I know what you are trying to say Ryan but your choice of words is
confusing.
> You cannot copyright rules for games.
>
> The SRD is not just "rules for a game". It is a substantial body of
> copyrightable work.
Yes you can. Anything you write down is copyrighted automatically. So your
rules are copyrighted as demonstrated by the SRD. What you can not do is
copyright a method. Methods are protected by a patent.
Someone can't take your rules verbatim and redistribute them but they can
reword them and use their own words to express the same rules. (Unless, of
course, they were protected by a patent.)
Robert Kozak
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryan S. Dancey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2001 2:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Ogf-l] Can you copyright a system of doing things?
> From: "dema" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> > I can not copyright my method of playing guitar, or my method for making
> > money. The whole d20 thing seems weird in that respect. The game
mechanic
> > should fall in this too no? It's like copyrighting the mechanic for
> rolling
> > two dice and moving around a board.
>
> You cannot copyright rules for games.
>
> The SRD is not just "rules for a game". It is a substantial body of
> copyrightable work.
>
> The d20 System is built like a house. The foundation of the house are a
few
> simple rules for games. They can't be copyright. Much of the first 8
> sections of the SRD falls into this category.
>
> The rooms built on that foundation - the classes, races, spells, magic
> items, monsters, and the combat, magic and magic item creation systems are
> all filled with unique creative expression that transcends "rules for
> games".
>
> Ryan
>
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