mr. dancy,
thanks for your prompt answer. i have read the FAQ at the open gaming foundation. my
concern arose from several posts:
>From Eric Noah's 3rd Edition Page, from a message post by Ryan Dancey, at
>http://www.rpgplanet.com/dnd3e/interview-rsd-0300.htm:
Can WotC in turn revise/modify a work I derived from the D20 System and publish it?
� Yes. We have the same freedom to use your work as you have to
use ours. If we use your work, however, we cannot make it 'closed'; our version of
your work must be covered by the OGL as well; therefore you in turn could use whatever
we added to your original work without our permission in turn. And so forth.
�
>From Salon's article at
>http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/03/29/open_dungeon/index1.html
Given TSR's history, then, it's not surprising that hardcore gamers are skeptical
about Dancey's plans. Kevin Andrew Murphy, a writer of role-playing-game modules,
worries: "[B]y the terms of the D20 contract,
<http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/d20.html> if I have the right to Web-publish my
own adventure ... TSR has a right to clone that page, sand off my name, say it was
written by 'Elminster,' and publish it on their own Web site."
*.
Dancey brushes off the notion that this open-source idea is Wizards' ploy to pilfer
from independent designers. But he defends the company's right to publish, with proper
credit, the work of anyone who is using the official D&D core rules. Through the D20
license the company would be "... releasing our core-game system in an 'open
condition'" he says. "In return, if a designer chooses to use that material to create
a derivative work, and if we choose to use that work (with full documented credit) in
a product we produce, I see no theft of value of any kind."
i appreciate your clarification.
clark
>>> "Ryan S. Dancey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 05/22 8:57 PM >>>
From: Clark Peterson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> 1. list monsters, traps, etc., all of which are described in the d20
source material.
> 2. describe spells and effects, also all of which are described in the d20
material.
> 3. create a new spell and describe it in d20 format.
> 4. create a new monster and describe it in d20 format.
> 5. include original art work.
> 6. include original written material (the text description of the
adventure)
>
> i understand that i can create all of these things under the licenses, but
my question is which of the above items can i copywrite and which would
remain open material that others can use without my permission?
You copyright everything, Open Game Content or not.
Your question is "what part of the above material would not be a derivative
work of Open Game Content and could be excluded from the terms of the Open
Gaming License?"
My answer for the sake of this discussion is #5 and #6.
At your option, you could designate anything that qualifies as #5 or #6 as
"Open Game Content" and then it would remain so forever.
Ryan
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For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
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For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
