>From: "Alec A. Burkhardt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>On Tue, 1 Aug 2000, Faustus von Goethe wrote:
>
> > [FAUST REPLIES] It is difficult to comprehend that in your morality it
> > is perfectly OK for a large company to pursue a frivolous lawsuit with
> > the intention of destroying a smaller company (an illegal but possible
> > act), but it is a mortal sin for a smaller company to tell its
> > customers that their product "works" within some other product's rules
> > structure (a completely legal act).
>
>Since I never said any of this sort, please refrain from the hyperbole.
[FAUST REPLIES] [sigh]Maybe you should look up the term hyperbole, AND
listen to what you are saying...
[ALEC SAID]
>... this clause permits trademark owners to bring suit whenever they
>don't like what their product is being associated with AND feel they have a
>chance to win. And winning does not mean to win a lawsuit in court - it
>simply means being able to either force the "offending" individual to stop
>their use or force a settlement.
[and then proceeded to defend this notion and applaud the concept]
[then ALEC SAID (moralizing)]
>... people who are attempting to trade off of the copyrights of
>others. As far as I'm concerned, such people deserve no consideration in
>this matter.
[Further ALEC (ever the wit) wisecracked]
>And since you obviously don't want to engage in the discussion of the
>topic, why do you keep replying to it?
THIS is hyperbole. Keep to the facts Alec. If you want to moralize at
least keep it consistent.
BTW has anybody considered the fact that *EVERY* proper name and single word
or phrase description (like "armor class", "Hit Points", and "vorpal") as
well as public domain names that cannot be copyrighted (like "Orcus",
"Tiamat", "Balor", "Dungeon", etc) - that even though these types of words
cannot be copyrighted they can (and in several cases HAVE ALREADY been
trademarked by WotC). Or do you think the word "Dungeon" is just the name
of a magazine and not a trademark?
So... I can't use the word "Dungeon" in OGL materiel? Looks like I won't
be siging up for OGL...
All I am saying is that ALL OF US should consider the long term
ramifications of this clause from all aspects - rather than leaping in with
expansive (and incorrect) statements that there is no use for trademarks
besides marketing. Lets not kill this effort before it starts.
BTW Alec, thanks for posting. Its a good natured debate that makes this
process work.
Faust
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