[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Just a note. I'm not talking about closing game rules. Those would stay
> open. I'm talking about opening up the Product Identity 100% but
> keeping it within a closed system.
I think you are talking about shared ownership of product identity. The parties that
share ownership in the product identiy are governed by a set of bylaws established by
the group as to what they can do with the product identity. As others have stated, the
material is not "open" as defined in the OGL.
> For example, a group of people get together and brainstorm ideas
> for a d20 compatable module. Those ideas belong to everyone
> in the group but only for the usage of that group. Anyone may join
> that group. The d20 game rules stay open to the world, but the
> Product Identity is only open for people who are willing to contribute
> through group effort. Thus, game rules stay open and ideas stay open.
> I think some of you keep thinking that I want to put game rules under
> quality control. I don't. Never did. I want to open product
> identity within a controlled system for the purpose of world creation.
How about this approach? The group "owns" the trademarks associated with the setting
(setting name, place names, major NPC's, etc.). All other content is open (yes,
completely open). That way anyone can borrow from the material contributed to the
setting, but no one outside the group can claim that they are associated with the
group project.
If the d20 module described above contained a really cool coastal town with a
description of the local fisherman's guild, I could lift that text in it's entirety
and use it verbatim (with one exception) in my campaign book as "open content."
However, I would have to change all references to the trademarked names that the group
holds.
So content and ideas would be completely open, but no one outside the group would
directly benefit from association with the reputation of the group because they can't
use the trademarks. Anyone could contribute to the "official" distribution by
following the rules of the group. Anyone could also use anyone else's content as long
as they don't include the trademarked names.
One thing that happens here is that anyone is free to further develop open material
they have contributed to the group as a commercial project as long as they reference
the derivative portion as open content under the OGL. They just need to stay away from
trademarked names or get permission from the group to use the trademarked names.
> IMO, that's even closer to the spirit of open gaming than the OGL
> for _group_ world creation projects.
IMO, your proposals are very distant from the spirit of open gaming. If you don't want
to open up content beyond the group members, then you are talking about shared
ownership within a controlled group. If you do want to make the content available to
other people outside the group, then you can publish it under the OGL.
Weldon Dodd
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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