On 9/28/00 12:45 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote
> Example: I create a new fantasy "monster" and assign D&D stats to it for
>use in the game. The creature description is mine, but the stats are
>derivative, as they rely on the published (i.e., copyrighted) rules for use.
Game mechanics are generally best protected by trademark or patent, not
copyright. It's REALLY difficult to say, for example, that I can't clone
the D&D monster format, change the terms slightly, and publish a monster
guide (we've all seen "Hits to Kill", haven't we?). TSR tried to fight
this battle many times -- I believe they had better luck with legal
exhaustion (running up costs until the other side gave up) than with
legal victories. A large part of their defense was based on claiming
exclusive rights to terms like saving throws and hit points, not on
claiming that the underlying meaning was copyrighted.
Making characters for the FR game would run afoul of copyright. Making
new D&D monsters might well not, if I were careful.
> Example: I write an original piece of fiction with new, original
>characters
>but the story is set in the Star Wars universe. The new characters and the
>story, as written, is mine (sort of) but the stuff involving the established
>Star Wars setting is derivative.
That's completely different from your issue above, and can't be used as
an analogy for whether or not "D&D compatible" products would be legal.
Your analogy is closer to explaining why you can't publish Greyhawk or FR
supplements yourself, not to explaining why D&D compatible products
wouldn't be allowed.
And in your case above, you could lift your characters and story out of
the Star Wars universe and wind up free and clear (it's actually
something that's happened a fair bit with screenplays for TV shows).
Because part of your content is original.
Russ Taylor (http://www.cmc.net/~rtaylor/) CMC Tech Support Manager
Axiom 1: Every non-trivial program has at least one bug
Axiom 2: Every non-trivial program can be simplified by
at least one line of code
Therefore, every non-trivial program can be reduced to a single line,
which doesn't work.
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