Can a game be "Compatible with the Wizards of the Coast SRD?"

[dcas]

As far as i know, it *is* permissible to use someone else's trademark to indicate compatibility, right?

Yes, hence Mayfair Games was able to indicate compatibility with AD&D on their Role-Aids line of modules and supplements. One might say "For use with D&D 3.5" but not "Approved for use with D&D 3.5" since the latter indicates the approval of the company that owns the trademark.

I think it's only when you sign on the OGL *license* that you voluntarily agree not to use WotC trademarks to indicate compatibility. If you don't use the OGL to begin with, you should be able to indicate compatibility, within the limitations quoted above.

I think you are correct.

However, without the OGL then a lot of WOTC's intellectual property is off-limits. Spell names are probably not copyrighted (although they might be if they are highly original), but do you want to take a chance on it? Terms used in stat-blocks could possibly be trademarked (T$R would never say one way or the other -- will WOTC? Or is it all just a big OGL mish-mash?). What Mayfair (and others) did was create an alternate set of abbreviations for use in stats (Armor Rating [AR] in place of Armor Class [AC], hits to kill [HTK] instead of hit points [HP], etc. -- click here for a more-or-less complete list). But it could be more problematic now with all the feats and skills that are normally put in a 3.x stat block.

 

[Ranger REG]

Yes, hence Mayfair Games was able to indicate compatibility with AD&D on their Role-Aids line of modules and supplements.

Yeah, and TSR lawyers jumped on them. At least they show vigilance when protecting the trademarks, and let the court settled it.

 

[Contrarian]

What Mayfair (and others) did was create an alternate set of abbreviations for use in stats (Armor Rating [AR] in place of Armor Class [AC], hits to kill [HTK] instead of hit points [HP], etc. -- click here for a more-or-less complete list).

Those are Creations Unlimited abbreviations. (For those who don't know, it's the company Rob Kuntz created after leaving TSR -- his adventures are basically Greyhawk in disguise.) It used slightly different abbreviations than Mayfair Game's Role-Aids. For example, Constitution was "Vitality" in CU, but "Stamina" in Role-Aids.