E-publishers, do you want a free Internet Arcana preview?

Sorry if this makes little sense, I hope my idea gets a crossed.

What good is OGC if it never used anywhere else? Which is the one of the major tenants of of the whole OGC idea. As far as I can tell the majority of D20 publishers publish to make money not to add to OGC. They add some OGC (a small number release 100% content), but most add little or extremely restrictive OGC.

I have read many tales of a publishers using some OGC and not following the OGL. As far as I see it OGC is a very sharp double edge sword, no matter which way swing it someone gets hurt. Every time some has a great use for OGC some publisher (I am not attacking you Phillip, I own all your d20 products) gets all bent out shape for using their OGC in a free product. Well that's the dark side of OGC.

So what good is OGC, even WOTC (who started the whole OGL) has produced the bare minimum of OGC. What is Open about OGC? Has D&D or the whole Role-Playing industry changed drastically for the good (if this could every happen)? I have yet to see a good use of OGC that has not been ridiculed for one reason or another.

Later,
Gary
 

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Mildwind Talisar said:
Sorry if this makes little sense, I hope my idea gets a crossed.

What good is OGC if it never used anywhere else? Which is the one of the major tenants of of the whole OGC idea. As far as I can tell the majority of D20 publishers publish to make money not to add to OGC. They add some OGC (a small number release 100% content), but most add little or extremely restrictive OGC.

I have read many tales of a publishers using some OGC and not following the OGL. As far as I see it OGC is a very sharp double edge sword, no matter which way swing it someone gets hurt.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have to be that way if used with consideration. If used inconsiderately, it most definitly can be. If used not according to the agreements, it will definitly hurt someone. Today's news is a big example.

Every time some has a great use for OGC some publisher (I am not attacking you Phillip, I own all your d20 products) gets all bent out shape for using their OGC in a free product. Well that's the dark side of OGC.
Click to expand...

I think Phil responded in a professional manner considering what he thought this product was going to do to all of his hard work. I should have been more clear in my original post.

Using OGC in a free product can come in many different ways. All a person is required to do it indicate in 15 where it came from, but (and here i think is a big oversight in the liscense) not to indicate which piece came from where. I wouldn't be happy if someone used my OGC along with others and lumped us all together in 15. I view the point of the OGC was to increase the chance of a customer purchasing your product, but that is made more difficult (and any time its made more difficult, you sell less) without clearly indicating what came from where.

So what good is OGC, even WOTC (who started the whole OGL) has produced the bare minimum of OGC. What is Open about OGC? Has D&D or the whole Role-Playing industry changed drastically for the good (if this could every happen)? I have yet to see a good use of OGC that has not been ridiculed for one reason or another.

Later,
Gary [/B]
Click to expand...

Hopefully Internet Arcana will be a good use of OGC. I'm trying to take the spirit of the OGC concept (while following the letter of the law as well) and generate more sales for everyone involved (IMHO, the goal of the OGC/OGL). I get sales through the use of the SRD stuff, but the main reason why someone would buy this product as opposed to just downloading the SRD for free is usablity and to see the cool new stuff they may not have seen before.

It was rather ironic that today WoTC released the SRD in one file. Ah well, timing's everything. :) But even with that, the links are simply incredible. I chuckled to my self with joy when i first started wizzing through the document. Its nice to have technology help you do what you want. I'm trying to make the PDF faster to use than the book. I was only going to use the SRD originally. then i thought "I could put in the OGC from e-published stuff as well and link to their products right up front."

That's why I'm posting for submissions as opposed to simply putting in what OGC I want from the get go. I'm trying to get we e-publishers involved together with creating a document that is pleasing to everyone's interests. I may have to start selecting OGC that's not submitted (want to hit that 30% mark) but I'd rather have the goodwill and goodfaith of you guys first, instead of surprising people with the product. This way, all the misunderstandings and concepts are out in the open from the beginning.

I'ts a small business, I'd be a fool to piss to many people off.

joe b.
 
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philreed said:
It sounded like you wanted to collect all of the OGC from a product and add it to this one. Cool and all if 5% of my product is OGC but not so cool if it's 100% OGC. I can see where customers would rather buy the giant PDF that collects everything in one place for $5.
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I'm no expert, but I think that this is where the "can't indicate compatibility" clause protects you to a certain degree. According to the rules of the OGL game they don't even need your permission to reprint any OGC you create as long as credit is given in Section 15.

What they can't do is advertise, promote or otherwise indicate that "We have the complete texts of Spiderbite Game's "101 Mundane Treasures," "101 Spellbooks," and "101 Spell Components" all by the great Philip Reed." Without a separate license/permission to do so. At least that's my reading of Sections 11 and 7.

Section 11 keeps them from using your name (a contributor) in marketing or advertising materials. And Section 7 protect the Spiderbite Games trademark. Section 11 might also protect the name Spiderbite Games, if the company is the copyright holder. Ask a lawyer, but I think that would make the company the legal "contributor" so Section 11 would apply.

So if I'm right -- or at least reasonable enough that no one will risk the possibility that I'm right -- another company can reproduce/reuse your content, but your reputation is your own and they can't piggyback on the goodwill and expectations of quality that you've established. They will have to pay you for that.

I could be wrong (IANAL, of course) but that's the angle I would investige to try to keep the moral stance of 100% Open Content (Good on ya!) from conflicting too much with the need to make a living.

Cheers
 

Would you like a demo of the product?

I've just finished the complete SRD spells and magic items done for Internet Arcana. Its not fully layed out yet, but its pretty close.

I'll gladly e-mail this (1.75 megs) to any E-publisher who'd like to look it over while thinking about submitting some OGC material for the finished product. Any of you guys out there want to take a sneak peek? Just don't send it to anyone else please, as I'm relying on your goodwill. :)

Thanks,


joe b.
 







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