CMP: On its way out?

[iwarrior-poet]

I'm bored at work. CMP gives me something to focus on.
Plus I am still miffed by how a company can say that it is still up and running---when it spends more time offline than online for the last four months (though I may be exaggerating a tad )

I am just so vexed with the state of digital aids in general---that if I can do anything to spur things on/provide fair criticism---I will.

 

[jaerdaph]

Wouldn't you rather spend your time playing a game, or at least moving on to some other software, rather than wasting it obsessing over CMP?

QFT. Let it go, dude. Let it go.

There's a lot more serious crap going on in the world worth getting your panties in a bunch over than this.

 

[iwarrior-poet]

QFT??? Whatzzat?

 

[jaerdaph]

QFT??? Whatzzat?

Quoted for truth.

Let it go. Move on.

 

[iwarrior-poet]

CMP's cite is still down... Coming up on a week now...
Folks had told me to let it go, I probably should, but I am also concerned about tech support---it was guaranteed with my purchase of datasets ($200+)---how am I going to get it when I can't reach the company?

 

[TheYeti1775]

Yahoo Group it / plus another thought - rambling

CMP's cite is still down... Coming up on a week now...
Folks had told me to let it go, I probably should, but I am also concerned about tech support---it was guaranteed with my purchase of datasets ($200+)---how am I going to get it when I can't reach the company?

Ya could start a Yahoo Group for ETools Support. Something like PCGen's where people ask the how to and people help each other out. I'm pretty sure if you announced it here you would get quite a few willing to go back and forth with helping each other with tips and all.

I know your looking at it from the errata standpoint, but technically without the liscense they couldn't distribute even errata for it.


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Now for a little Lawful Evil twist in the CMP favor
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Now on a totally different note, when you look at IP stuff and all that. Wouldnt there be an arguement to say that since while under the agreement WOTC gave the permission for CMP to CREATE (keyword here) datasets for their products during that time period. Now I ain't no lawyer thats for sure, but wouldn't that now change the IP of the Datasets to CMP's ownership? as they did create the format and distrubition system for all of it.

So wouldn't technically CMP still be in control of stuff THAT CMP CREATED during that time period? Yeah they couldn't put in any errata since then but anything released before the license expired would be fair game for the CMP monkeys.

I'm just going to use a car analogy so you all can follow my line of thinking.
You buy a car.
By virtue of buying the car you can do what you want with it, raise it lower it, change the front end so it looks completly different. Or even just let it sit.
Ford or Chevy then decide they no longer want to do business with you.
They can't stop you from selling that car you already own.

By this logic I think CMP is in a very interesting position of not really being unable to tread water. Cause technically they still own the rights for that time period. Just cause they can't create new stuff doesn't mean they can't sell their old datasets. These datasets were created long before the rug was pulled out. Thereby they are CMP datasets, cause there is no way WOTC gave them the data in that format. Maybe LoneJedi can answer that part on how they got data. So unless the data came over in that format, then the IP is now CMP's not WOTC.

Now this is just a simple layman's take on it. But if I was on a jury I think I would be leaning on the CMP side if argued like this.

Yeti
They can't take back the

 

[iwarrior-poet]

I agree, and am sure that there are other options/loopholes for both consumers and CMP. However, as various folks and CMP staff have commented---they simply don't have the financial support to fight a legal battle with WoTC. It wouldn't be financially realistic to engage in a legal battle that would cost waaaaayyyy more than any potential returns on the datasets.

 

[TheYeti1775]

I say challenge them. Make them spend their money to do it. I'm sure you can find a lawyer that would like to make a name for themselves to represent for a nominal cost. Let the WOTC spend their hundreds of dollars per hour to defeat you. Worse they can do is make the business close their doors. Wait they are already making that happen.

Just the same as they are doing to Sarbreenar using the RPGA to do it to them.

How much would it take to get a lawyer to look over the contract and tell you if it's possible?
Heck goto a nearby law school and talk with one of the professors, most of them would love to write a paper on it afterwards. You might have to sign some book rights away to them but heck you could beat this.

 

[iwarrior-poet]

Actually---it might be pretty cool---and also get a lot of other indie developers behind them. WoTC has definitely bullied other developers. Some of them might be willing to help CMP to take on WoTC (maybe in exchange for CMP developing datasets for their products).

Heck, I would personally pledge $50 towards any legal fund if CMP decided to take it on. I know that is a VERY small amount in terms of legal fees---but it could start some momentum...

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

So wouldn't technically CMP still be in control of stuff THAT CMP CREATED during that time period? Yeah they couldn't put in any errata since then but anything released before the license expired would be fair game for the CMP monkeys.

Almost certainly not, unless the WotC lawyers were high on crack for an extended period of time.