On 9/6/06 7:29 PM, "Exile In Paradise" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I am wondering if the same ideas the Linux folks > have used would work for opening closed/out-of-print > tabletop games? The OSRIC project leads me to > believe so. It could certainly be attempted, although your exact details are vague enough to leave a lot of questions. And don't use OSRIC as an example of a well done cloning attempt. > So, if I go line by line through the text, and > rewrite the "mechanics" into my own words, and > reorganize the whole thing (based on my own > prejudice of how it should have been written ;) > I should be able to release the result to the > web under an open game license and be reasonably > sure I haven't actually broken any law? So long as no part of your work would be considered an "unauthorized derivative work" under copyright law, you are correct. And provided you don't also violate anyone's patents or trademarks. > One is numeric data in tables. The game I am > interested in "opening" is heavily based on numeric > tables. I realize I can't copy them verbatim, but > the table data is part of what makes the mechanics > work. If the data is the expression of a linear mathmatical function, you're ok. If the data was selected by the original creator without the use of a function, you are not. There is case law (involving blue book car prices) that supports the conclusion that 'selected' table data is copyrightable. This is one of my problems with OSRIC, for example. > If you can prove you have the formula, does it help > in court? If you go to trail, its unlikely that the content of your charts will be the crux of the issue. It's more likely that the copyright holder will be seeking to have the whole work, in its entirety, found to be an unauthorized derivative and infringing work. > An example of this issue would be the Experience > Points table from a popular fantasy game. If you mean D20, the D20 XP chart is a pure mathematical function and cannot be protected by copyright. > The publisher I am interested in has long been > rumored to have introduced intentional flaws > in their tables to prevent regression... so if > I find those and create a new "fixed" table from > a simplified formula I expect I will be fine. Yes, this is likely true. If your final table derived from basic functions can vary from the source material and still be found to be acceptable by your community, you're pretty safe. Ryan _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list Ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
