FantasyGrounds Takes Legal Action Against WotC

[Argyuile]

Whomever snagged that from FantasyGrounds shouldve at least rolled the dice so they didn't sit face up with the same exact numbers showing. Or paid for the software and reskinned the dice to a different color at least.

That's exactly what I was thinking. It also means that in my mind it wasn't malicious it was just somebody being lazy.

Never attribute to malice what you can attribute to incompetence.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Of course, now one wonders whether or not FG scanned real dice as the basis for their virtual dice.

 

[Rhianni32]

That's why they sent a C&D; they're not "suing."

The only damage done here is a bit of a black eye for WotC.

I give it an hour before it disappears off WotC's site.

Yeah it will be changed and then both companies will move on.
However what this does do is show what wotc does and if i was a 3rd party publisher about to agree to a license that gave wotc permission to take my work and make it their own i would be rethinking my products.

 

[Cadfan]

Whomever snagged that from FantasyGrounds shouldve at least rolled the dice so they didn't sit face up with the same exact numbers showing. Or paid for the software and reskinned the dice to a different color at least.

Right. I might have questioned FantasyGrounds argument if they'd done that. Platonic solids are platonic solids, and "dark red" is a generic, stock color. And the lighting was probably added by a stock effect from a 3e graphics program. But the angle and the numbers on the tops of the dice are too specific to be coincidental.

Actually when I reread the press release, they haven't initiated a law suit, they've released "a notice of copyright infringement and demand to cease and desist."

I suppose if WotC ignores the notice and demand then it could go to court.

Ah, I should have clicked on the link for details.

 

[Vigilance]

I was about to say... both strongly resemble older die roller programs, some released under TSR!

And as Lorraine Williams will tell you, TSR *DOES* own all RPG dice.

I see a second lawsuit coming down the pipe.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Defend it, or lose it.

 

[webrunner]

They already had ceased and desisted weeks ago. There's a thread on the Gleemax forum about it- a WOTC employee said the graphic wasn't a marketing graphic (it was an internal mockup) and was used in marketing by mistake. The image has been replaced on the WOTC website with one that has a different die roller on it.

 

[LeaderDesslok]

They already had ceased and desisted weeks ago. There's a thread on the Gleemax forum about it- a WOTC employee said the graphic wasn't a marketing graphic (it was an internal mockup) and was used in marketing by mistake. The image has been replaced on the WOTC website with one that has a different die roller on it.

This makes much more sense, and I can totally see the graphic being used in a mockup. Still, somebody in marketing will be getting a reprimand at the very least.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Dragon mag used one of my Spelljammer ship images (tradesman), down to the flag, lol, for a piece couple of years ago.
Honest mistake, the artist didn't know the pic was a non-useable reference piece, he thought it was exactly what he was supposed to create.

They apologized, no worries. Paizo = nice folks

Mistakes happen, but, oh boy that dice one is...silly!

 

[frankthedm]

Heh, this could also be a plan of the owner of F.G. to get wotc/hasborg to buy him out to shut him up.