Ryan Dancey, When do you think you'll have software clauses added to the SRD? I'm interested in creating modules for NeverWinterNights, whenever it is released. Basically, I'm looking for a time frame (2, 4, 6, 12 months, ?) for the software part to be officially released. I have to plan for my vacation from real work to do this project. Thanks, Kyle Rode [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ryan S. Dancey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, April 16, 2001 12:36 PM Subject: Re: [Ogf-l] Why is there an OGF? > > "The OGF exists because..." > > Not what it does but why it became a reality at all. > > Oh, that's easy. > > TRPGs are a tiny, tiny busines at WotC, being run by a guy known for jumping > off cliffs and hoping to invent wings on the way down (i.e., me.) It exists > because I did it and nobody with any authority told me to stop. Nobody told > me to stop because in general, the experiment is viewed as benign regardless > of outcome. > > One day, I went to the NSI page, and registered the OGF domain names. Then > a few weeks later, I bought a computer with my own money, installed Red Hat > Linux on it, put a few basic HTML pages on that computer, and hooked it up > in the server room of an ISP I happen to have an ownership interest in. > Viola! www.opengamingfoundation.org, sans WotC oversight or control. > > > From all indications it > > came into being for business reasons (primarily) as supported by > > WOTC. > > I believe in doing well by doing good. As I've said before, my analysis > indicated that this was a time when doing something really great for the > community in general was a good strategic business fit for WotC's commercial > interests. > > > Most of the discussion here revolves around WOTC and the SRD > > We're still waiting for John Nephew's Open Game version of On the Edge... :) > > > The logic is true but is the statement? > > Ask Chris Pramas. His entire creation (the city of Freeport), presented in > the three d20 modules he's released is Open Game Content. > > > but it begs the question: if this is true why isn't everything WOTC puts > > out for D&D open? > > Because D&D is the 1 in a 1,000,000 property that actually generated > multi-million dollar brand equity. > > The brand of D&D is more valuable than the game of D&D. > > > "How can you sell someone a toolbox that they are expected to use to > create > > content, but then expect to enforce a restriction on the distribution of > > that content?" > > > > That's just it...WHY are you giving them the toolbox (or should we say > > development kit)? > > Because the original designers in this industry didn't see any other way to > do what they wanted to do with the products they wanted to publish. And > once the genie is out of the bottle, it's damn hard to stuff him back in. > Especially 25 years later. > > > The original idea was that Joe gamer went home and made > > games for his group...no threat...no need for legal documents. > > Judge's Guild started publishing within one year of D&D's widespread > commercial avaialabiilty. Your utopia lasted less than 11 months. > > > "Example: The 'net is >FULL< of documents and sites where people who had > > no problems whatsoever using content from various D&D books as the basis > > for their work attempt to assert a draconian re-distribution authority for > > the derivative work." > > > > But you don't need an OGF, OGL and SRD to stop plagiarism or copyright > > infringement > > You misunderstand. I don't want to stop people from creating that content. > I want them to be FORCED to provide the same set of rights they receive from > us to anyone to whom they distribute derivative material based on our work. > In other words, I want to make sure that people can't take stuff WotC paid > to develop, add a few bells and whistles, then start claiming that >OTHER > PEOPLE< can't do the same thing to those bells and whistles. You should > allow others to do unto you what you have done unto others. > > Ryan > > _______________________________________________ > Ogf-l mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l > _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
