GSL: Necromancer Games SOL?

[Lizard]

For example, if someone tried to make a film that took the plot from the Lord of the Rings books, but swapped out every name, used different phrasing for the dialog, replaced the One Ring with the Prime Necklace and maybe made a few minor changes to setting, then the Tolkien estate could easily sue for copyright infringement.

She hasn't been sued yet, far as I know...

The book is, beyond any slight or miniscule doubt, a point-by-point retelling of "The Hobbit", with a family of clones for the dwarves, an asteroid miner for Bilbo, a victim of genetic experimintation for gollum, and time-shifting device for the ring. It's also quite a fun read.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

She hasn't been sued yet, far as I know...

The book is, beyond any slight or miniscule doubt, a point-by-point retelling of "The Hobbit", with a family of clones for the dwarves, an asteroid miner for Bilbo, a victim of genetic experimintation for gollum, and time-shifting device for the ring. It's also quite a fun read.

That's the funny thing about copyright: you can't copyright an idea. If she had copy-pasted The Hobbit, replacing all instances of "Bilbo" with "Bailey" et cetera, there would probably be grounds for a suit. However, I could write a story about a guy who grows up in a remote agricultural society who meets an old mystic who knew his "deceased" father and flees from an evil empire on a journey of self-actualization along with a roguish smuggler and his yeti sidekick, a princess whose homeland was destroyed, and two lovable golems, eventually culminating in the dramatic destruction of the empire's doomsday device. If I do so, I'm not reproducing a copyrighted work. I'm stealing an idea.

 

[Hussar]

Heck, Terry Brooks built his career out of ripping off Tolkien. Made a truck full of money doing it too.

 

[TwinBahamut]

She hasn't been sued yet, far as I know...

The book is, beyond any slight or miniscule doubt, a point-by-point retelling of "The Hobbit", with a family of clones for the dwarves, an asteroid miner for Bilbo, a victim of genetic experimintation for gollum, and time-shifting device for the ring. It's also quite a fun read.

Well, the difference between copyright infringement and borrowing a cool idea is just a matter of degree of theft and how much creativity you put into it yourself. In a sense, copyright laws are a good way of weeding out talentless hacks. Since replacing the One Ring with a time-travel device is brilliant, I won't be accusing that person of bad writing or copyright infringement, myself.

The line between complete originality and outright theft of stories is big, fuzzy, and very cozy. Not wandering into it is pretty much impossible. After all, some say that there is only one kind of story in the world that has ever been written (though some argue there may be as many as seven or so).

 

[arscott]

I'll admit to being very unsure how far copyright extends

copyright typically extends more that 100 years, depending on certain circumstances regarding the work's creation.
trademark extends as long as the company in question continues to pay for it.
patents actually run out pretty quickly, but IARC, they're so expensive and so limited as to be worthless for rpg publishers.


On another note:
It strikes me that WotC has no real reason to restrict their Product Identity to the extent that they did in 3e. Since the GSL prohibits wholesale copying, and is likely to not allow a third publisher to make derivatives of a second publisher's work, then what damage does it do to allow publishers to reference PI monsters, Gods, and locations?

After all, the closer the setting of a 3rd party product is to that of core D&D, the more likely it is to drive up sales of WotC's future books.

For example. Say Necromancer games published an adventure that takes place in the temple of a moon goddess. They could stay generic, and call it "Temple of the Moon Goddess". Or, they could make up their own name, and call it "Temple of Lunora". Or, WotC permitting, they could call it "Temple of Sehanine".

If wizards later puts out a sourcebook called "Secrets of Sehanine", which of those Necromancer adventures is likely to have the best influence on sales?

 

[Orcus]

I sure can't wait to see the GSL. I have a funny feeling I'll find a way to make the things work that I want to work. But, like many of you, I am speculating right now too. I dont think the "changes" that they are putting in the GSL are geared towards me and my plans at all. They know Necro has always been a good caretaker of content. I have my own suspicions of what they are trying to do. But I wont add to the fire. Lets just wait and see what the GSL says and then I'll decide if I'm "SOL".

 

[Walking Dad]

I sure can't wait to see the GSL. I have a funny feeling I'll find a way to make the things work that I want to work. But, like many of you, I am speculating right now too. I dont think the "changes" that they are putting in the GSL are geared towards me and my plans at all. They know Necro has always been a good caretaker of content. I have my own suspicions of what they are trying to do. But I wont add to the fire. Lets just wait and see what the GSL says and then I'll decide if I'm "SOL".

Would it violate your NDA to make a thread and say you didn't got the GSL? And update the date?
If not, you could do so untill the GSL arrives

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

I sure can't wait to see the GSL. I have a funny feeling I'll find a way to make the things work that I want to work. But, like many of you, I am speculating right now too. I dont think the "changes" that they are putting in the GSL are geared towards me and my plans at all. They know Necro has always been a good caretaker of content. I have my own suspicions of what they are trying to do. But I wont add to the fire. Lets just wait and see what the GSL says and then I'll decide if I'm "SOL".

But if the GSL DOES screw you over, will you promise to become a renegade folk hero and stand up to Hasbro's villainous legal team by publishing anyway? That is the true question!

 

[catsclaw]

It strikes me that WotC has no real reason to restrict their Product Identity to the extent that they did in 3e. Since the GSL prohibits wholesale copying, and is likely to not allow a third publisher to make derivatives of a second publisher's work, then what damage does it do to allow publishers to reference PI monsters, Gods, and locations?

Easy. It opens WotC to being sued by other companies for copyright infringement.

Suppose Pelor is covered by the GSL. I, "Ripoff Press", publish a sourcebook detailing Pelor's worship and temples. I'm not required to release any of that as open content. But if Wizards is working on their own Pelor sourcebook, they now have to worry that the material I've already published is similar enough to the things they wrote as to invite a lawsuit.

 

[nem z]

However, I could write a story about a guy who grows up in a remote agricultural society who meets an old mystic who knew his "deceased" father and flees from an evil empire on a journey of self-actualization(...)

Oh, you mean like Eragon? Yeah, great "original" story there.