> Doug Meerschaert
>
> The OGF is, apparantly, a non-profit entity that is divorced from
> WotC. It
> just happens to be ran by WotC's VP of RPG design, but that
> doesn't mean that
> WotC corporate can influence the OGF.
>
> http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/foundation.html
I think you're being naive. The OGF is a non-entity at this point, not a
non-profit entity. It is the brainchild of Ryan Dancey, VP of WotC and the
D&D Brand Manager, so I would say that WotC CAN influence the OGF a great
deal. All he has to do is switch hats. Once it becomes a legal entity,
odds are he will still be at the helm, so WotC influence is pretty much a
given.
That doesn't mean the influence will hurt the OGF or those who relapse
anything under the OGL, it just means the influence will be present. I
think Faustus is being a bit too cynical here, but he's entitled.
> The OGF will hold trademarks in its name, and nowhere is it
> disclosed that the
> OGF is a subsidary of WotC... thus, it isn't.
I don't recall anyone saying anything about OGF trademarks. I also don't
recall any law about the disclosure of ownership of a non-entity. Further,
I know of no law requiring disclosures of ownership to be placed on a
website, so I think you're jumping to conclusions here.
> Subject: RE: [Open_Gaming] A suggestion about the OGF
>
> What about a shared copyright? Since the author can't do
> anything against the
> OGL without working with every other author who used his work, having a
> copyright-share given to the OGF could expediate the process.
Shared copyright is the crux of the legal questions about the rights of
authors under an open source license. Adding the OGF to the fray may or may
not strengthen the OFG's ability to enforce the copyright, but it would
definitely not strengthen the claim of any one author to that copyright.
> Maintenince of the OGF aside (which will come up regardless of
> what the OGF
> does), in exchange for the shared-copyright, the author becomes
> an officer of
> the OGF. Acting in that capacity, he could press a suit on
> behalf of the OGF
> to protect what he wrote.
An Officer of a legal entity has many responsibilities to that entity, and
has the ability to act on behalf of the company. However, having a couple
hundred Officers pursuing their own interests while claiming to act on
behalf of an entity is perhaps the worst idea I've heard in a very long
time. The entity, and perhaps other Officers, could be held responsible for
their actions. (no flame intended, but any off-the-cuff solution to this
would probably be a Very Bad Thing).
The OGF itself is as described on its website is a very low-maintenance
organization. It could be handled by one person working very part-time with
a small outlay of perhaps a few hundred dollars. Throw in your copyright
suggestions and it will need a full-time Secretary in addition to a legal
firm. Unless you want to charge admission, there is no way the OGF can
afford that.
-Brad
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