(DaemonEye) Dead, "buried" is yet to be determined

[Strutinan]

WotC_Mark just let it slip on the WotC boards that the company is on holiday break, so i won't hear anything from thier legal department concearning my Psionics Companion until next month, at the earliest.

Very nice way of avoiding the problem until they can kill me off, isn't it? I should NEVER have told them that I needed them to approve my book before x-mas in order to keep up and running. In hindsight, I handed them the most efficient method of killing me off: just delay me until vacation.

This means:
1) Nobody from WotC will approve my book before the deadline is up, let alone in time for x-mas!
2) My d20 license will expire before I get approved, in all likelihood.
3) Unless I'm public before then, I lose the copyright on my material.
4) If this happens, unles I'm guessing wrong, all the information in the Psionics Companion becomes the property of WotC.

Now THATS downright dishonorable and underhanded!

 

[philreed]

I think you're reading too much into it.

And sending it to WotC for approval? I've never sent any of my d20 material to them for approval. That's not how it works.

 

[Alzrius]

This means:
1) Nobody from WotC will approve my book before the deadline is up, let alone in time for x-mas!
2) My d20 license will expire before I get approved, in all likelihood.
3) Unless I'm public before then, I lose the copyright on my material.
4) If this happens, unles I'm guessing wrong, all the information in the Psionics Companion becomes the property of WotC.

I'm mostly a consumer (and a bit of an aspiring writer) so my d20 license knowledge probably leaves a lot to be desired, but this doesn't seem quite correct (anyone who knows more than I, please feel free to correct me where I mess up).

1) The only deadlines there are, as far as I know, are those you set for yourself, such as when you want to release a book for public consumption. Furthermore, I've never heard of d20 materials needing to be sent to WotC to be approved in their whole form.
2) To the best of my knowledge, the d20 license isn't something that is only applied to certain people, and it never expires. The d20 license is just what lets you publish work that is 100% compatible with their game system. It has no expiration date.
3) I don't think it's possible for you to "lose" copywrite. Your work is your work, period. Admittedly, stuff that doesn't comply with the d20 license will be cited by WotC, but thats because its an illegal use of their work.
4) I think you are guessing wrong. I've never heard of WotC seizing property that someone else wrote, especially not due to some deadline that doesn't exist for a license anyone can use.

 

[HellHound]

Strutinan: You say your d20 license will expire, did Wizards serve you with a Breach and Cure?

 

[Mynex]

WotC_Mark just let it slip on the WotC boards that the company is on holiday break, so i won't hear anything from thier legal department concearning my Psionics Companion until next month, at the earliest.

Very nice way of avoiding the problem until they can kill me off, isn't it? I should NEVER have told them that I needed them to approve my book before x-mas in order to keep up and running. In hindsight, I handed them the most efficient method of killing me off: just delay me until vacation.

This means:
1) Nobody from WotC will approve my book before the deadline is up, let alone in time for x-mas!
2) My d20 license will expire before I get approved, in all likelihood.
3) Unless I'm public before then, I lose the copyright on my material.
4) If this happens, unles I'm guessing wrong, all the information in the Psionics Companion becomes the property of WotC.

Now THATS downright dishonorable and underhanded!

Okay, I feel the need to pipe up here...

first off, not one independant publisher is required to submit anything to WotC for 'approval', possibly other than licensed material, which you don't have a license with/from them, or you would have stated so.

Mark 'Let slip' they were going on holiday break? Now I realize that not everyone celebrates christmas around the world, but EVERYONE that does anything in the RPG community knows that WotC is based in Seattle, WA - USA, so common sense would dictate that they _would_ take christmas off.

Asking WotC to rush over anything is like asking an avalanche to not bury you in snow... and that I can tell you for fact, have/having to deal with them to try and get official permission for the non SRD materials into PCGen.

As for your D20 license 'expiring', that will only happen if you've gotten a Cease & Desist order from them, and you don't make a good faith effort to fix all the problems before the 30 days is up. Now I imagine that they would take into account for the holidays, but I'm not them so I couldn't say for sure. I would however recommend that you _ask_ them to take that into account if indeed you have gotten a cease & desist order.

As for Copyright, well _your_ material is still yours, their material is still theirs... no one will lose their material, and to the best of my knowledge, WotC can't 'claim' your material for themselves. But that's something you'll have to verify with a licensed attorney familiar with copyright laws.

And I'll tell you this much, if you're dealing with Anthony Valterra, the absolute _LAST_ words to apply to him are sneaky and underhanded. The man is exceptionally busy, yet takes the time to respond to most requests in a reasinable fashion, even when he has to whip out the flame retardant suit.

I don't own you're product, I can only go by what I've seen on the boards here, and from your own postings, I see a decided lack of knowledge of how the _fundamental_ uses of the D20/OGL licenses can be applied from you. We (PCGen) went through this (round and round and round) for a long time with a number a of people over what/how/why/where things worked/applied, and then we went through it with WotC and Anthony at GenCon, and we learned the intracacies involved with that, and the nightmare of applying it to software. It was educational to say the least.

You're not software, there's no 'difficulties in determining how to apply things in what manner' involved at all, it's very clearly defined, so there is no excuse for the flagrant misunderstanding you've demonstrated. Sure things slip through, most, if not all publishers, have missed or misunderstood something, but they caught it and corrected it.

Most have also been perfectly willing to share their experiences to help new publishers avoid the same mistakes they have made. A good number of them have been perfectly willing to go over things in detail with new publishers as well...

I've watched and read these boards and many others where info like this is readily available and free, and I have absorbed as much of that knowledge as possible. It's not hidden information, it's not cryptic information, it's there, out in the open. The fault lies not with WotC, but with yourself for not taking advantage of the tons of help out there before you 'went to press'.

