Level Up (A5E) Are we allowed to reference material from GPG in 3pp?

[Faolyn]

For instance, if I wanted to mention something like the fateholder from GPG #1 in a product--not reproduce the stats, just say something like "the fateholder from GPG #1," is that allowed under the OGL?

 

[xiphumor]

I don’t know, but do note that the GPG only claims copyright for a year, after which it returns to the author.

For instance, if I wanted to mention something like the fateholder from GPG #1 in a product--not reproduce the stats, just say something like "the fateholder from GPG #1," is that allowed under the OGL?

Seeing as the copyright for the Fateholder will revert back to Paul Hughes in a few months, I wonder if you had best discuss that question with him.

 

[Xethreau]

EN Publishing isn't as consistant with their OGL and Product Identity declarations as many other publishers. I would suggest taking a really careful look at the OGL before making a decision when citing their work.

 

[Faolyn]

EN Publishing isn't as consistant with their OGL and Product Identity declarations as many other publishers. I would suggest taking a really careful look at the OGL before making a decision when citing their work.

Yeah, I think I'll leave it out but think about it very hard, so that people will psychically pick up on the creatures I'm thinking about.

 

[Timespike]

EN Publishing isn't as consistant with their OGL and Product Identity declarations as many other publishers. I would suggest taking a really careful look at the OGL before making a decision when citing their work.

At least they fill out their section 15 properly. You would not believe how uncommon that is with huge, established 3PP companies!

 

[Reynard]

EN Publishing isn't as consistant with their OGL and Product Identity declarations as many other publishers. I would suggest taking a really careful look at the OGL before making a decision when citing their work.

Anything released under the OGL that is derived from OGC is OGC. That's the terms of the license. Product Identity isn't mechanics, it is things we might normally think of more as trademarks. So even if the PI declaration said snootleborgs are PI, that doesn't extend to the actual snootleborg stat block, snootborg feats or spells, or magic items crafted from their snoots.

 

[Timespike]

While you are technically correct, the TTRPG industry is small and everyone talks to everyone else. It's polite (and therefore a good business practice) to wait for something to wind up in an SRD or at least look for an explicit OGL declaration (which is why they're in all the PMG releases) before touching it in a commercial product, IMHO.

 

[Reynard]

While you are technically correct, the TTRPG industry is small and everyone talks to everyone else. It's polite (and therefore a good business practice) to wait for something to wind up in an SRD or at least look for an explicit OGL declaration (which is why they're in all the PMG releases) before touching it in a commercial product, IMHO.

I don't know how prevalent it is these days, but for lots of 3rd Party Publisher's it used to be common practice to declare anything not in the SRD to be product identity. Which, of course, is both using the OGL in bad faith and complete nonsense, legally.

 

[Timespike]

I don't know how prevalent it is these days, but for lots of 3rd Party Publisher's it used to be common practice to declare anything not in the SRD to be product identity. Which, of course, is both using the OGL in bad faith and complete nonsense, legally.

Yep, it is.

I can only control what I do, though. And you will find OGL declarations in all PMG products. Sometimes even in multiple places, just to make it extra-clear.

 

[Morrus]

We use the SRD(s) to designate OGC, as that feels the clearest way to do it for us. The SRDs are a little behind the books though (manpower--it's me doing them).