Another Cease and Desist Letter: 4E Powercards

[GMforPowergamers]

Hmm, I guess that's the "more important stuff" they're choosing to spend their lawyer's time on rather than the fansite guidelines or the revised GSL.

so does that mean we can blame these sites that are wasting WotC time when they could have been working on better stuff??

had there been no illigal websites then the law team would have time for the revised GSL...wow another reason to hate piriacy

 

[RedBeardJim]

The problem is that if WotC doesn't defend their trademarks now, they cannot defend them later. There is a principle in law that amounts to, "You let me do it before, you can't start complaining now"- WotC simply doesn't have the option to ignore known large-scale infringement.

This applies to *trademarks* (e.g., the name "Dungeons & Dragons"), not to *copyright* (e.g. the content and wording of the power cards). Trademarks you must defend -- copyright is yours from the moment you create the work until whatever ridiculous amount of time Disney has managed to push it to, whether you defend it or not.

 

[portermj]

Hmm, I guess that's the "more important stuff" they're choosing to spend their lawyer's time on rather than the fansite guidelines or the revised GSL.

Yes, WOTC is a company that basically sells ideas. Protecting their intellectual property really does qualify as more important stuff.

 

[dm4hire]

It could also be said that the lack of a clear and more open GSL is what has led to these websites as 3pp would have definitely jumped on the power cards by now if not WotC. One has to wonder why WotC has taken so long to come out with power cards, especially when you look at their product list and follow up cards for other books are only about 2-3 months behind the forth coming book?

 

[mxyzplk]

so does that mean we can blame these sites that are wasting WotC time when they could have been working on better stuff??

had there been no illigal websites then the law team would have time for the revised GSL...wow another reason to hate piriacy

I assume this is a clever joke done to illustrate the kind of Karl Rove-esque logic permeating this thread.

Bit instead, if they had a clear fansite policy ahead of time that told people what they could/could not do - perhaps people who are just trying to promote the hobby wouldn't have to have been stigmatized as "pirates".

The mods are mighty quick to clamp down on anyone "calling names" on WotC or its fans here; apparently that protection doesn't extend to other Wizards fans who were actually taking the initiative to create stuff for the game. No, they are criminals, pirates, and thieves. Strange, just yesterday they were allies in the "yay 4e" cause, and evidence of the strong fan community.

I can't help but wonder which of you are next.

 

[malraux]

This applies to *trademarks* (e.g., the name "Dungeons & Dragons"), not to *copyright* (e.g. the content and wording of the power cards). Trademarks you must defend -- copyright is yours from the moment you create the work until whatever ridiculous amount of time Disney has managed to push it to, whether you defend it or not.

My understanding was that the site in question did use a large amount of trademarked stuff in addition to copyrighted material. Lots of DnD logos.

 

[mudbunny]

It doesn't take a fansite policy to figure out that reproducing large portions of WotC IP is a bad idea...

 

[Piratecat]

I very much agree with you about the importance of a clear fansite policy. However...

The mods are mighty quick to clamp down on anyone "calling names" on WotC or its fans here; apparently that protection doesn't extend to other Wizards fans who were actually taking the initiative to create stuff for the game.

If you have a problem with moderation, please feel free to email the moderator (or any moderator, really.) The thread isn't the place to discuss it, though.

 

[Mercutio01]

Bit instead, if they had a clear fansite policy ahead of time that told people what they could/could not do - perhaps people who are just trying to promote the hobby wouldn't have to have been stigmatized as "pirates".

The mods are mighty quick to clamp down on anyone "calling names" on WotC or its fans here; apparently that protection doesn't extend to other Wizards fans who were actually taking the initiative to create stuff for the game. No, they are criminals, pirates, and thieves. Strange, just yesterday they were allies in the "yay 4e" cause, and evidence of the strong fan community.

I can't help but wonder which of you are next.

Do you need to be explicitly told NOT to break the law? Not to violate copyright? Seriously?

 

[malraux]

I assume this is a clever joke done to illustrate the kind of Karl Rove-esque logic permeating this thread.

Bit instead, if they had a clear fansite policy ahead of time that told people what they could/could not do - perhaps people who are just trying to promote the hobby wouldn't have to have been stigmatized as "pirates".

The mods are mighty quick to clamp down on anyone "calling names" on WotC or its fans here; apparently that protection doesn't extend to other Wizards fans who were actually taking the initiative to create stuff for the game. No, they are criminals, pirates, and thieves. Strange, just yesterday they were allies in the "yay 4e" cause, and evidence of the strong fan community.

I can't help but wonder which of you are next.

That's a rather bad faith argument as no one would have expected such a site to be acceptable under any fan site rule. Nor was this site creating stuff in a meaningful way.