Correct me if I am wrong, but the OGL is out of the bag and able to do what you want with it. You can make material that works with 4e but wouldn't have the D20 system logo and it could not reference Dungeons and Drasgons or the Player's Handbook by name. You couldn't use the DMG or MM refrence either, and would have to call them corebook 2 and 3 respectively. Other than that, you can make a 4e book. The OGL can't be taken back.
So the question is, will WOTC make 4e under the D20 trademark.
Now, lets say that they don't. Unless they retract the D20 liscense completely, you could stlll publish under the d20 liscense and say on the back compatible with the revised third edition of dungeons and dragons, and the current edition of the world's most popular fantasy role playing game. The book would still get the message across that it works with D&D. Or, you can make most of the book OGL designate what is OGL and make it 4e compatible and then clearly mark the proper percentage of the book as 3.5 and get the d20 logo that way. This can be accomplished with an appedix that converts material to 3.5.
I think WOTC not making 4e is only going to hurt them overall. Right now they do not lose any business over third party publishers, and alienating the third party publishers only forces them to give WOTC legal headaches or create competing RPGs again. Plus, it makes them loook like the evil corporation again. D&D needs the third party support for rules ideas, and support of the material that isn't profitable for WOTC to produce. Of course, that could bethe whole point of the DI, where that material gets put on the web to avoid printing costs and they smash all competition to drive people to the DI. But still, the OGL is still there.
One sign I noticed (and I thought it was because of their contract but again maybe Paizo is preparing for the future) is the new Paizo products are not under the D20 liscense and they say compatible with the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Right now there is no apparent ned for this, unless they know something we don't.
So the question is, will WOTC make 4e under the D20 trademark.
Now, lets say that they don't. Unless they retract the D20 liscense completely, you could stlll publish under the d20 liscense and say on the back compatible with the revised third edition of dungeons and dragons, and the current edition of the world's most popular fantasy role playing game. The book would still get the message across that it works with D&D. Or, you can make most of the book OGL designate what is OGL and make it 4e compatible and then clearly mark the proper percentage of the book as 3.5 and get the d20 logo that way. This can be accomplished with an appedix that converts material to 3.5.
I think WOTC not making 4e is only going to hurt them overall. Right now they do not lose any business over third party publishers, and alienating the third party publishers only forces them to give WOTC legal headaches or create competing RPGs again. Plus, it makes them loook like the evil corporation again. D&D needs the third party support for rules ideas, and support of the material that isn't profitable for WOTC to produce. Of course, that could bethe whole point of the DI, where that material gets put on the web to avoid printing costs and they smash all competition to drive people to the DI. But still, the OGL is still there.
One sign I noticed (and I thought it was because of their contract but again maybe Paizo is preparing for the future) is the new Paizo products are not under the D20 liscense and they say compatible with the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Right now there is no apparent ned for this, unless they know something we don't.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
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