D&D Fan Site Toolkit: Petition!

[Derulbaskul]

Honestly, ignore the fan-site policy and don't make comments on messageboards about it and continue to go on doing what you're doing.

As a large company, Hasbro has to be aggressive with its formal policies about its IP but it simply doesn't have the resources or, frankly, the desire to play "net nanny" with the websites of its --customers-- unless there is piracy involved.

 

[Dire Bare]

I am not fully aware yet of the benefits WotC plans to confer to their "official fan sites," but it seems like a lot to ask for the use of some content which may arguably be fair use anyway @_@

You should become fully aware before you bother trying to start a petition or movement to oppose the policy.

The kit is not for "official sites", during the days of 3rd Edition, WotC designated one official fansite for each discontinued campaign setting. Whether those sites still exist, were replaced, and what their status is now I don't know . . . but WotC isn't designating any new "official" fansites.

If you want to use the kit, you must agree to the policy. If you don't want to use the kit, then you don't have to. IMO, the kit is kinda sparse on images to really bother with right now, perhaps they'll add more stuff to it later.

If you don't use the kit, keep your fansite clean of piracy and artwork you don't have the rights too, and you should be fine. In fact, even if you are using artwork you shouldn't, WotC probably won't come after you unless you are blatant about it . . . not that I advise this, though.

At this point, the kit seems kinda pointless to me . . . and the brewing "controversy" over it simply a tempest in a teacup.

 

[Echohawk]

during the days of 3rd Edition, WotC designated one official fansite for each discontinued campaign setting. Whether those sites still exist, were replaced, and what their status is now I don't know

Let's see. Here is the page on the WotC web site with the links to the official fan sites.

Dark Sun: The Burnt World of Athas - still running
Planescape: Planewalker.com - still running
Ravenloft: Secrets of the Kargatane - no longer running (but an archive remains)
Birthright: Birthright.net - still running
Mystara: Vaults of Pandius - still running
Spelljammer: Beyond the Moons - still running, but hasn't been recently updated

So five out six of the fan sites are still up and running, not bad.

 

[Umbran]

...I am always alarmed by attempts to control information usage & permissions in this way, when it is simply a matter of logos and images which should be covered by fair-use...

Respectfully, you show more signs of misunderstanding. Specifically, while use of general images is probably covered by copyright and fair use, logos and other brand-identification are generally matters of trademark - "fair use" does not apply.

Moreover, trademark law is different from copyright in other ways. Trademarks must be defended to be maintained. WotC cannot allow its trademarks to be used freely, without condition, or else list losing the protection of the law on the brand identification, which would be bad for them.

Ergo, if they want people to be able to say "Dungeons & Dragons" on fan sites, it is important to them to have a license to do so.

 

[Cadfan]

Technically, the ability to use a trademark when commenting on the goods or services to which that trademark applies means that you can have a site about Dungeons and Dragons with or without their permission, but you can't have a Dungeons and Dragons site. The distinction is a fine one, which is why people get in arguments over it so often.

 

[Fifth Element]

It's not a fan site policy. I refuse to sign something that would indicate I'm ignorant about the subject matter.

 

[Morrus]

Well, I'm certainly not going to sign a petition which claims that I believe that a license can be in violation of "U.S. Fair Use doctrine" because I do not believe that - on account of I know it not to be true. A license has nothing to do with Fair Use.