D&D 5E SRD5 - A Clone of Part of D&D 5E Basic

[JC99]

Wow.

I imagine a particularly epic C&D is being written already. Wish I could see it.

 

[Michael Morris]

I imagine a particularly epic C&D is being written already. Wish I could see it.

He'll likely ignore the C&D, then his ISP will get hit with a DMCA takedown notice.

 

[Abstruse]

I'm going with "not wise."

Here's the deal...

1. There is no announcement of a SRD from Wizards of the Coast.
2. There will be no announcement of any open content license until early 2015.
3. They have not stated they will have a commercial open license, only for fan-created content.
4. The SRD linked in this thread was created by someone who took it upon himself to do so.
5. He has no license from Wizards of the Coast.
6. As rules mechanics cannot be copyrighted, it is possible to create an SRD.
7. This person is copying rules presentation from the Basic D&D game as his own, which is a violation of copyright.
8. He is trying to claim copyright on material that cannot legally be copyrighted.
9. He is attempting to license this to others and defining terms.

It's seriously just a matter until Hasbro Legal sends him a C&D, and that's if they're not flat out going to sue him. I guarantee if any material from the Starter Set or Player's Handbook shows up on there, they'll sue.

 

[Michael Morris]

Here's the deal...

<snip>

It's seriously just a matter until Hasbro Legal sends him a C&D, and that's if they're not flat out going to sue him. I guarantee if any material from the Starter Set or Player's Handbook shows up on there, they'll sue.

As I said, "Not wise."

Understatement of the year maybe, but accurate all the same.

 

[Lidgar]

Wow.

Took the word right out of my mouth.

 

[doctorhook]

Hmm...is this not it?
http://www.srd5.org/__license.htm

Ahh, when I visited earlier, the links all seemed to take me to http://www.srd5.org/license.htm, which was dead. At the moment, the boilerplate text at the bottom still links to the broken page.

 

[delericho]

Whether or not it is legal, it is certainly risky. WotC didn't have much to lose in allowing clones of their past work, but outright cloning a current offering is another matter. I would not expect WotC to turn a blind eye to it.

Yep, this. And for exactly the reason you say.

 

[Mistwell]

This is what happens when non-attorney's think they can learn the finer intricacies of intellectual property law by reading some stuff on the internet.

 

[skotothalamos]

OGL: (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted;

Good to know I'm allowed to drink (or inhale!) my D&D if I want... I won't be drinking the SRD5, however.

potation:
1 : a usually alcoholic drink or brew
2 : the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling; also : the portion taken in one such act

 

[Abstruse]

This is what happens when non-attorney's think they can learn the finer intricacies of intellectual property law by reading some stuff on the internet.

"But OSRIC did it!"

Yes, but they were smart about it and I believe got legal consultation first. What Necromancer is doing is also close to infringing, but they could easily pull it off. Plus the owner is a judge, so pretty sure he's not going to step over the legal lines. This guy? Obviously didn't know the laws.