Hi all, my first post, though I've been lurking for nearly 3 months!!! I
finally posted this we are planning on using d20 in a game project and
Robert's post directly applied.
> >
> > This is a value-for-value trade, and everybody benefits.
> >
>
> Actually, not everyone benefits. There can be no such thing as D20
software.
> An 'Interactive Game' is denied in the D20STLG.
>
> "You may not use the d20 System License or the d20 System Logo in
> conjunction with any product that meets the definition of an "Interactive
> Game" as defined in this Guide."
>
Actually, this just means you can't use the logo or call it d20. That is
the the D20STL protects, the identity. You can still use the D20SRD, that's
a managed by a completely different license (the OGL, current version 1.0a).
In that license note the following words:
"(b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative
works and translations (including into other computer languages)"
So, my take (as well as my lawyer's) is that you can use any of the
infrormation you are given access to by the OGL in computer software (game
or otherwise). However, if it's a game you can not use the d20 trademark or
logo. In either case, the software code dealing with OGL licensed material
must be made Open Source as well (the code would be distributed).
Does anybody not agree with this interpretation?
> Interactive Game is defined in such away I can't think of any software
that
> it doesn't describe.
>
> ""Interactive Game": means a piece of computer gaming software that is
> designed to accept inputs from human players or their agents, and use
rules
> to resolve the success or failure of those inputs, and return some
> indication of the results of those inputs to the users."
>
I would have to disagree with this, since they say "gaming" in the
definition. If they just said "software" then sure, the rest of the
sentence applies to any piece of software that is user driven. But by
saying "gaming software" I think it's pretty clear it applies only to
computer games. I don't think of Excel or Word as "computer gaming
software". Take the word "gaming" out though and it applies to all software
The real question is the following: is a utility or tool program like a
program to design levels or build worlds or generate NPC's considered
"gaming software". Again, I'd have to argue no. It's not a game. The
definition of a game is "An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a
pastime:". A tool is not certainly not a game then, a software tool is used
to streamline a task that without a computer is more difficult. Every game
has a single univeral goal, to be fun, to amuse. This is not in the
definition of every tool, the definition of a tool is to take a task and
make it easier with a tool.
Again, thoughts on this interpretation?
Regards,
Ryan Rogers
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For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
