Seems to me that anyone who is particularly concerned about protecting even
a tiny game mechanic (which BTW you can't do anyhow due to current US law
so it is sort of a moot point) probably shouldn't be working with OG. They
should probably be writing a completely separate game or rewording the OGL
mechanics and using them as their own. The only real issue is how the next
guy presents it. Does he get to use your exact text or does he have to
write it in his own words. 'Closing' game content doesn't do anything
except make the next guy re-write that paragraph in his own book.
At 08:45 AM 9/21/2000, you wrote:
> > From: Infinite Possibilities [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 01:58 AM
>
> > Jaimi McEntire wrote:
> >
> > > >You can still close game mechanics if you so choose...you
> > can't claim them
> > > as
> > > >PI, but you can still close them...
> > >
> > > That's exactly what I want to hear, but the opinions of some claim
> > > that this is not true. Guess it's lawyer time.
> >
> > Not really. It used to be that the two parts of the license
> > was open and closed
> > content. Closed content was dropped in favor of Product
> > Identity. Section 1
> > defines those two terms as such:
> >
> > (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes
>
>[definition snipped]
>
> > Identity. (e) "Product
> > Identity" means product and product line names, logos and
>
>[snipped again]
>
> > As you can see, game mechanics have been specifically defined
> > as Open Game
> > Content. So you can't close it.
>
>You still can release a game that contains game mechanic that is not Open
>Game Content, but you have to break the "Closed Game Content" out into a
>seperate publication, it seems.
>
>I.e., you could create a game, release it under OGL, and create another
>Publication containing additional game mechanic, and NOT release the this
>other work under OGL. Then, of course, you are in the odd position of asking
>people to purchase two seperate Publications in order to have a completely
>playable game.
>
>Actually, I suspect you'd have to be careful with your terms / order of
>operations, though. The closed Publication would have to be "core", or
>first, or whatever, with the OGC Publication being the "supplement" to the
>closed work. Otherwise you are in the position of trying to extend an OGL
>work with closed game mechanic.
>-------------
>For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
-------------
For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
