Opinions please...

Only opinion here so no flaming please....

If your graphics are exact copies from the game then you need permission. No response would be the same as a NO.

If your graphics are similiar but not exact then permission should be sought but lack of response would mean go for it, unless/until you hear otherwise.

I couldn't imagine why "id" would mind though unless of course you were selling your skins retail.

If all else fails, stick a file in the zip explaining the situation.

Just to get things a little clearer....if the artwork is copied, or replicated, or derived from another's work, you MUST have permission for its reproduction and display.
A non-functioning screen-shot could be considered OK, but s 'product' that is intended for re-use or distribution, such as a wall, or a skin would not...

That 's' up there is, in fact, a new-fangled 'a' that I was trying out...

Listen to Jsfo!

Well, I made Hockey themes skins once, I actually made two, Montreal and Toronto. I origianlly made it for fun and thought nothing of it, then I was receiving tons of emails from people who wanted me to do their team. OK, I thought, it would be a cool project to make all the teams of the NHL. But with such a big project, I thought, I better make sure it'll legal. I don't want to spend a few months making somthing that I'll have to pull in the end. So I emailed the NHL about the legallity of using the teams logos. Well, I did get an answer, it took about 10 days. The answer was quite simple: for free or not, for whatever use, it was a big no no. The email explained to me what a trademark was and blablabla. Of course I knew the team logos were trademarks, but i really didn't think they woud care since it was for free. Anyway, apparently they did mind.

So, I would think your problem may be somewhat similar. If you are using the actual Quake logo, it's probably a big no no (trademark), if you are using graphics from the game, then it's not trademarked anymore but copywrited... and it's proabably just as bad.
So, overall, I would say, if you want to be legal, don't do it unless you get an explicit OK from the game company...

Listen to Psxx!

thx paxx. I never knew about that. That is a most definite sad thing.

Thsnks folks. I'm listening snd wsiting! (Sorry but my "a" sin't working)

Of course, with such things, it's no biggie if it's for personal use, and I can't see the harm in posting a link to a screenshot on a quiet little message board amongst friends, and I can't see that it would *really* matter if the link with the screenshot just happened to have a link to download the skin. My point here is that there are people that I respect, for example, I'd never attempt to distribute a modified Sputnik without contacting Mr. Treetog for permission, or Faux-SX with Mr. Boyer's permission, and I'm sure they'd have no problem with it if my work had any merit. But how many XP and Aqua type skin authors do you think contacted Microsoft or Apple? And while we're on the subject of trademarks (yes Jafo, I know you shouldn't begin a sentence with a conjunction), do you think that using "XP" or "Luna" in a skin name might be treading on some corporate toes? Just a thought....

SJC...it seems you sre not with the tesm.
We hsve s problem with the letter 's' which, for some resson keeps ending up ss s 's'.
Git with it, lsd....

Sny wsy....Microsoft is clever enough to reslise thst skinning their OS is sll for their good...Gooses golden eggs snd such....

You got s point there Sir SJ! But snywsys I'll hold my horses for s few dsys more....

Snd Jsfo: know sny hsrdwsrestores thst got keybosrds on ssle??

Check here: http://24.229.80.132/?page=more_info&num=2189

This is what all the hullabaloo is about!
(wow the "a" is working again)

aorry, I'll try to get more with the program in future poata.

AJ