[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
To clarify, I'd almost be willing to go with a declaration of "you can use the rules and may not reproduce the verbatim text" _IF_ I were certain that all the verbatim text was wholly unique to Mongoose. If, however, any of it were appropriated verbatim from other sources (such as feat names, feat text, etc.) then such a declaration is insufficient, because it inadequately describes what was open _before_ Mongoose touched the stuff.
I can attest that several of the feats in UF use identical text to their original sources (several different FFG books) because I wrote the originals. In at least one (Bloodburn, IIRC) my example text was likewise used, with only a proper name changed.
Since all the text of that feat (sans the name of the character in the example, but including the example itself) was itself copied, the EXACT TEXT of that feat is OGC, and a third party who has access to UF, but not to the FFG book in which it first appeared, is 100% entitled to copy it verbatim, save for the name of the character in the example.
Whether or not this is 'clearly identified' by the Mongoose's OGC declaration is not for me to decide.
Now, Matt may say, with honesty, "Hey, I'm a reasonable guy. Just check with me first." The problem is that Matt is not eternal, but copyright *is*. (Thank you so VERY much, Supreme Court. That was sarcasm.) Which means, long after Matt goes to that great gaming con in the sky, the issue of precisely what text in UF is and is not covered under the OGL remains, and whoever may end up holding the copyrights may not wish to allow use of anything he isn't required to.
Mongoose USED to mark their books with things like "This whole page is OGC" or "Nothing is OGC unless it's in a double-lined box". This was a great system, and I do not know why it was abandoned.
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Evolution doesn't take prisoners: Lizard
Blog (yeah, I'm on the damn bandwagon): http://www.xanga.com/lizard_sf
Website: http://www.mrlizard.com
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