Lay the blame where it belongs man, fess up that you made an error, then do the right thing, learn what you have to, and correct it all. And don't be afraid to ask for help, people will give it.

 

[Ghostwind]

WotC_Mark just let it slip on the WotC boards that the company is on holiday break, so i won't hear anything from thier legal department concerning my Psionics Companion until next month, at the earliest.

It is expected that companies shut down for Christmas break. And you didn't honestly expect to hear back from Wotc's legal department in only a matter of days (assuming they were willing to look over your document)?

Very nice way of avoiding the problem until they can kill me off, isn't it? I should NEVER have told them that I needed them to approve my book before x-mas in order to keep up and running. In hindsight, I handed them the most efficient method of killing me off: just delay me until vacation.

Do you even have a clue as to how much time it really takes to get approval on a project from their legal department? Unless it has to do with a licensed agreement between them and another publisher, you are looking at months, not days.

This means:
1) Nobody from WotC will approve my book before the deadline is up, let alone in time for x-mas!
2) My d20 license will expire before I get approved, in all likelihood.

I fail to see why Christmas is such an important deadline to you. I highly doubt that the holiday can affect your total sales since it is not a print product on the store shelves at your FLGS.

The only way your license can expire is if Wotc has served you with formal, legal notice that you are in breach and must correct those errors within 30 days. If this is the case, I am fairly certain that they would take note of the day they received the newly revised and hopefully compliant product. If it was within 30 days you would likely be okay even if it took longer for them to approve or disapprove it. Your first press release was dated Dec. 12. Even if you received a notice from Wotc's legal department that day, you would have until Jan. 12 to correct your errors. I would think this would be sufficient time for you to have put together a compliant document and have it their hands, despite the Christmas break.

3) Unless I'm public before then, I lose the copyright on my material.

You cannot lose the copyright on material you have written unless you sign away the legal rights to it. Once again, you are demonstrating a lack of knowledge concerning the legalities of publishing and showing even more why you need to hire an attorney knowledgable in IP law.

4) If this happens, unles I'm guessing wrong, all the information in the Psionics Companion becomes the property of WotC.

You are wrong. The only way you can lose that information is by sending unsolicited submissions to certain publishers who clearly state in their legal summaries that any unsolicited material automatically becomes theirs to do with as they please. Otherwise, that material remains yours according to copyright laws.

Now THATS downright dishonorable and underhanded!

Statements like this are sure to help speed up any pending approval process. Go ahead and go the "big business is out to rip me off" route and see how quickly Wotc looks at your stuff. If you want to be a publisher, then you would do well to remember that it is a very small community and professionalism, courtesy and politeness will open far more doors than statements like the above.

You've been told before on other threads what you need to do by folks who know what they are talking about: Hellhound, philreed, Mynex (who has been through the Wotc legal system with PCGen and has crafted a Wotc approved product as a result), Mongoose_Matt, Steven Conan Trustrum, myself, and many others. My suggestion is you quit taking the advice you are receiving on the Wotc boards as law and start taking responsibility for your own actions by learning the license, the SRD and what constitutes a potential breach of the OGL.

 

[MEG Hal]

I have been watching threads on this and it amazes me that you are insulting and accusing WoTC of trying to take your product. I have not seen it but if they did not try it with some other companies products what makes you think they are going to steal yours and make PH2 with your stuff? Please take a look at the OGL/d20 license and what copyright laws are and try and get it all together and people here will help, when you accuse a company of "downright dishonorable and underhanded" activities that just makes me cringe and I personally lose interest in your company. Please act like a professional on these boards.
Thanks

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

X-Files is Dead!

(DaemonEye) Dead, "buried" is yet to be determined

A bit melodramatic, don't you think? Why not replace "dead" with "delayed"?

WotC_Mark just let it slip on the WotC boards that the company is on holiday break, so i won't hear anything from thier legal department concearning my Psionics Companion until next month, at the earliest.

Seeing how most people are going on holiday break, this isn't exactly a surprise.

Very nice way of avoiding the problem until they can kill me off, isn't it?

Even fate conspired against you? By purest chance, your product was set to be released by Christmas!

I should NEVER have told them that I needed them to approve my book before x-mas in order to keep up and running.

You can always do this later.

In hindsight, I handed them the most efficient method of killing me off: just delay me until vacation.

It's more efficient to send you a letter.

This means:
1) Nobody from WotC will approve my book before the deadline is up, let alone in time for x-mas!

Which deadline?! Or is that a corporate secret?

2) My d20 license will expire before I get approved, in all likelihood.

D20 licenses don't expire, as has been explained by more knowledgeable people in previous posts.

3) Unless I'm public before then, I lose the copyright on my material.

Did you make a deal with the devil?

4) If this happens, unles I'm guessing wrong, all the information in the Psionics Companion becomes the property of WotC.

Don't guess. Ask.

Now THATS downright dishonorable and underhanded!

No more conspiracy theories, alright?

 

[herald]

My suggestion to you is to ask the board monitors to delete this thread. It makes you look bad, unprofessional even.

 

[davewoodrum]

Personally, on a more positive note, I feel that this "having to wait on WOTC being off on the holidays" bit is actually a potential blessing for you... if you are truly dependent now on their response then this time off should give you an opportunity to research the various ins and outs and yes and no's of the d20 license. Take some time, pick up various products from other publishers, particularly long standing ones who've not had a problem with compliance and are in a similiar direction as to what you are wanting to take, and see what they are doing to comply with the rules.
Being a publisher is a headache. Trust me, as long as good, friendly outfits like one I've been working for over the last bit are willing to look at my work and hold me in consideration, I plan to remain as a writer in this field rather than staking out on my own and being a publisher.