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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerLurker" data-source="post: 8476214" data-attributes="member: 7031660">That's getting a bit pedantic. No, you don't literally sign it. Nor do you sign the terms & conditions when you click a box. I was using "sign" in a figurative sense to describe formally agreeing to the licence in a clear and demonstrable way. You have signed the document, clicked the checkbox, opened the packaging, or otherwise demonstrating your informed binding consent in a way that can be proved. In the case of the OGL that is including the OGL legal block at the back of the book and identifying product identity. If you include the OGL text you're agreeing to its terms. You have "signed" the licence. If you use OGL content without including the OGL in the book then you're not using the licence and just infringing on someone's copyright. But there's no shortage of examples of fans doing that aforementioned "theft." None of the submissions on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/" target="_blank">r/UnearthedArcana</a> include the OGL and many violate Wizards of the Coast's trademarks. (And most feature flagrantly stolen art.) Ditto most other RPG community subreddits like <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/swrpg/" target="_blank">r/swrpg</a> or <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/?f=flair_name%3A%22Homebrew%22" target="_blank">r/Pathfinder2e</a> But this is generally considered okay because it's free and non-commercial and basically people sharing stuff they made for their homegames. It's fans being fans, and you want to encourage this, not hinder it with legal fears.  For a Cortext subreddit or Twitter thread or Wordpress fansite or even a post on ENWorld it's harder to demonstrate the contributor consented to the licence and agreed to its terms. But Fandom is trying to suggest the licence is almost automatic.Here's the full <a href="https://www.cortexrpg.com/cdn/media/cms/documents/Cortex-Non-Commercial-License.pdf" target="_blank">licence.</a> It says:Which seems to imply even playing the game means you have agreed to the licence. That you automatically "sign" the licence just by rolling dice at the table. But that's ridiculous, as 4/5ths of the people at the table might not own the book or be aware of the licence. And if the licence is at the back of the e-book, there's no guarantee people who own the book will read it. That's the equivalent of a website with terms and conditions at the bottom of the frontpage saying "by browsing this website you agree to X and Y" but no clickbox denoting people were informed of these conditions.It's implied consent. This would be problematic for a brand new game with unique mechanics, where the only way to create the content is having read the new book, and thus potentially having seen the licence. However, there have been many previous Cortex games published. Marvel Heroic Roleplaying also using the Cortex System, so everything on <a href="https://marvelplotpoints.com/" target="_blank">Marvel Plot Points</a> is suddenly also covered by the licence. The licence is effectively retroactive</blockquote>

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