Clueless new author looking for advice

[jmucchiello]

FYI, you probably shouldn't use d20 in your title as WotC claims d20 system as a trademark and could see your use of d20 as potentially confusing. Whether or not they can win such a lawsuit you have to decide if you are able to defend yourself should there be a suit. Granted you are only PDF publishing and thus they can't really make you pulp your books as punishment.

But then you are in Norway and perhaps this is not such a problem there. I don't know.

Good luck.

 

[arwink]

Most people use the term "OGL" to mean "something very much like d20, but a bit further out from D&D," but that can lead to incorrect assumptions. Otherwise, everything you have said is very good advice.

Very true, but the original poster was asking about d20 and I pitched the response to that concern. OG liscencing can get complicated enough without wrapping your brain around the intricacies of multiple OGL systems.

 

[GMSkarka]

The best advice I've ever seen on the subject of self-publishing came from Prest0 from 12 to Midnight.

It was so good, that RPGNow added it to their info page for prospective publishers:


Potential publishers need to examine their goals. Do they want to be published, or publishers?

Being a publisher means running a business. It means creating a website, coordinating art, editing, and layout, marketing the product, keeping finances in order, and so on. What it leaves little time for is actually writing.

 

[flyingmice]

Very true, but the original poster was asking about d20 and I pitched the response to that concern. OG liscencing can get complicated enough without wrapping your brain around the intricacies of multiple OGL systems.

LOL! That is so true!

-mice

 

[Jolly Giant]

Thanks for all your advice, everyone; you've been very helpful!

But Joe Mucchiello; are you saying I can't name my product Vikings D20? I can use the d20 system, but not have d20 in the product title? Or did I misunderstand you? Sounds a bit strange to me... Can anybody confirm this?

 

[jmucchiello]

Thanks for all your advice, everyone; you've been very helpful!

But Joe Mucchiello; are you saying I can't name my product Vikings D20? I can use the d20 system, but not have d20 in the product title? Or did I misunderstand you? Sounds a bit strange to me... Can anybody confirm this?

Aside from WotC's own D20 Modern, how many "d20" titled products do you see available for sale?

In the SRD's legal.rtf, WotC claims as PI "d20 (used as a trademark)". Now, a trademark is anything one uses to distinctly identify their product, be it a phrase or logo. You want "Viking D20" to uniquely identify your products. You want people to see "Viking D20" and think of your product. Thus, you want to use "Viking D20" as a mark of trade, a trademark.

As I noted before, the validity of this line of reasoning is questionable. A lawyer could easily argue either side. But do you want to be the one to try defeating the meaning of PI in a lawsuit against WotC? Is "Viking D20" worth it?

So, short answer, no, I'm not saying you can't name your product Viking D20. I'm just saying that doing so has a lot of baggage you might not want to carry. Oh, and, of course, none of my advice is legal advice. I am not a lawyer. If you need legal advice, contact a lawyer knowledgable in IP law in your jurisdiction.

 

[Jolly Giant]

I see. Thanks for clearing that up; I certainly don't feel like starting a legal quarrel with WotC!