[GSL & OGL] Can giving away a finger chop off my whole arm?

Patrice · 2nd July 2008, 09:17 PM

Hi there, welcome to my first post ever upon this forum! I've been reading yours for weeks and well... I daresay I'm very impressed by the quality of the messages I've shuffled through in here. I do apologize if my questions have been already covered elsewhere or are misplaced.

GSL

Let's say I write and release a setting, say a city. This setting is rule-free, or maybe OGL.

Let's say I write and release a one-shot adventure or a couple of fiends, whatever, into this setting under the GSL.

Does that take the entire setting into the GSL?

Is it the same if the one-shot adventure or couple of fiends are released for free?

OGL

Ok, another one: now I want to include an OGL section in my rule-free setting. Just a little bit of it, a few OGL pages, maybe 10 or 20% of the content, all the remainder being pure raw product identity and defined as such.

Is it possible or is there a minimum OGL limit for products released under this license? In case of infringement, does that take my entire product in the OGL?

I really don't need legal advice beyond these two questions, I just speculate upon what's possible given the current situation and what's not.

Thanks folks!

**Morrus** · 2nd July 2008, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrice

SGL[/b]

Let's say I write and release a setting, say a city. This setting is rule-free, or maybe OGL.

Let's say I write and release a one-shot adventure or a couple of fiends, whatever, into this setting under the SGL.

Does that take the entire setting into the SGL?

Is it the same if the one-shot adventure or couple of fiends are released for free?

It's "GSL", not "SGL". And it's per product line; so if it's in the same product line (and supplements for a setting couldn't be argued not to be by the best debater in the world!), then yes.

Defnition of "product line"? Not specified.

Quote:

Ok, another one: now I want to include an OGL section in my rule-free setting. Just a little bit of it, a few OGL pages, maybe 10 or 20% of the content, all the remainder being pure raw product identity and defined as such.

Is it possible or is there a minimum OGL limit for products released under this license? In case of infringement, does that take my entire product in the OGL?

5% original content required. Only applies to the parts that are designated OGC; the rest is not OGC.

Knight Otu · 2nd July 2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morrus

5% original content required. Only applies to the parts that are designated OGC; the rest is not OGC.

That applied, I believe, only to the d20STL. I see no such restriction in the OGL itself.

"A minimum of 5% of the text (word count or letter count) of a Covered Product must be Open Game Content and must comply with the terms of the Open Game License version 1.0a."

Nylanfs · 3rd July 2008, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morrus

It's "GSL", not "SGL". And it's per product line; so if it's in the same product line (and supplements for a setting couldn't be argued not to be by the best debater in the world!), then yes.

Defnition of "product line"? Not specified.

5% original content required. Only applies to the parts that are designated OGC; the rest is not OGC.

That was only for the d20 STL.

Patrice · 3rd July 2008, 02:07 AM

Well, that's clear enough anyway. 5% mini for the d20 STL must be OGC and yeah, giving away a finger to the GSL would tear my arm off, thank you for your answers.

EDIT: changed SGL to GSL in original message.

CapnZapp · 3rd July 2008, 06:12 PM

Though remember that it doesn't help if you go through so many hoops to try to distance one product from the other.

It's not as if you'll go before a jury presenting your arguments why your product A is or isn't in the same product line as your product B.

Instead, Wizards can terminate your license at any time for any reason without having to explain themselves in any way.

What this basically means is that I recommend you not even getting on WotCs radar. You can only do this by playing nice, following the spirit of the rules rather than the letter.

If you try to rules-lawyer yourself out of the restrictions imposed by the license, you probably aren't trusting Wizards enough, which means you should not sign the GSL in the first place.

Only enter the GSL if you're prepared to trust Wizards, both current and future, with your entire business (or product line at least).

Knight Otu · 3rd July 2008, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrice

Well, that's clear enough anyway. 5% mini for the d20 STL must be OGC and yeah, giving away a finger to the GSL would tear my arm off, thank you for your answers.

EDIT: changed SGL to GSL in original message.

A further clarification, just in case, you don't have to use the d20STL to use the OGL, and as a matter of fact, you can't anymore - the d20STL has been revoked.

Patrice · 4th July 2008, 01:35 AM

Well, Capt Zapp, it's not so much a matter of trust than a matter of properly defining the limits of my product idea. I'm not playing the lawyer. My plan's to purposedly design a systemless backdrop universe or setting, not just because of copyright or legal troubles, but because of the whole idea behind the fact of going systemless: emphasis upon the background instead of the system, narrative freedom, etc.

But in order to make it easy to handle and use, I would have liked to offer a few technical stuff pages as well like Thieve's World 1981 Chaosium boxed set was designed: a setting and a few extra pages to adapt it to RuneQuest, Traveller, etc. but with nowadays gaming systems.

Now, and I thank you all again for that, I know that I can include a few OGC details (and not d20 STL), but no GSL.