Could somebody please explain to me how you sell a PDF without any website at all?

[xechnao]

Except that PDFs are explicitly mentioned as allowed licensed products, and additionally,

PDF distribution does not have to be online. PDFs are distributed with CDs too.

 

[DanMcS]

PDF distribution does not have to be online. PDFs are distributed with CDs too.

The license mentions PDFs being downloaded. You'd have to be in extreme WotC-hateon mode to think that they would have written the license intending PDFs to be only for sale via physical media, not over these newfangled internet tubes.

 

[xechnao]

The license mentions PDFs being downloaded. You'd have to be in extreme WotC-hateon mode to think that they would have written the license intending PDFs to be only for sale via physical media, not over these newfangled internet tubes.

You're right. Yes, it's late here -forgot about mentioning downloading. But then, there are ftps
Dunno. Perhaps they have the best of intentions but you must also consider what's the exact law situation as Morris said.

 

[Verequus]

The homepage of the PDF, for instance, um, let me grab a random pdf ad page, is marketing materials, which are, again, specifically allowed.

That reminded me of the following:

int random() {
      return 4; // Determined by a fair dice roll
}

 

[Yair]

Yeah, I think a guiding principle of contract law is that all secions has to make sense together, and in conjunction with the license allowing promotional material and publishing pdfs I think it can't reasonably be argued that the online sale of pdfs isn't allowed. The quotes in the OP have to be interpreted in line with the other sections of the document.

As for ENWorld, it is as always in legal limbo. Without a clear fan-site policy it isn't clear what is allowed, and even if one is provided it is of course liable to change at Wizard's whim (but then, so is the GSL). Arguably all of ENWorld is allowed under Fair Use, regardless of Wizards' wishes - arguably.

 

[Morrus]

Michael, ove rhalf of what you just quoted was in the d20 STL. You weren't allowed character creation or advancement in that, either. Presenting a new class or race is not, and has never been, included in the definition of "rules for character creation".

As for the website thing - you don't release a website under the GSL. People have been not releasing websites under the GSL for many years. EN World is not released under the GSL, the OGL or the d20 SRD.

You're inventing problems where there are none.

 

[Gilwen]

That reminded me of the following:

int random() {
      return 4; // Determined by a fair dice roll
}

LMAO! I'm stealing that for my .sig!

Gil

 

[Jraynack]

It merely stops websites like http://www.d20srd.org/ or doing what WotC is doing with Dungeon and Dragon - making online magazines (or print magazines, but that's another issue).

It also stops what Monte Cook and others did with Arcana Unearthed and Iron Heroes (True20 also comes to mind) (i.e. stand alone player's handbooks where you didn't need the core rules to play the d20 system). Initially, WotC thought that merely keeping publishers from using the d20 logo would stop them from reprinting the player's handbook that talks about character creation.

Well, they were wrong and the GSL makes sure that won't happen again.

 

[lurkinglidda]

So new classes are right out

Incorrect. Per the GSL FAQ:
Q: Can I define a new class?
A: Yes.

 

[DanMcS]

That reminded me of the following:

int random() {
      return 4; // Determined by a fair dice roll
}

It wasn't truly random, it was, "I need an example, who has a page on their site for every individual product? Green ronin does! Browse browse browse, there's one!"

And it is a perfectly good example of a page which would be considered marketing stuff under the GSL.