Any word on the GSL?

[Jack99]

They're doing one thing better than the RIAA and MPAA: they're not going after the downloaders themselves, they're going after the providers of the pirated material. Instead of suing college students, single mothers, and 15-year-old kids, they're just working on shutting down the sites instead of seeking outrageous damages.

Sounds wise enough.

Interesting note on the piracy issue.

A longstanding problem or just coming to a head recently?

I know there's alot of debate over how much of an impact piracy really has in terms of revenue. Some say that those that download weren't going to buy anyways, or do it to sample before they do buy.

But a lot of industries often come to the conclusion that lagging sales/revenue are a direct result of rampant downloading.

I suppose that piracy is going to be more of an issue in the current economic condition.

I think it has something to do with the DDI perhaps. /shrug

 

[ProfessorPain]

This may be a stupid question, but who has actually signed on to the GSL at this point? I was under the impression that the 3rd party publishers have just gone ahead and published without signing the GSL, on the grounds that you can't copyright a game. And, are the GSL terms as harsh as people are saying?

 

[Shemeska]

What I may do is get on a plane and fly to the sites office and spend a day with an attorney dealing with it in person.

You're doing better than the RIAA, I'll happily grant you that. Of course depending on how hardcore they go after pirates, if it affects other stuff by places getting shut down, I also wonder if we'll eventually see Wizards mentioned in a footnote in the wiki entry for Anonymous.

 

[kenmarable]

This may be a stupid question, but who has actually signed on to the GSL at this point? I was under the impression that the 3rd party publishers have just gone ahead and published without signing the GSL, on the grounds that you can't copyright a game.

Mongoose is probably the biggest name definitely signed on. Many new small companies like One Bad Egg (great stuff, by the way!) have also signed on.

Goodman started off non-GSL (partly to avoid the Oct 1 start date and actually get product to Gen Con), and I thought they said they were going GSL but I can't find evidence on their website. Same with Adamant. Started non-GSL and I thought were going GSL, but I don't see anything offhand. But I might not have looked close enough.

(Edit: As per Jack99 below - Goodman is GSL now.)

Current big names decidely NOT GSL - Paizo, Necromancer, and Green Ronin. Of them, only Green Ronin is going the "copyright" route, and even then only with their Character Record Folio.

And, are the GSL terms as harsh as people are saying?

Depends on who you ask, obviously. Opinions range from "it's good they are even letting us use the rules" to "it's utter filth". Gut feeling from the actual professionals who aren't using seems to be more in the range of "it needs some serious fixes" rather than the entire license being useless.

So, personally, I'd say, yeah it's bad, but fixable with some minor but very important changes.

 

[Alzrius]

Current big names decidely NOT GSL - Paizo, Necromancer, and Green Ronin. Of them, only Green Ronin is going the "copyright" route, and even then only with their Character Record Folio.

Kenzer Co. has also gone the "copyright" route with their new Kingdoms of Kalamar 4E setting.

 

[Jack99]

Goodman started off non-GSL (partly to avoid the Oct 1 start date and actually get product to Gen Con), and I thought they said they were going GSL but I can't find evidence on their website. Same with Adamant. Started non-GSL and I thought were going GSL, but I don't see anything offhand. But I might not have looked close enough.

Seems like everything released in 09 by GG is GSL. At least all the books I have bear the D&D official logo thing on the back.

 

[the Jester]

"WotC offices being closed between December 25th and January 4th"

Am I the only one who has a problem with this?

Not me, but then I support companies that treat their employees well.

 

[joethelawyer]

Yes you are right, the work is pretty menial and since an hour was 1/50th of the work on one of hundreds of sites I will never tackle the problem in that way myself.

What I may do is get on a plane and fly to the sites office and spend a day with an attorney dealing with it in person.

Can't you just get one of your attorneys to send one of their attorneys a cease and desist letter? I mean, why fly there, unless the site or sites are based in Jamaica of something...


Anyhow, I found some form legal letters you might want to use to send to these sites...no charge.

Date: Thu, 28 Jul 94 17:28:59 -0400
From: TSRInc@aol.com
To: postmaster@rigel.cs.pdx.edu
Subject: TSR Copyrighted Material

SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR:

Your site was recently included in a list of noted FTP sites for DUNGEONS AND
DRAGONS and ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS gaming material. You should be
aware that DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS and all related marks and properties are
copyrighted by TSR, Inc. of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

You should also be aware that any items created without a specific license
are infringements of TSR copyrights. Such items include (but are not
limited to) any software, net.books, modules, tables, stories, or rules
modifications which contain elements from our copyrighted properties,
including characters, settings, realm names, noted magic items, spells,
elements of the gaming system, such as ARMOR CLASS, HIT DICE, and so forth.
To date, TSR has not licensed any of these net publications.

