> Ann Dupuis > > So.... do the copyright notices for the /new/ Open Game Content material > go on the Open Gaming License page as well as under the general > copyright notices for the product? Or, perhaps the question should be, > /can/ the copyright notices for the new OGC go on the license page as > well as the copyright page, as it would be best (I think), and clearest, > if copyright notices were in both places.
I'd ask for a second opinion, but while the OGL prohibits use of a contributor to promote a product I don't see how a standard copyright notice on the inside cover of a book could qualify as promotion. I'm fairly sure you can put them both places. The question you need to ask is "who is the actual owner of the copyright on the material"? Open Gaming Licensed material falls into one of four categories: 1) For material talken solely from the SRD, Wizards of the Coast owns it. 2) For material derived from the SRD, Wizards of the Coast and the author own it jointly (neither can use it without the other's permission) *OR* Wizards of the Coast owns it. The courts have ruled both ways on this, and it would take an experienced IP attorney to interpret those precedents so that you can make an educated guess as to how you would fare. 3) For material not derived from the SRD or any other (non-public domain) source, the author owns it. 4) For material derived from a third party which you have the authority to contribute as OGC, the material is owned jointly by the third party and the author *OR* by the third party alone. It depends on the terms of your 'authority to contribute'. Again, a layman is not going to be able to give you reliable advice on which category you are in. This is true whether the material in question is OGC, PI or 'other' content. The OGL does not assign ownership of copyrights, it merely grants 'use' rights for licensed material. The original owner of the material retains all other rights. Regardless of where else you place your copyright notice, you must also note the owner of the work in Section 15 of the OGL. -Brad _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
