Creating your own mechanics

[Zireael]

I am trying to create my own RPG mechanics. They are inspired by various existing mechanics (including D&D, Warhammer, Deus Ex RPG) and there are original ideas in it also.

Can someone explain to me what the poster meant in this post:

First of all, mechanics can't be copyrighted. WotC can use the same or similar mechanics as any other RPG, it doesn't even need to be a 3pp making an OGL product. But it can be tricky. If they can do so without creating a derivative work as that term is used in Title 17 of the US Copyright law, without infringing a trademark they don't own (such as specific terms, campaign specific IP, or verbatim text), and any number of other legal landmines, then they're more than welcome to do so. WotC has lawyers that can walk them through it. Something a small 3pp may not have the money for (for the kind of legal advice that's necessary). They'd only do it if it was worth their while, but they can do it.

However, if it is Open Game Content (OGC) under the OGL, WotC (and anybody else) is already covered...

Quote:
From the WotC OGL and SRD FAQ

Open Game Content is any material that is distributed using the Open Game License clearly identified by the publisher as Open Game Content. Furthermore, any material that is derived from Open Game Content automatically becomes Open Game Content as well.

Q: Does this mean that someone could take Open Game Content I wrote and distributed for free, and then put it in a product and sell that product to someone else?
A: Yes.​

Q: To be clear: Does this mean that Wizards of the Coast could take Open Game Content I wrote and distributed for free, put it into a Dungeons & Dragons product and make money off it?
A: Yes.​

Q: And they wouldn't have to ask my permission or pay me a royalty?
A: No, they would not.​

(Also)...if at some point in the future, Wizards of the Coast adds third-party Open Game Content to a published product, and the contents of that published product are extracted for the SRD, it is possible that the content could find its way into the SRD.
For some evidence of this, take a look at the Pathfinder SRD website Pathfinder_OGC , which includes (for free) Open Content from a multitude of other 3pp's.

If I make free mechanics, are they copyrighted or not? Is D&D mechanics copyrighted or not? Warhammer mechanics? Any others? Is Pathfinder copyrighted?

 

[Nagol]

A layman's view

Depending on your country of origin, everything you write is copyrighted automatically.

But copyright only protects the expression of an idea -- not the idea itself.

For example, I could, should I choose, write a series of books exploring the life of a boy sent to a magical boarding school for wizards and bering hunted by the worst villain of the previous generation.

I would only get in trouble from copyright should those characters, dialogue, or plot appear too similar to Harry Potter.

Game mechanics are not an expression protected by copyright. How you describe the game mechanics and descriptive text can be. So if you publish something that others feel is a good idea and want to use, they have to reword how that mechanic works and provide their own descriptive text. Note that it is possible some decriptions are considered the 'natural' or obvious way to describe a mechanic and aren't able to be copyrighted like ndn+n for roll dice and add a modifier. Almost all dice games that can use multiple dice use it.

With the additional licenses like OGL, you surrender some rights in exchange for others. One of the rights you lose is copyright protection on anything you mark as open content against anyone else using the same license. One you gain is the right to use anything marked open content by anyone else using that license.