GSL: Am I wrong to be concerned?

[WizarDru]

I just glanced over the GSL, and it looks troubling, to say the least. Setting aside the issue of how this will affect producers of worldbooks/settings, adventures and various rules supplements, the part that most concerns me is Section 3. If I understand this correctly, all non-print or PDF materials are off-limits?

So ANY character creator is off-limits? ANY sort of DM tool is a no-go? Any computer utility or iPhone software or whatever...all not allowed? What about things like Power Cards or things like The Battle Box? Or thrid-party stuff like a DM Screen? All of this is outlawed, now? So if my friends created an Excel spreadsheet for character creation or campaign tracking and shared it out for free...that's illegal?

I might be less upset if WotC had/could manage to deliver on their DDI promises, but they haven't. So they're killing off a whole universe of things on the off-chance they MIGHT be able to sell something to me later? Am I understanding this correctly or am I overly and unnecessarily concerned?

 

[Voadam]

You can make pdfs of DM screens and power cards and such.

But no character generators or computer utilities under the GSL.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I just glanced over the GSL, and it looks troubling, to say the least. Setting aside the issue of how this will affect producers of worldbooks/settings, adventures and various rules supplements, the part that most concerns me is Section 3. If I understand this correctly, all non-print or PDF materials are off-limits?

So ANY character creator is off-limits? ANY sort of DM tool is a no-go? Any computer utility or iPhone software or whatever...all not allowed? What about things like Power Cards or things like The Battle Box? Or thrid-party stuff like a DM Screen? All of this is outlawed, now? So if my friends created an Excel spreadsheet for character creation or campaign tracking and shared it out for free...that's illegal?

Does he publish the excel spreadsheet under under the GSL? (The answer is no, because he just can't. The GSL does not apply for such products)

The GSL only applies if you want to publish something under the GSL. If you don't, you have other laws to cope with.

Just as an example, if WotC wanted, they could say in their license the use of the word "is"* is prohibited. You could still use the word on the WotC message boards, on ENWorld, in your daily report to the boss, in a public conference, or in your book on 21st century artists, or a public broadcast. You just coudn't use it in a product you wanted to use the GSL for.


*) more reasonable would be the word "Succubus". I am just exaggerating for effect.


Similar, if someone wants to create a 4E character creator, he can't do so using the GSL. If he finds a way through the Jungle of Copyright and Trademark Law, he could still try it without the GSL. If he can't find a such a way, he can contact WotC and ask nicely for an alternative license. (In most cases, this will probably be denied.)

So yes, you can be concerned. But not about what you or your friends do at home. Unless your friends are Paizo, Electronic Arts or the guys from PCGen.

 

[delericho]

You can make pdfs of DM screens and power cards and such.

How can you do power cards if you can't quote the relevant stats from the PHB?

 

[Voadam]

How can you do power cards if you can't quote the relevant stats from the PHB?

Poorly.

You can rewrite them without redefining them or using the exact quotes.

 

[hong]

I'm pretty sure that if your friend created an Excel sheet for chargen today, for 3E, that would also be illegal. The OGL doesn't allow electronic products, and chargen is expressly forbidden.

 

[WizarDru]

So yes, you can be concerned. But not about what you or your friends do at home. Unless your friends are Paizo, Electronic Arts or the guys from PCGen.

Or DM Genie. Or Twin Rose. Or a host of other companies. That's rather depressing...especially since WotC's track record of electronic utilities, web site integration and development speed indicate that they aren't going to deliver (and quite possibly aren't capable of delivering) the products they are specifically killing off. Equally troubling is that it sounds like they're killing off hobbyist work, as well.

 

[WizarDru]

I'm pretty sure that if your friend created an Excel sheet for chargen today, for 3E, that would also be illegal. The OGL doesn't allow electronic products, and chargen is expressly forbidden.

Maybe I'm confusing terms, here....how did DM Genie, PCGEN and others manage to release their products without WotC shutting them down? I was under the impression they were all legal.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Or DM Genie. Or Twin Rose. Or a host of other companies. That's rather depressing...especially since WotC's track record of electronic utilities, web site integration and development speed indicate that they aren't going to deliver (and quite possibly aren't capable of delivering) the products they are specifically killing off. Equally troubling is that it sounds like they're killing off hobbyist work, as well.

I hope that their promised "fan site policy" at least gives us some hope hear...

 

[delericho]

I'm pretty sure that if your friend created an Excel sheet for chargen today, for 3E, that would also be illegal. The OGL doesn't allow electronic products, and chargen is expressly forbidden.

That was the d20 license. Many OGL games have character generation rules.