d20 translations?

[Selganor]

I only have the Creature Collction and there it's yes and no.

The OGL is in there but is missing the content of Section 15 (the copyright note)

BUT I noticed something nice...

The whole stats (except the monster names) are declared as being Open Game Content...

So, you CAN use the attributes, skills, feats, ... used there. The addition of "Kreaturen Kompendium (c) 2001, Feder&Schwert" would only be neccesary if you actually used the stats of the monsters themselves. For everything else (aka. the parts of the "old" SRD) "System Reference Document, (c) 2000, Wizards of the Coast, german translation by Amigo" would suffice.

So now I revise my previous statement... BUY the German d20 books, see which parts of the SRD were used and are declared OGC and collect them.

As everything that was once "open" can't be "closed" again you CAN use them.

At least that's how I interpret the situation.

 

[arscott]

execpt if it was missing the section 15 (and therefore in violation of the OGL), then it technically wasn't open in the first place.

 

[Selganor]

execpt if it was missing the section 15 (and therefore in violation of the OGL), then it technically wasn't open in the first place.

Actually you could interpret the Open Game Content at the title to fill in Section 15 (or does it say anywhere in the license that the whole license has to be in one place?)

But if an incomplete OGL makes things "closed" then most of the early d20 products (and almost anything by AEG and some other publishers who don't seem to get it) would be "closed"...

 

[arscott]

It wouldn't make them closed, so much as illegal. Which is precisely what one would need to avoid if one was being hounded by Greedy Translation Companies.

And was the section 15 missing the Creature Collection c 2001 whomever? or was it also missing the SRD copyright? If it's only the former, then there's less of a problem.

 

[Ranger REG]

execpt if it was missing the section 15 (and therefore in violation of the OGL), then it technically wasn't open in the first place.

IMHO, that's an improper use of the OGL, and therefore it would be considered a breach or a violation.

It's also the most common mistake among those who uses the OGL.

Have said companies (both translator and publishers) corrected the breach?

 

[Selganor]

Nor that I know of, but IIRC they DID publish a revised edition of the "Kreaturen Kompendium" (but I don't have that)

But their webpage NEVER contained any "support" pages for their d20 products and even though F&S now has got the D&D licence since July their webpage got NO category for it.
Just some postings at their board

 

[Lorion]

Hello everybody.

There's an official german translation of D&D. I may translate the english SRD, provided that I don't use any terms of this official translation of D&D. Am I right?

So, the actual question: What about d20 Modern? There's no official translation of this product, and because of that, there's no official translation of the MSRD. May I translate it, provided that I follow the license and all?
Would it violate any laws e.g. to translate the six basic attributes with the same words the official D&D translation uses? They are just german words after all...

Cheers, Marcus

 

[Ranger REG]

There's an official german translation of D&D. I may translate the english SRD, provided that I don't use any terms of this official translation of D&D. Am I right?

To recap...

You can make a german translation of the SRD. I advise you not to look at the german translated D&D while doing so.

So, the actual question: What about d20 Modern? There's no official translation of this product, and because of that, there's no official translation of the MSRD. May I translate it, provided that I follow the license and all?

If you translate straight from the Modern System Reference Documents and not from the WotC's books, go ahead.

Would it violate any laws e.g. to translate the six basic attributes with the same words the official D&D translation uses? They are just german words after all...

Not unless the OGL is null and void in Germany. But than that is almost like saying the computer code-based GPL or any Open Source License is null and void in Germany.

My advice are not legal. You need to consult with lawyers. I also suggest you contact WotC.

 

[Ranger REG]

Good thing I don't own the german rulebooks.

The more I think / read about this, the more I get the feeling that the only place you're able to ACTUALLY USE the OGL/SRD-complex is the US. Makes you sick.

Yeah, I can understand if D&D and Open Gaming License are originated in Germany.

I mean it's bad enough that some guy in Sweden(?) invented a free-of-charge open source programming language called LINUX.

 

[Infernal Teddy]

No, it's just that I'd like to support d20. I'd like to write some stuff, and make it available. And I can't because of german copyright? Feder & Schwert's big heads? *Sigh*