[Ogf-l] Re: [Ogf-d20-l] concerned
In a message dated 9/5/2006 8:09:41 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I think you might find that the boys at Atlas andMongoose and Green Ronin agree too. But I wont presumeto speak for them. However, you can let their productsspeak for them--gee, all of them have createdalternate systems or are publishing licensed contentand have moved away from core DD support. Wow. Whywould that be? While we are doing some core DD support, most notably in our new line of Bleeding Edge Adventures, Clark is correct that we are putting more weight behind our in-house OGL games Mutants Masterminds and True20 Adventure Roleplaying. Since they stand alone, they are largely immune to whatever happens with 4th edition and the OGL. Certainly when 3.5 came around, we watched our backlist 3.0 books die a horrible death while MM sailed on without a hitch. That was not a lesson to be forgotten. Chris Pramas Green Ronin ___ Ogf-l mailing list Ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
Re: [Ogf-l] Opening Closed Games
Dang. See what happens when the list comes to life? On 9/6/06, Exile In Paradise [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dear Open Game Gurus, I would like to discuss a real-world issue I am wrestling with. Robert, you need one of three things: (1) A statement from the copyright holder that your rules-only work is not infringing, (2) A lawyer who will take a retainer to defend your new game as legally distinct, or (3) an acceptance of possibly losing your house in a lawsuit. The OGL, like the GPL, can do nothing to help you do something with someone else's work. Freeciv could just have easily have been a closed-source game, with regards to it actually being written. Copylefft works great forward-going -- but it doesn't do anything the other way. As to your actual problem -- you'll find some on this list who say it's entirelly legal (it is kind of), and others who say a game has a distinct legally protectable character copyright (it doesn't really [all the time], but you'll need a lawyer to prove it.) If you do decide to re-write this game you wish, I'd hope you will use the OGL. Unless you're writing for an established game that prohibits it, there's no reason not to use the OGL. DM ___ Ogf-l mailing list Ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
Re: [Ogf-l] Opening Closed Games
On 6 Sep 2006 at 21:29, Exile In Paradise wrote: Dear Open Game Gurus, I would like to discuss a real-world issue I am wrestling with. I am a collector and fan of a game system published from 1980-1994 by a publisher that is long since gone. First and foremost, you need to retain the services of a lawyer who specializes in copyright trademark issues. You are quite likely going to need one. While game rules themselves are not copyrightable, tables are NOT game rules. They may be a specific expression of a game rule, but they are not rules themselves, and are thus copyrightable. Any attempts to recreate those tables, or to create new tables that are similar in look, feel, and use could be considered the creation of a derivative work, and thus a copyright violation. It doesn't matter if you are attempting to fix a flaw in the tables or not, the end result is going to be what matters here. TANSTAAFL Rasyr (Tim Dugger) System Editor Iron Crown Enterprises - http://www.ironcrown.com E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Ogf-l mailing list Ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l