From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Brad
Thompson
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2000 12:32 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [ogf-d20-l] A Cautionary Note - The D20 System License
<< 1(d) "Open Game Content" means
* the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and
routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity
AND IS AN ENHANCEMENT OVER PRIOR ART
* any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the
Contributor
* any work covered by this License, including translations and DERIVATIVE
WORKS under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. >>
[emphasis added]
<< That seems to indicate that you CAN make just about anything OGC except
PI.
So far so good. >>
[emphasis added]
<< There is no room in PI for game rules, unless you consider game rules to
be
'concepts', and the last part of 1(d) defines everything in the document
that isn't PI to be OGC. So, if PI can't be game rules, then it must be
OGC.
I am assuming that 1(e) is so long because it is an exhaustive list. If it
isn't, then it should say "Product Identity includes but is not limited
to..." >>
I think Ryan has been clear (and the added emphasis above reaffirms) that
there are not two mutually exclusive categories, as you suggest, but three:
1. Open Game Content, clearly delineated, which is released under the OGL
and may be freely distributed and modified.
2. Closed content, clearly delineated (even if only by NOT being delineated
as Open Game Content), which is NOT released under the OGL and may NOT be
freely distributed nor modified.
3. Product Identity, clearly delineated, which remains NOT Open Game Content
even if it happens to appear in the delineation of Open Game Content. It is
NOT released under the OGL and may NOT be freely distributed nor modified.
It would be nice if the license was more explicit on this; but "and is an
enhancement over prior art" and "derivative works" seem slearly intended to
describe what MUST be OGC and thus limit what MAY be closed content. If game
rules are neither enhancements over prior art (boy, that sounds like a new
storm brewing) nor derivative works, then they may be closed content, though
the license provides a structure for releasing them as OGC as well, if the
author so chooses.
Martin L. Shoemaker
Emerald Software, Inc. -- Custom Software and UML Training
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.EmeraldSoftwareInc.com
www.UMLBootCamp.com
