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

[Michael Morris]

Well, so much for 4e PDF's

This License applies solely to Licensed Products as defined in Section 3 and to the specified uses set forth in Section 4. For the avoidance of doubt, and by way of example only, no Licensed Product will (a) include web sites,

PDF's are advertised on and sold through website - and while it may not be WotC's intent this legal phrasing effectively bans PDF's outright. It also puts all D&D fan sites in legal limbo and bans them from carrying any elements of 4e. As I said before, when does ENWorld get it's cease & desist? I was being sarcastic, but the more I think of it I can't escape the conclusion.

interactive products,

Indefensibly broad. Interactive product can refer to any toy or book since you interact with it. "Interactive electronic products" is more to the point - I'm not a lawyer but I can see that much.

miniatures,

Fair enough.

or character creators;

At one point Scott mentioned the GSL would be no more restrictive on this than the d20STL was. Well, plans must have changed.

(b) describe a process for creating a character or applying the effects of experience to a character;

So new classes are right out since their description requires you explain what benefits the class gives at each level - gotcha.

(f) be incorporated into another product that is itself not a Licensed Product (such as, by way of example only, a magazine or book compilation).

Or be hosted on a website right? Well, I hope no one posts any 4e GSL licensed stuff on the board.

I had at one point actually started looking forward to using 4e. I can't now. It is important to me to be able to use all my skills in the creation of materials for my players and setting - this especially includes my programming skills. 4e is no longer available to me. Long live the OGL.

 

[jaldaen]

I don't know the answers to most of your concerns, but the FAQ has this ti say about classes:

Q: Can I define a new class?
A: Yes.

I remember a similar reaction when 3e came out and many thought... how can I describe a class without character creation (WotC had a very strict definition of it in 3e... it seems the same holds here).

 

[Alzrius]

Michael, my understanding is that a website that sells GSL products is just a vendor - it's not a GSL product itself, and doesn't need to obey any of the GSL's restrictions.

 

[Dias Ex Machina]

My interpretation led me to believe you could not have a website that was mentioned IN the product, as in some other source the company could receive income from. I think you can still advertise the product and sell it online as well as have a company website.

 

[JohnRTroy]

I'm pretty sure it's a Web Site by itself, which is either a "product" because it's akin to a printed work, or even an interactive-game akin to AdventureQuest or the hundreds of other "free games" out there.

 

[jmucchiello]

I just sailed right past that without a thought. You can't license a website with the GSL is what it means. How is that unclear?

 

[Michael Morris]

I just sailed right past that without a thought. You can't license a website with the GSL is what it means. How is that unclear?

Loosest possible definition of website - a page with a URL. A PDF distributed online has a URL. If the PDF has a homepage that describes it to entice you to buy it (most do) then that too is banned.

Remember in law the spirit means nothing, the letter is all. And this contract is extremely draconian if you read it in the worst possible way - which is what you must be prepared to defend if you enter into it.

 

[DanMcS]

Loosest possible definition of website - a page with a URL. A PDF distributed online has a URL. If the PDF has a homepage that describes it to entice you to buy it (most do) then that too is banned.

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

Licensee may additionally utilize the Compatibility Logo in advertisements and marketing materials (including without limitation, website listings and catalogs) for Licensed Products,...

And again, the "homepage for a PDF" is not a licensed product, the PDF itself is. The homepage of the PDF, for instance, um, let me grab a random pdf ad page, is marketing materials, which are, again, specifically allowed.

So even if you read the license unnecessarily uncharitably, they explicitly allowed the cases you are complaining about.

 

[arscott]

(b) describe a process for creating a character or applying the effects of experience to a character;

So new classes are right out since their description requires you explain what benefits the class gives at each level - gotcha.

The exact same sentence appeared in the d20 stl, and it didn't stop anyone from creating new classes for 3e.

It's meant to prevent 3rd parties from printing things like "how to create a character" chapter and experience charts, not from printing actual classes.

 

[Gilwen]

I agree. I think it's a strech to say you can't make a class. Even if your product says something like UberClass's AwesomePower increases at 11th 13th and 20th by 1d6 you're ok because that isn't describing how you level up. create, or apply experience to your character. This is also specifically called out in the FAQ as being possible.

Gil