----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher DeLisle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 5:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Open_Gaming]PROTESTwas"Final Text of Approved Open Gaming
License"
> From: kevin kenan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >The core question is: can WotC recind the OGL preventing us from
releasing
> >new OGL'ed games?
> Ryan has always stated that the OGL would not be able to be
> recinded.
I think what Ryan meant is that once a game is released under the OGL,
the license can't be revoked to render the game closed. Once you open
the Open box, you can't close it.
What I'm worried about is WotC someday recinding the license so that
*new* games can't be released under it. If they do recind the license
then games that had already been released under it would still be open
and could still use the license as could derivative works. But no one
could release a new original game and release it under the recinded
OGL.
I don't think that anyone plans or even foresees this happening. But
the possibility weakens the OGF. The Free Software Foundation has no
such thorn in its side.
> I see that the text forbidding the reproduction of the OGL without
> the permission of WotC has been removed from the text of the
> license. I think there is confusion as to whether the statement of
> permission to distribute the OGL is actually a part of the license
> or not. [Snipped a bunch of text]
I don't think there is any confusion remaining on this issue: you may
reproduce the license in any material you want covered by the license.
> >Ideally, since there is no financial gain to owning the copyright
> >in the license itself, WotC will assign ownership of the license to
> >the foundation once the foundation is incorporated.
> The foundation would certainly benefit from such an action but it is
> not very realistic to expect WotC to do so, especially with the OGF
> still in it's infancy. I could see such an act being much more
> likely in the future, after the foundation has been officially
> organized and proven itself. Until such a time, I think that WotC's
> ownership of the license is more beneficial and adds a certain level
> of credibility to it when viewed by people outside the Open Gaming
> Community.
Well, in my evangelizing, I've run into people who use the fact that
WotC owns the license as an argument against the OGL. Since I don't
see any reason not to turn it over to the foundation, I'm arguing for
the transfer. Why have an unnecessary weakness?
-kenan
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