GSL news.

[ppaladin123]

I'm confused. I understand that if company X produces product A and wants to switch to to 4e, they will have to stop selling the 3.5 version of product A. But what if they want to simultaneously sell 4e product A and 3.5e product B (i.e. update only one of their products)? Is that allowed? It looks like the answer is "no" but that may just be speculation by board members. Has it been confirmed?

 

[Jack99]

I'm confused. I understand that if company X produces product A and wants to switch to to 4e, they will have to stop selling the 3.5 version of product A. But what if they want to simultaneously sell 4e product A and 3.5e product B (i.e. update only one of their products)? Is that allowed? It looks like the answer is "no" but that may just be speculation by board members. Has it been confirmed?

Not yet, from what we have heard, we will know in 2 weeks.

 

[pawsplay]

That's the thing I find funny in this discussion. People seem willing to believe the worst of WOTC yet we wouldn't even be talking about this WITHOUT WOTC willing to play

If WotC had tanked three months after the OGL was released, you can be darned sure we'd be playing.

 

[Saishu_Heiki]

Saishu_Heiki, perhaps you have forgotten that we expect a higher than average level of civility around here. Allow me to remind you, and everyone else...
.

I did not realize that this was over the line. I did not mean it as an attack, but the intention is secondary to the perception.

I will refrain form making such comments again. It is not my intention to disrupt the civil and engaging discussions here.

 

[Wolfspider]

Remoras and sharks is more appropriate. Except the sharks have bitten the remoras before. 3.5 HURT a lot of publishers. So did announcing 4E. I think that the "poor pitful publishers" angle fails to see that these are mostly ventures that wouldn't have existed without WotC creating the market.

And 4e wouldn't have existed with Iron Heroes, which was only possible due to the OGL.

So it's more of a symbiotic rather than parasitical relationship.

 

[Wolfspider]

This is almost a complete non issue. If paizo wants to stick with 3.x, then they form "Paizo so-and-so A" for those needs. If paizo also wants to do 4e, they then create a subsidiary or sister company to be a technically separate tax entity, "Paizo so-and-so B". Being two technically separate companies (even if they are under the same management umbrella) is perfectly legal in order for one to be GSL and the other be old OGL.

I wondered about this kind of arrangment as well, but IANAL (although my mother wanted me to be one) so I'm not sure how it would work.

By the way, thanks for letting WotC know about this loophole--I'm sure their talking with their lawyers about it right now.

 

[pawsplay]

I'm not going to bother with a toy analogy. Once upon a time, WotC descided to take the prudent step of creating a "safe harbor" for third party publishers. This practice aknowledged their obligation to allow others to create compatible and competitive products. Just like Hoover and Volkswagen and other companies, they realized that restricting that activity was not only impossible but ultimately unethical. Then one day they said, "It's my preciousss!!!" and attempted to drown third party publishers, the same guys who had supported, promoted and help developed their products, and in many cases even worked for them.

The only reason WotC doesn't risk being sued/fined into oblivion over this form of IP racketeering is that the gaming market is too small for that to be realistic.

All WotC really owns is the specific text in their books, and their individually developed trademarks. One thing they do not own is the "System." A game system cannot be copyrighted, and only its true innovations can be patented.

 

[Mistwell]

There could be some nasty legal issues that arose if you tried to restrain individuals who happen to do some work for a GSL licensed company from conducting their writing trade elsewhere, as opposed to just restraining the companies that agreed to a license voluntarily.

So, a person should be able to write a book for a 3e-company, and a book for a 4e-company, without an issue. And the same person should be able to be an officer and/or board member of a 3e-company, and a 4e-company, at the same time, and do work for both companies at the same time (as long as they are not the same company).

At least, that is my guess, based on what we know right now.

 

[La Bete]

I'm not going to bother with a toy analogy. Once upon a time, WotC descided to take the prudent step of creating a "safe harbor" for third party publishers. This practice aknowledged their obligation to allow others to create compatible and competitive products. Just like Hoover and Volkswagen and other companies, they realized that restricting that activity was not only impossible but ultimately unethical. Then one day they said, "It's my preciousss!!!" and attempted to drown third party publishers, the same guys who had supported, promoted and help developed their products, and in many cases even worked for them.

The only reason WotC doesn't risk being sued/fined into oblivion over this form of IP racketeering is that the gaming market is too small for that to be realistic.

All WotC really owns is the specific text in their books, and their individually developed trademarks. One thing they do not own is the "System." A game system cannot be copyrighted, and only its true innovations can be patented.

Overwrought much?

Any company whose livelyhood depends on the business decisions of another company faces challenges when the other company changes it's plans (let alone when you are dependent on that companys IP/licensing).

Thats business. Anyone in this business should (and probably does) realise that.

Wrt the bolded text - I see this all the time, but the normal answer is " I can't afford the lawyers in case I get a C&D". A related note - if this assertion is true (and I've seen the legal precedents it is based off) - who's making money off OSRIC?

 

[SSquirrel]

I'm not interested in a 4e version of MM or True20.

That's you're option, I was just adding that there was another choice not listed.