Markus: We* had quite a discussion about the whys and why-nots of using the OGL or just making a new license. (A good portion of it, as Clark noted, happened here.) We decided to use our own license because, quite simply, the OGL wasn't intended to protect trademarks. There is *no* way to make a logo mean anything with just the OGL. You could take an OGL-only license, release only the logo and the OGL itself as OGC, and there'd be nothing anyone could do about it.
As for that "We" part -- for a short while, there was a Washington-state not-for-profit called the "Free Gaming Association" that was going to manage the logos. Due to, among other things, lack of publisher interest in making a third-party-held license, we had to fold and Tom Cauldron got the job of being the legal license holder for our rather limited intellectual property. It looks like he tracked down a lawyer to revise the license, which he's well within his rights to do, but the current OpenDie license is many things that it shouldn't be. (It's not perpetual, there's no clear statement of what is required.) For now, I think you're right--don't touch it with a ten foot pole until Tom cleans up the license, or you get something you're confident will hold up in court. I'll find out what's going on with that thing -- and ask if he could do some updates on the site. (I know there's a vector-based format of the OpenDie around here somewhere...) DM P.S.: If "the other guy can demand destruuction of my inventory" scares you off, don't use the OGL, either. A provision like that, as ultimate forfeiture for failing to cure, was in the original draft of the OpenDie license and will probably be in any logo license you get, from anyone at all. P.P.S.: It sounds like you *are* looking for a compatability logo. The biggest part that's left out of the OpenDie license that's up right now is that you have to have essentially all of your work be OGC. On 8/10/06, Markus Wilkinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On Thu, Aug 10, 2006 at 01:58:56PM -0400, Doug Meerschaert wrote: > OpenDie is established, and has a perpetual licence. We also have > (had?) a "compatability" license, the Prometheus logo. The license for the OpenDie logo is too restrictive. Licensors are not allowed to modify the logo as they are allowed to do under the OGL. Also, breach of the OpenDie license could require you to destroy your inventory. Sorry, not touching that license with a 50' pole. http://www.prometheusgaming.com/OpenDieLicenseDraft.txt Why aren't you guy's using the OGL? What is the problem with the OGL that causes you concern? Hasbro lawyers were behind the OGL. It protects copyright and gives credit where credit is due. It is bulletproof and protects the little guys from mean 'ole corporations. Also, as you noted, I'm not looking for a compatability logo, such as d20, Prometheus, and such. > In terms of publishers, I believe these are the most widely adopted. > In terms of books published, I think Mongoose's "Open" logo takes the > cake. In terms of ubiquitous symbols -- the word "open" and the shape > of a d20 pretty much take the cake. To get in on Mongoose's license and use their logo, you must be a publisher that has published at least one title in the past. That's not very "open". Sure, I fit that category and can get in on their license, but what about people writing their own adventures that they want to freely publish on the web and aren't looking to make a buck? They can't use Mongoose's logo, because they can't enter into a license agreement, because they're not a publisher. I agree that the shape of a d20 is the ubiquitious symbol of the industry, but I fear the d20 shape in a logo could be construed as indicating compatibility with the d20 system, which could land you in hot water. Also, the d20 shape could imply incompatibility with fudge, dX, Omni-Gamer, and others. > If you want a logo to indicate "we're open!", please use the OpenDie. > You'll have far better luck with it than a brand new logo that means > the same thing. Like I said, the license is so much more restrictive than the OGL. I don't want to agree to a license that gives the licensor a mechanism to demand the destruction of my inventory. Also, the logo cannot be modified (say, I wanted to add a zombie coming out of the die), there is no vector graphics version, and there is no monochrome version. Mark _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [email protected] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
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