Blackmoor Lisence Ends

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

I picked up the 3E Blackmoor stuff I was missing at Origins this year, still haven't found the 4E release yet.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I have no idea what the status of the Blackmoor IP ownership is, but I know I'd like to see Blackmoor materials for OD&D and AD&D (or S&W/OSRIC).

I'm a little confused on this myself. I had thought that Arneson retained the rights to Blackmoor. Now it sounds like WotC owns the rights and that Blackmoor was licensed. Is that correct?

 

[haakon1]

Meh . . . maybe WOTC plans on using Blackmoor for 4e. <shrug>

To be honest, I'm not checking anything WOTC does anymore. I assume, since I'm not into 4e at all, that whatever they are doing with fluff is also completely uninteresting . . . it's to the point where I wish they'd just leave the old school IP (Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and everything else from the OD&D and AD&D eras) alone, rather than "messing it up" by getting dragonborn all over it.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh on them? Anybody paying attention to what they're doing with old fluff these days?

 

[catsclaw227]

Meh . . . maybe WOTC plans on using Blackmoor for 4e. <shrug>

But, there already WAS a Blackmoor 4e, wasn't there?

 

[Truth Seeker]

This info link should clear this up...please read; After TSR

I'm a little confused on this myself. I had thought that Arneson retained the rights to Blackmoor. Now it sounds like WotC owns the rights and that Blackmoor was licensed. Is that correct?

 

[Truth Seeker]

At Gen Con 2009, when saw...

But, there already WAS a Blackmoor 4e, wasn't there?

 

[Dire Bare]

This info link should clear this up...please read; After TSR

The wikipedia article didn't clear things up for me! (Of course, I could have just missed the important stuff) The article states Arneson gave up all rights to D&D to WotC . . . but doesn't make clear whether that included the Blackmoor campaign setting. The article then goes on to detail many of Dave's projects since that point, many of which dealt with Blackmoor. Did Dave license back Blackmoor from WotC, or have some sort of agreement with them?

Recent events suggest that's the case, but the curious . . . well, are curious!

 

[JohnRTroy]

Based on what I know, I think when Peter Atkinson bought TSR, he tried to make amends to the creators, both Gary and Dave. (There's a very good reason why there's a special thanks to Peter Atkinson on CZ:Upper Works even though he was not involved in the project).

I don't think Atkinson could have ever given them back their properties. But I do think he made some personal deals to make things easier for them, thought it might not be cast as a solid iron contract. I think maybe Dave's "license fee" for Blackmoor was a token sum. I know he wanted both creators to consider doing stuff for WoTC.

Erik Mona hinted at a few "handshake deals" in reference to Paizo possibly publishing Gord the Rogue.

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/planetStories/general/gordTheRogue62w92

I also don't trust that Wizards of the Coast would be happy with us publishing Greyhawk books, regardless of the handshake deal between Gary and Peter Adkison regarding Gary's control of the books.

I have danced the dance with that partner before, and it didn't go so much the way I'd planned.

 

[Truth Seeker]

This might be it....Grognardia

2nd paragraph.

The wikipedia article didn't clear things up for me! (Of course, I could have just missed the important stuff) The article states Arneson gave up all rights to D&D to WotC . . . but doesn't make clear whether that included the Blackmoor campaign setting. The article then goes on to detail many of Dave's projects since that point, many of which dealt with Blackmoor. Did Dave license back Blackmoor from WotC, or have some sort of agreement with them?

Recent events suggest that's the case, but the curious . . . well, are curious!

 

[havard]

Thanks Havard. Do you have a blog post planned (or already written) which summarizes the current status of Blackmoor IP ownership?---I was surprised to see that Dustin Clingman owns some of the BM IP vs. DA's estate.

Based on the fact that Dave had been distributing Blackmoor, OD&D Supplement 2, from his web site for years, as well as his original maps, I figured that he owned those, and by extension all of the content in the DA series of modules from '80s too; but perhaps that was too optimistic??

Good question Allen,
Dave stated that he owns the First Fantasy Campaign and all its contents, including the original maps. The status of Supplement 2 is unclear though WotC has clearly tolerated the existence of that pdf on Dave's website for years.

I'm thinking this does not extend to the DA modules, though what happens to the shared contents between the DA series and the FFC is unclear.

What I am sure WotC owns is the "Blackmoor" brand and the rights to publish a setting with that title. They also released a Return to the Temple of the Frog module as a free download on their website a few years back.

ZGG/Dustin Clingman apparently owns some of the elements added to Blackmoor in the 3E era, including classes, feats, the Docra Race and the character Skelfer Ard. ZGG/CMP apparently have plans to use these elements in some of their future projects.

I will try to get a better overview written up on my blog later on, but I think the above is pretty accurate. I dont have any inside information though. CMP were (understandably) pretty adamant about not discussing any such details with me, when I asked a few months ago.

What this holds for the future of Blackmoor is hard to say. I guess WotC could publish a module or two based on the Blackmoor locations. It might fit with their Points of Light philosophy...

Havard