Updated status on the revised GSL

[fabneme]

Nobody bought the early publisher kit. It never went on sale - an idea that never happened.

That's why I called it old.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

My 2 cents? We won't be seeing any GSL before october 1st

We won't see anything before then because that is the start date of the existing GSL. I really doubt as well that any publisher can get anything out in less than three months even if the new revision is acceptable (and that is 3 months from whenever The Rouse releases it).

 

[Corjay]

I doubt it. It is likely a way to end the relationship with WotC with whatever the most current version of the GSL is before a change. They would still be bound by that version and any restriction it contains and would no longer be able to print anything new, but they would be free of any other restrictions or changes a new version would bring. It gets rid of the particularly onerous change at will clause and lets publishers make descisions based on what the current version of the GSL says without having to worry about being bound by unknown future restrictions. It essenstiallly means the only unknown will be how long the licence lasts (either by cancelation or unaceptable changes).

Yeah, that would seem to be what it will be like. While that seems to be the clear intent, I hope the wording doesn't screw it up though. There were a couple of points in the GSL that had great intent, but which wording made it interpretable with more than one meaning.

 

[Ranger REG]

I doubt it. It is likely a way to end the relationship with WotC with whatever the most current version of the GSL is before a change. They would still be bound by that version and any restriction it contains and would no longer be able to print anything new, but they would be free of any other restrictions or changes a new version would bring. It gets rid of the particularly onerous change at will clause and lets publishers make descisions based on what the current version of the GSL says without having to worry about being bound by unknown future restrictions. It essenstiallly means the only unknown will be how long the licence lasts (either by cancelation or unaceptable changes).

In that case, I hope Green Ronin won't bring Freeport to 4e.

 

[Corjay]

In that case, I hope Green Ronin won't bring Freeport to 4e.

What's so bad about what Brown Jenkin suggested that you would say that?

 

[Ry]

What's so bad about what Brown Jenkin suggested that you would say that?

Well, if the "you can't publish this for another system" clause remains, then the scenario looks like this:

1. Green Ronin accepts the terms of the GSL (say, GSL 2.0).
2. Green Ronin ports Freeport to 4e
3. WotC revises the GSL in a way that's no longer acceptable to Green Ronin. (say, GSL 3.0)
4. Green Ronin rejects the terms of the revised GSL 3.0, and is bound by the GSL 2.0, including being unable to produce new products under it, and being unable to port material made for 4e over to other systems.

So basically, unless WotC said otherwise, 4e would be the last system that Freeport could be published for.

This is all contingent on their being at least some of the same 4e-only and lasts-forever clauses in the new GSL as the old.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Well, if the "you can't publish this for another system" clause remains, then the scenario looks like this:

The GSL right now only limits future publishing under the OGL. If Green Ronan wanted to do a future WEG d6 version it would be fine. But as you say, we have no idea what the GSL 2.0 will or wont restrict.

 

[Corjay]

What he said ^

 

[Qwillion]

Let me get this straight WotC has bungled the GSL since OCT of last year and then let go the person who was supposed to be fixing it?

Then they gave it to a guy who does not have time to work on it?

Sigh

 

[Corjay]

Linae was not the only one working on it. Scott mentioned "changes we made", showing that he and others, not just Linae, were working on the GSL. As I undestood it, Scott was already head of the licensing department, or at least used to be and is again. He is also not the only one having to finish the job. Scott said "we" when he said the SOR still has to be finished. So someone is going to push him to get it done. The fact is that the GSL got done fairly quickly and now they only have to complete the peripheral documents, creating one and modifying another. If it takes two months, big deal. It's a heck of a lot better than taking 6 months or a year.