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And you can go ahead and say “Fireball: a bead of fire shoots from your hand and explodes into a 20’ radius ball of fire at a point the caster can see ….” And Wizards can still sue saying too close/derivative work and a trial might be the only way to tell if they are right.

They want people to not use their trademarks and not challenge their copyright/IP, so they add a big carrot to get people to use the OGL where they promise not to do that.

The main selling avenues - One Bookshelf and Kickstarter - already police material. There is absolutely zero need for Hasbro/WoTC to have such a clause or to use it as an excuse. They already ban using their brand/trademarks and claiming it is compatible with D&D so they already have plausible...

Copyright gets down to exact words being used in most of the cases I have seen. There are only so many plot ideas at a top level. So many novels have the same basic plot and probably the same structure. The details of how it is done becomes the story and using the same words is violating...

I don’t think people that don’t have access to Big Law and money to spend understand how much can be done in a legal matter. I use Latham and Jones Day. Have used Kirkland a lot in the past. One phone call and I have a small army of expensive but dedicated and generally really good lawyers. And...

Dismissed with prejudice before discovery. Invest in a good litigator when you need one.

Honestly, when I moved to the USA, I really had to adjust my world view about suing people. It is embarrassing in Canada when it comes to that. Especially in non-business cases. In the USA I think you sue right after you have coffee in the morning. When I was running Legal, the main areas we had...

Jeffrey Talanian - North Wind (Hyperborea)

Raging Swan Press https://www.patreon.com/posts/ogl-1-1-and-swan-77134733 “ The OGL 1.1 and Raging Swan Press I’ve received many questions in the last week about the leaked draft of the OGL 1.1 and its effect on Raging Swan Press. I’ve attempted to set out my thoughts several times. Every...

Those must have a direct license from WoTC and seem to sell quite well. Who knows, may even be better than their DCC line …

Frog God/Necromancer games from Facebook: “ Frog God Games and Necromancer Games will not sign the new Open Game License (OGL) Version 1.1. We believe that what Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) is doing is wrong, in bad faith, and likely illegal. We fully believe that the strength...

As I have said, I am not a lawyer but I did run the Legal department in one of my jobs and spent $10M+ a year. What I learned is that you try and write the best contract in good faith that you can to dissuade people from taking you to court, but in the USA (I grew up in Canada where fighting...

Kit Walsh has an email address and even a phone number available by clicking on her name. I am sure if someone (I suggest a lawyer) wants to ask questions or point out facts, then it is possible to do so.

That was not a “Board Room Battle”. That was a proxy fight that Hasbro easily won.

It would be remarkably rare for a Board to engage in such low level tactics. They could give advice to the CEO that his targets are too low. This is not the CFO being caught running away with bags of cash and her handsome assistant over her shoulder level of managment crisis.

I still don’t get how Chardonnay is sexist. Was “yuppy” the only time I remember it being something that you pointed out. A “Chardonnay Drinker” could be any gender in that context and a beer drinker would certainly outrank them. That is what I don’t get, why is that sexist? I mean, I drink...

Poor Stellagama. Just received my softcover Cepheus Deluxe rulebook. OGL 1.0a in the back with the older and newer SRD cited but I don’t know if their is any real D&D in it at all as it is OGL Traveller and the OGL was probably used as the industry just accepted it so why not ….

From direct, personal experience, upper management does not react to the downgrade. If they are reacting, it is to the problem that lead to the result that lead to the downgrade. In Hasbro's case, they had a surge in MTG and D&D during covid but very quickly the market soured on entertainment...

Not so sure about that conclusion. The market itself has struggled and many stocks are suffering. I am not sure if the percentage change is a sign of deep troubles and if a 5 year timeline is best. Now, they changed CEO to Cocks fairly recently due to their old CEO dying. Cocks lead WoTC to...

I would imagine this would be an SRD free clone of 5e. Kobold Press has released a ton of 5e material and has the incentive not to make a completely new system.