Could Kenzer takeover Dragon?
- Thread starter heirodule
- Start date
smootrk
First Post
I am sure that their particular license agreement states specifically the types of products that they may produce, and since there was already Dragon & Dungeon being produced elsewhere, they most likely excluded that type of product (to prevent unnecessary competition amongst their licensees).
der_kluge
Adventurer
Egads, that's a political hotbutton there.
I'm not sure I want to touch that with a 10' pole.
Well, ok, I'll try.
Essentially, Kenzer got an official license as an agreement for them not to sue WoTC. Why would they sue WoTC? Over the Dragon Magazine CD Archive. See, when WoTC sold the Dragon Magazine CD Archive there was no contractual agreement between the publishers of Dragon (TSR/WoTC) regarding possible future royalties of possible future releases of the magazine. That is, if you submitted content to Dragon, you agreed to receive payment for your work, and that was it. No one had the foresight regarding putting the magazine on CD and selling them *a second time*. Kenzer threatened to sue WoTC over WoTC's republishing content - specifically KotDT comics in the issues on the CDs.
That's why Kenzer stuf is "official". To call it official is quite a bit of a stretch really. It's just a word. Like "organic" or "all-natural". It really doesn't mean crap.
What's official in my game is what I allow, and nothing more. Period.
Could Kenzer produce their own magazine? Sure, they could. So could you. So could I.
Would it be "official"? No freaking way.
I'm not sure I want to touch that with a 10' pole.
Well, ok, I'll try.
Essentially, Kenzer got an official license as an agreement for them not to sue WoTC. Why would they sue WoTC? Over the Dragon Magazine CD Archive. See, when WoTC sold the Dragon Magazine CD Archive there was no contractual agreement between the publishers of Dragon (TSR/WoTC) regarding possible future royalties of possible future releases of the magazine. That is, if you submitted content to Dragon, you agreed to receive payment for your work, and that was it. No one had the foresight regarding putting the magazine on CD and selling them *a second time*. Kenzer threatened to sue WoTC over WoTC's republishing content - specifically KotDT comics in the issues on the CDs.
That's why Kenzer stuf is "official". To call it official is quite a bit of a stretch really. It's just a word. Like "organic" or "all-natural". It really doesn't mean crap.
What's official in my game is what I allow, and nothing more. Period.
Could Kenzer produce their own magazine? Sure, they could. So could you. So could I.
Would it be "official"? No freaking way.
an_idol_mind
Explorer
Only WotC can print Dragon right now. They won't let anyone else take the license because it would compete with their new digital toy.
kenmarable
Hero
Could Kenzer take over Dragon?
Quite simply, No.
At least in my opinion at least.
It's pretty clear that WotC didn't end the license because they didn't think Paizo was doing a good job with the magazines. It's because they wanted to take control back themselves. Pretty much the same thinking that apparently happened with Code Monkey.
WotC may make some very... odd decisions, but yanking the license for Dragon mag from a very successful 3rd party just to give it to another 3rd party that arguably has an already competing product is really beyond any tangent with reality.
And I'm not familiar with Kenzer's products, so correct me if I'm wrong, but they don't cover Eberron, or the splat books, or any of that. They just get to use the D&D logo. They don't have near the level of licensing that Paizo had with WotC.
So, no, Kenzer can't make Dragon magazine, and I don't see WotC letting anyone else do it until they see whether their online product soars or flops.
Quite simply, No.
At least in my opinion at least.
It's pretty clear that WotC didn't end the license because they didn't think Paizo was doing a good job with the magazines. It's because they wanted to take control back themselves. Pretty much the same thinking that apparently happened with Code Monkey.WotC may make some very... odd decisions, but yanking the license for Dragon mag from a very successful 3rd party just to give it to another 3rd party that arguably has an already competing product is really beyond any tangent with reality.
And I'm not familiar with Kenzer's products, so correct me if I'm wrong, but they don't cover Eberron, or the splat books, or any of that. They just get to use the D&D logo. They don't have near the level of licensing that Paizo had with WotC.
So, no, Kenzer can't make Dragon magazine, and I don't see WotC letting anyone else do it until they see whether their online product soars or flops.
delericho
Legend
der_kluge said:
Well, it seems you do learn something new every day!
As far as Kenzer taking over Dragon, or doing something similar, I doubt very much whether their license would allow it, and I doubt even more whether Kenzer would consider such a thing financially viable.
In any case, as soon as the terms of the license allow it, I fully expect Wizards of the Coast to decline to renew it.
heirodule
First Post
What I'm thinking of here is creative and legalistic use of a license.
I understand the history here, so I assume that WOTC would love for them NOT to have a license. If they could get rid of it, they prolly could. So maybe Kenzer's isn't as easily revocable as Paizo's was.
if so: assume they don't have a right to create "periodicals"
But how is that defined? Isn't that a bit arbitrary?
Could they release a "book" every month, supported by advertizing, hiring writers who've written for Dragon/Dungeon, and having a "book of the month club" where they send you their monthly book for a annual fee.
Can they come up with a publishing model that's essentially a monthly mag, without being a 'periodical'?
If Kenzer did that, I'd sign up for a year out of spite to WOTC
I understand the history here, so I assume that WOTC would love for them NOT to have a license. If they could get rid of it, they prolly could. So maybe Kenzer's isn't as easily revocable as Paizo's was.
if so: assume they don't have a right to create "periodicals"
But how is that defined? Isn't that a bit arbitrary?
Could they release a "book" every month, supported by advertizing, hiring writers who've written for Dragon/Dungeon, and having a "book of the month club" where they send you their monthly book for a annual fee.
Can they come up with a publishing model that's essentially a monthly mag, without being a 'periodical'?
If Kenzer did that, I'd sign up for a year out of spite to WOTC
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