
Valve allows Steam subscribers to use Valve game content in qualifying non-commercial fan art, fan fiction, and audiovisual works, subject to the agreement and any applicable subscription terms.
“You may incorporate content from Valve games into your Fan Art.”
Valve limits this fan-work permission to use “solely on a non-commercial basis” and requires creators to obtain any necessary rights for third-party material they include.
Free mods made with Valve SDKs
Valve’s Half-Life 1 SDK license permits use of the SDK to develop a modified Valve game running on the Half-Life 1 engine.
“You may distribute your modified Valve game in source and object code form, but only for free.”
Valve also allows distribution of qualifying Source Engine mods under its Steamworks guidelines. Those guidelines expect mods to use an official SDK, clearly identify themselves as community projects, and be free to players who own the original game.
Under those guidelines, Valve treats paid advertising and giving players items, features, or gameplay in exchange for payment, including a donation, as commercial use.
Game files and browser deployments
CSJS runs on Xash3D FWGS. The project’s software licenses cover code. Use of original Counter-Strike and Half-Life files is governed separately. The local setup uses game files from a legally obtained Steam installation.
Section 2.G of the Steam Subscriber Agreement separately restricts copying and redistributing Steam content, providing hosting or matchmaking for that content, and emulating or redirecting Valve network features. Whether a browser deployment may serve original game files or provide those services depends on the applicable terms and any required permission from Valve.
Trademarks
Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Steam, and Valve are trademarks or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation.