If you are a fan and you make a fan site and post your own materials on it that are completely original and don't stamp on any copyrights, and even if you toss in an official D&D graphic or two (although there are plenty of free generic fantasy graphics out there) it seems very unlikely that anyone at WOTC will ever say anything to you. Fan sites that post original material only help WOTC and suing them would be more expensive than it would be worth (Fansite = Guy in basement with a rusted out Nova in the front yard. Not gonna get enough outta the guy to pay the lawyers.)
As a point of example the owner of a 3 store comic book store chain in Michigan called DC Comics and asked if he could put a giant Batman symbol on his store roof and they said "No you can't but we don't exactly go around suing comic book stores for promoting our product without permission." 15 years later the bat symbol is still there...and that guy is a business, not a non-profit fan.
SO, if you don't start reprinting previously published materials and you don't start selling something someone else made the odds are you will get busted BIG time but if not? Well, WOTC can't support it and have to say no but odds seem to be in the fan's favor that his little fan site will never get noticed (now...16,000 hits a day might change things..)
This might sound insane but I have seen more people get in trouble for using a legal document incorrectly than just winging it.
At 08:29 PM 9/27/2000, you wrote:
Where exactly can I find information on WotC's Online Use Policy? I tried
doing searches on their website, but to no avail. Can anyone help me out
here? This bit of information seems to be much more useful if curious
people know where to find it.
--Jason
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Ryan S. Dancey
> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 6:29 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: [Open_Gaming] A D20STL caution
>
>
> From: "Faustus von Goethe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> > Yes it is legal. The online use policy constitutes a revokable licnse.
>
> No way.
>
> It's not a license - it's a statement of intent. There's no offer,
> acceptance or consideration; it's not a binding contract using the statute
> of frauds.
>
> It doesn't give anyone any rights; it just gives them a little
> piece of mind
> about doing something that's totally illegal.
>
> Ryan
>
> -------------
> For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
>
-------------
For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
