Q: Can I use the draft D20SRD to release something now, or do I still have to
wait?
DM
"Ryan S. Dancey" wrote:
> Q: What does "Approved" mean?
> A: It means that the license has been approved by the WotC legal team.
> WotC has agreed to support these terms for the upcoming release of Open Game
> Content.
>
> Q: Who can use this license?
> A: Anyone can use this license. Permission to distribute the license is
> now granted.
>
> Q: Do I have to use this license with material from WotC or based on
> something WotC publishes?
> A: Not at all. You can use this license to provide a strong copyleft to
> any material, including an entirely new project.
>
> Q: How do I indicate what is "Open Game Content"?
> A: The exact method is up to you. You are required to "clearly" do so.
> Assume a "reasonable person" standard - if a reasonable person would be able
> to determine what is Open Game Content, your method will be acceptable.
>
> Q: Do you have any suggestions as to how to do that?
> A: Two simple methods recognized by the Open Gaming community (but by no
> means the only possible methods) are to place Open Game Content in boxed
> text and indicate in the publication that the boxed text content is Open
> Game Content; or place Open Game Content in a unique font, color or style
> not elsewhere used in the publication and indicate that any material in that
> unique font, color or style is Open Game Content.
>
> Q: What is "Product Identity"?
> A: Product identity means things that might be mixed in with Open Game
> Content that you do not wish to apply the terms of the License to.
>
> Q: That's not very Open then, is it?
> A: The License specifically limits the Product Identity to non-Game Rule
> content. The Open Gaming License is primarily designed to provide a strong
> copyleft and an Open (meaning "freedom to copy, modify and distribute")
> License for Game Rules and materials that use Game Rules. Content that is
> not Game Rules or material that uses Game Rules that is aggregated with such
> content need not be subject to the terms of this License.
>
> Q: How do I identify "Product Identity"?
> A: As with the need to indicate what is Open Game Content, you need to
> "clearly" do so.
>
> Q: Do you have any suggestions as to how to do that?
> A: The method that Wizards of the Coast will probably be using will be to
> include a list of things it considers "Product Identity" in a given
> publication as an enumerated list under a heading of that name.
>
> Q: Are all the things listed as potential Product Identity automatically
> excluded from Open Game Content?
> A: No, they are not. The publisher must indicate specifically what they
> are claiming as Product Identity. Also, Open Game Content can include any
> material the contributor has the rights to designate as Open Game Content.
> In other words, if you want to, you can make any material you have created
> Open Game Content at your option.
>
> Q: What will happen to me if I use someone else's Product Identity without
> permission?
> A: You will be in breach of the Open Gaming License. If the owner of that
> Product Identity notifies you of the breach, and you fail to cure that
> breach as described in the License, your rights to use the Open Gaming
> License will terminate, and you could be sued for copyright violations and
> breach of contract.
>
> Q: Just by the person who owns the Product Identity?
> A: No. Once your rights have terminated, if you continue to Use Open
> Gaming Content without those rights, you could be sued by each and every
> person who has contributed to the work you are Using.
>
> Q: Do I really have to include a copy of the entire license when I Use Open
> Gaming Content?
> A: Technically, the answer is yes. Any time you Use Open Game Content, you
> should also include a copy of the license. Practically, in the case of
> email messages or other very short material where you do not do so, you will
> be in breach of the License but you are unlikely to be so notified, and even
> if you were, you are unlikely to be repeatedly distributing the same email
> message, so you can cure your breach by agreeing not to continue to
> distribute the offending message without the full text of the License.
>
> One copy of the License is sufficient for each publication; you do not need
> to publish a copy of the License for every item of Open Game Content in a
> given publication. You can also use one copy of the License for content on
> a web site, but if any part of that web site is designed to be downloaded
> and used separately by a user, you need to provide for an inclusion of the
> License with that download.
>
> You cannot merely refer to a web location or an offer to provide the License
> on request - you must actually include the full text of the License.
>
> I'm sure there will be other questions that need to be answered. Please let
> me know what they are, and I will try to create an effective response, ASAP.
>
> Ryan
>
> ---------------------------
> Information on Open Gaming: www.opengamingfoundation.org
> Information on RPGA: www.wizards.com/rpga
> D&D 3rd Edition is coming!: www.3rdedition.com
>
> -------------
> For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
-------------
For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