On behalf of TSR, Inc. I ask that you examine your public net sites at this
time and remove any material which infringes on TSR copyrights.

Our intention is to find a way to license these and future creative efforts.
In the meantime, remove them from your sites without delay.

Please feel free to contact me with comments or questions. I will refer any
pertinent queries to our legal department as soon as I receive them.

Rob Repp | InterNet: tsrinc@aol.com
Manager, Digital Projects Group | InterNet: mobius@mercury.mcs.com
TSR, Inc. | CompuServe: 76217,761
__________________________________ | GEnie: TSR.Online AOL: TSR Inc
All opinions are my own, not TSR's | 414-248-3625 Fax 414-248-0389

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 11:53:57 -0500
To: fred@LOKI.CC.PDX.EDU
From: mobius@Mercury.mcs.com (Rob Repp)
Subject: jove.cs.pdx.edu
Cc: JANAKA@EE.PDX.EDU

Mr. Fred Dayton
cc: Mr. Janaka Jayawardena
Portland State University

Mr. Dayton,

My name is Robert Repp. I work for TSR, Inc., makers of DUNGEONS AND
DRAGONS products. In the course of looking through the public FTP site at
Portland State, I came across a directory pub\frp\*. This directory appears
to contain an older mirror of the MPGNet FTP site. Contained within this
directory are several files which contain trademarks and copyrights owned
by TSR, Inc.

Among these files are several PLAYER'S HANDBOOK entries reproduced in their
entirety, several net.books which contain TSR copyrights and trademarks,
and properties owned by several other publishers.

While I cannot speak for other companies, on behalf of TSR, Inc. I must ask
you to remove all of these files from your site. They infringe on TSR
copyrights and trademarks, and should not be published from your site. We
have licensed MPGNet's FTP site at ftp.mpgn.com to be the sole carrier of
TSR trademarks and copyrights on the Internet at this time. If you wish to
contact them regarding moving your collection to their site, please email
David Brooks (dbj@mpgn.com) for information.

Please feel free to contact me at any of the addresses listed below, or by
voice from 9am to 5pm CST. I will gladly try to answer any questions you
may have regarding this matter.

Rob Repp | InterNet: tsrinc@aol.com
Manager, Digital Projects Group | InterNet: mobius@mercury.mcs.com
TSR, Inc. | CompuServe: 76217,761
__________________________________ | GEnie: TSR.Online AOL: TSR Inc
All opinions are my own, not TSR's | 414-248-3625 Fax 414-248-0389

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anthony Fiarito
cc: Janaka Jayawardena
Fred Dayton
Constance Lindman, TSR Legal Dept.

Mr. Fiarito

I connected to jove.cs.pdx.edu today, and was dismayed to find that your
administrative staff has still not removed several files which infringe on
TSR trademarks and copyrights. Further, I found a notice (see below) which
states the administrator's intention to keep and disseminate several of
these files. I must warn you that these files clearly contain
infringements, and that they cannot lawfully be published from your site.

For your convenience, I have listed several sample files which infringe on
TSR copyrights and trademarks. This is not a complete list, but rather
meant to give you some idea of the material in question. Also, your site
appears to be mirroring a European site which is carrying several
questionable files. I will direct an appropriate note that site's
administrator. In the meantime, you should be aware that these files remain
problematic, regardless of their country of origin. Republishing foreign
files doesn't abrogate the need to comply with domestic regulations.

I remind you that we have licensed a site to carry TSR trademarks and
copyrights on the Internet (ftp.mpgn.edu). If you wish to keep your
collection intact and public, I suggest that you email Rob Miracle at
rwm@mpgn.com and make arrangements to transfer your holdings en masse.
Otherwise, they should be made inaccessible to the public.

I am in anticipation of your prompt reply.

Rob Repp | InterNet: tsrinc@aol.com
Manager, Digital Projects Group | InterNet: mobius@mercury.mcs.com
TSR, Inc. | CompuServe: 76217,761
__________________________________ | GEnie: TSR.Online AOL: TSR Inc
All opinions are my own, not TSR's | 414-248-3625 Fax 414-248-0389

 

[JohnRTroy]

Why the hell did you post those?!

That's not comparable--Scott's going after people who scan the rules and offer them on-line, not anybody who has a fan site.

 

[joethelawyer]

Why the hell did you post those?!

That's not comparable--Scott's going after people who scan the rules and offer them on-line, not anybody who has a fan site.

I know. It's a joke probably only a few people from ENWorld who were on the Internet back then, and who also knew me back then, would get.