> but "D20 System" being a trademark *would* prevent another game from > saying "Uses the d20 system" on it's back-cover blurb, right?
Some say no. Some say yes. I think it would come down to a court deciding if the use of the mark constituted dilution or created consumer confusion. There is precedent for selling gas caps and floormats that say "Compatible with Ford" on them, even though they're not manufactured by Ford. However, all the caselaw I could find seemed to indicate that such usages were OK because the primary market the mark was registered in wasn't the market the mark was being used in. (As in, no consumer was likely to be confused that a floormat or a gas cap was really a Ford automobile). The situation with RPG products is far different; because claims that a product is "compatible with" an RPG system usually mean that the product in question looks like, and for all intents and purposes >is< the same kind of product as the RPG itself. I honestly don't have an opinion. I think it's a coinflip. On the other hand, if you use the OGL, the point is moot. Ryan _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
