> > 1) From what I can gather after reading the main website for the > > software, it almost seems to me that the games can be > played without > > actually owning the hard copy of the game. Is this right, > or is there > > something I don't understand? > > > > Well, depends on your knowledge of rules, and the design of > the board. BUT of course for a Copyrighted game this would > be illegal.
Hoo-boy! This is not at all true. Copyright does not prevent people from playing games! Copyright prevents anyone but the copyright holder from distributing their copyrighted works. Copyright for games extends to the graphic elements of that game (mapboard is the best example) and for the specific wording of any rules or other textual elements (rules being the best example). You may, without violating US and international copyright laws, create your own rendition of those original elements, and provided they are not very close in appearance so as to be considered as knock-off, distribute them as your own work. > 3) Will the gamemap already be contained within the "gamebox" that > > I download, or do I have to use the editor to create the > map. If its > > already there, I refer you again to question 1. > > > > Gameboxes contain one or more maps, game sheets etc. Some > use scans, others are redrawn. View the gamebox as a way to > play a game online, and one or all players should have bought > the game in it's physical form. A few games might be out of > copyright, or our of print, or whatever, but as a player it > is YOUR responsibility to check in Copyright issues for the > game you play. BTW, there aren't any wargames that are "out of copyright," since the term they are protected under has been extended beyond the original 28 years. I agree that it is the designer's responsibility to be aware of copyright laws regarding making gameboxes with CyberBoard. Playing games using a CyberBoard gamebox is not the worry. Check out the Files section for some primers on copyright as it relates to CyberBoard. There is also the ruling straight from the US Copyright Office you should read thoroughly. These notes will help clear up these misconceptions.
