WotC Frylock's Gaming & Geekery Challenges WotC's Copyright Claims

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[LordEntrails]

That's how OSR games like OSRIC use the OGL to create AD&D clones the "rules" themselves aren't copyright-able. I'd argue that a stat block if its in the SRD is usable by anyone.

If you publish under the OGL, as required by the OGL which the SRD is released under.
AND, much of what he has included is not in the SRD, and includes text fromt eh PHB, i.e. spells. Because his whole original purpose for his stat blocks was to make a resource where you did not need to look up a spell description/text in order to use the stat block.

Of course, FG (and probably Roll20 and DDB) is/are able to include the full action text of spells in their stat blocks, so his argument there is false since you can purchase what he would consider a full/complete stat block. Just not in dead tree format.

I actually think his end result is to get WotC to send few cease and desist letters, not any type of settlement. I mean settle over what, the fact that he won't take the stat blocks down even though WotC told him to?

Maybe his goal is to help others feel more confident in ignoring those C&D letters, or to get them to do more research before doing so?

Or instead WotC files against him and then reaches out to the company that hosts his blog and asks them to pull/ban him because he's not complying with lawful legal actions.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Or instead WotC files against him and then reaches out to the company that hosts his blog and asks them to pull/ban him because he's not complying with lawful legal actions.

Since this post I've subscribed to the "he want's to get this to the Supreme Court/Attention/recognition" idea.

 

[ccooke]

His tone and approach basically make you want to assume the worst about his motives.

Oh, and there's a thing about the creativity of statblocks that I don't think has been discussed. However much we might argue about how well it was done, I don't think anyone will claim that the monsters WotC has released will have been playtested. That is, a bunch of people have considered different versions of their stats and tested those for the overall feel and fit of the mechanics to capture the concept. The specific numbers and abilities used for the statblock as a whole are not considered in isolation, but the result of a creative process aimed at providing a specific resource to the game.

 

[Kramodlog]

Curious to see where this will end.

 

[Umbran]

If you can't laugh at yourself, you're missing out on a lot of laughing. And laughing is good for the *soul.

Laughing at yourself is entirely different from other people laughing at you... especially in a context that is not essentially good-natured. Please keep that in mind.

 

[Greatwyrm]

People were pontificating about how game rules can't be copyrighted before the ink was dry on the original OGL. The whole idea was that if we jumped through a few very low hoops, WotC promised not to sue us. Even if we assume his position is 100% correct, I can't see how it would be financially reasonable to incur the expense to defend it, if it went that far.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Laughing at yourself is entirely different from other people laughing at you... especially in a context that is not essentially good-natured. Please keep that in mind.

A good reminder. Thank you.

 

[EthanSental]

Having read more of the responses, looking at the 2 stat blocks, he obviously copy/paste...stats and everything. No creative process on his part. Then to slap a copyright on his. Unscrupulous to say at the very least. I can’t pull for a guy like this and it makes even the head shot pic at the top look like a coy smirk now. Can we pull for the big guy (WoTC) to win and win handily? I am!

 

[Azzy]

Having read more of the responses, looking at the 2 stat blocks, he obviously copy/paste...stats and everything. No creative process on his part. Then to slap a copyright on his. Unscrupulous to say at the very least. I can’t pull for a guy like this and it makes even the head shot pic at the top look like a coy smirk now. Can we pull for the big guy (WoTC) to win and win handily? I am!

Y'know, I MIGHT have been willing to give the guy some slack IF he hadn't tried to copyright his copy & paste statbocks. However, that's just the clincher.