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Frylock's Gaming & Geekery Challenges WotC's Copyright Claims
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<blockquote data-quote="Aaron L" data-source="post: 7786652" data-attributes="member: 926"><p>OK; I am in no way a lawyer, but this is the situation as far as I am able to tell:</p><p></p><p>The game statistics WotC has created for various mythological monsters are in no way objective facts that can be measured by anyone and which everyone can agree upon (such as the distance from Earth to Jupiter.) These monsters are absolutely based on public domain mythological creatures, true, but D&D game statistics are not simply a list of universally agreed upon characteristics of public domain mythological entities (such as a cyclops being a large humanoid creature with a single eye in its forehead) as this guy seems to be arguing. Instead, the game statistics of these monsters are <strong>unique creative interpretations</strong> of these mythological entities, as interpreted through the creative lens of a game system created by WotC, and were absolutely created by employees of WotC.</p><p></p><p>The argument he seems to be trying to make is that the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons game statistics of these mythological creatures (IE certain defined numerical values for physical attributes, such as a Strength rating for a cyclops which therefore defines how much weight it can lift and carry) are simply objective attributes of the mythological creatures that anyone could easily recognize and record from the original mythological source material. And that is a completely invalid argument; the various pieces of mythological source material do not define exact figures for the height, weight, strength capacity, specific level of intelligence (or Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma, etc.) of these mythological creatures in the way that WotC has interpreted and expressed them in D&D 5E game mechanics terms. The creatures are public domain entities from mythology, yes, but the <strong><em>D&D statistics</em></strong> are new, separate, unique creative interpretations of the creatures.</p><p></p><p>Has there been some major ongoing issue with WotC legally harassing fan websites (like TSR used to do) that I have been completely oblivious to, that this guy is heroically taking a stand against? Because as far as I understand, WotC has been pretty cool about D&D fans talking about D&D online using game stats (as they rightly should be, since it gives them free publicity, generates excitement for existing fans, and brings new players to the game.) Or is this all instead what I <em>think</em> it is: a potential fiasco being engineered by a narcissistic lawyer with a desire for attention and publicity, which will end up accomplishing nothing except potentially sowing absolutely unnecessary discord and distrust between the gaming community and the legal departments of WotC and Hasbro, which would bring nothing but harm to the D&D gaming community?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Aaron L, post: 7786652, member: 926"] OK; I am in no way a lawyer, but this is the situation as far as I am able to tell: The game statistics WotC has created for various mythological monsters are in no way objective facts that can be measured by anyone and which everyone can agree upon (such as the distance from Earth to Jupiter.) These monsters are absolutely based on public domain mythological creatures, true, but D&D game statistics are not simply a list of universally agreed upon characteristics of public domain mythological entities (such as a cyclops being a large humanoid creature with a single eye in its forehead) as this guy seems to be arguing. Instead, the game statistics of these monsters are [B]unique creative interpretations[/B] of these mythological entities, as interpreted through the creative lens of a game system created by WotC, and were absolutely created by employees of WotC. The argument he seems to be trying to make is that the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons game statistics of these mythological creatures (IE certain defined numerical values for physical attributes, such as a Strength rating for a cyclops which therefore defines how much weight it can lift and carry) are simply objective attributes of the mythological creatures that anyone could easily recognize and record from the original mythological source material. And that is a completely invalid argument; the various pieces of mythological source material do not define exact figures for the height, weight, strength capacity, specific level of intelligence (or Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma, etc.) of these mythological creatures in the way that WotC has interpreted and expressed them in D&D 5E game mechanics terms. The creatures are public domain entities from mythology, yes, but the [B][I]D&D statistics[/I][/B] are new, separate, unique creative interpretations of the creatures. Has there been some major ongoing issue with WotC legally harassing fan websites (like TSR used to do) that I have been completely oblivious to, that this guy is heroically taking a stand against? Because as far as I understand, WotC has been pretty cool about D&D fans talking about D&D online using game stats (as they rightly should be, since it gives them free publicity, generates excitement for existing fans, and brings new players to the game.) Or is this all instead what I [I]think[/I] it is: a potential fiasco being engineered by a narcissistic lawyer with a desire for attention and publicity, which will end up accomplishing nothing except potentially sowing absolutely unnecessary discord and distrust between the gaming community and the legal departments of WotC and Hasbro, which would bring nothing but harm to the D&D gaming community? [/QUOTE]
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