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Hello, I am lawyer with a PSA: almost everyone is wrong about the OGL and SRD. Clearing up confusion.
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<blockquote data-quote="clearstream" data-source="post: 8905649" data-attributes="member: 71699"><p>So far, it seems like Hasbro are avoiding saying that any future content can be created under OGL1.0a. I read their note that</p><p></p><p></p><p>If so, as others have speculated Hasbro could rely on no one daring to test that in court, or perhaps they have a legal theory in mind that gives them confidence. I've been thinking about the balance of commercial interests.</p><p></p><p>If 1D&D really is backwardly compatible with 5e, then any future 5e-compatible content that is created will perforce be compatible with 1D&D. Therefore, I must be picturing a future in which only Hasbro and those with separately negotiated licences from Hasbro will be able to create content for 5e.</p><p></p><p>That could be foundational to a subscription and micro-transactions driven business model. Because to feed that model I would picture sustaining a very rich content stream. Additionally, I might prefer not to see content released in forms that are more durable or distributed by means other than under my ongoing user licences to access (which would then also not be covered under any ToCs I attach to that.)</p><p></p><p>I think I would take this view if I had measured a total market size built upon my IP of which I am enjoying only a share. (And where that share is well short of 99%.) Other posters have raised a similar speculation. I would possibly also have to believe that digital modes of use will come to prevail over physical (or at least grow very significantly in share.) What might be on offer is a doubling of revenue, justifying the commercial risks.</p><p></p><p>I paid about $150m for DnDBeyond, which I think means I believe it is worth at least $1.5bn over the next ten years. So far as I can make out, Wizards digital products are presently about half the revenue of their "consumer products" (which I take to be physical), but the segment is growing at almost twice the rate. This dovetails with an assumption of under-monetization (which is a common experience as publishers catch-up with change in consumer behaviour.)</p><p></p><p>From a commercial perspective, I think Hasbro's contextual problems and opportunities, create strong pressure for change in the direction taken. This underlies some of my thinking about the morality of the situation. Hasbro's unethical actions (if that is how they are to be characterised) arise from a far broader problem for people - libertarian principles translated into company law and business contexts that drive corporate entities toward unethical behaviour. Without wanting to promote what-aboutery, the OGL is way down the list of ills this has and is causing for people.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="clearstream, post: 8905649, member: 71699"] So far, it seems like Hasbro are avoiding saying that any future content can be created under OGL1.0a. I read their note that If so, as others have speculated Hasbro could rely on no one daring to test that in court, or perhaps they have a legal theory in mind that gives them confidence. I've been thinking about the balance of commercial interests. If 1D&D really is backwardly compatible with 5e, then any future 5e-compatible content that is created will perforce be compatible with 1D&D. Therefore, I must be picturing a future in which only Hasbro and those with separately negotiated licences from Hasbro will be able to create content for 5e. That could be foundational to a subscription and micro-transactions driven business model. Because to feed that model I would picture sustaining a very rich content stream. Additionally, I might prefer not to see content released in forms that are more durable or distributed by means other than under my ongoing user licences to access (which would then also not be covered under any ToCs I attach to that.) I think I would take this view if I had measured a total market size built upon my IP of which I am enjoying only a share. (And where that share is well short of 99%.) Other posters have raised a similar speculation. I would possibly also have to believe that digital modes of use will come to prevail over physical (or at least grow very significantly in share.) What might be on offer is a doubling of revenue, justifying the commercial risks. I paid about $150m for DnDBeyond, which I think means I believe it is worth at least $1.5bn over the next ten years. So far as I can make out, Wizards digital products are presently about half the revenue of their "consumer products" (which I take to be physical), but the segment is growing at almost twice the rate. This dovetails with an assumption of under-monetization (which is a common experience as publishers catch-up with change in consumer behaviour.) From a commercial perspective, I think Hasbro's contextual problems and opportunities, create strong pressure for change in the direction taken. This underlies some of my thinking about the morality of the situation. Hasbro's unethical actions (if that is how they are to be characterised) arise from a far broader problem for people - libertarian principles translated into company law and business contexts that drive corporate entities toward unethical behaviour. Without wanting to promote what-aboutery, the OGL is way down the list of ills this has and is causing for people. [/QUOTE]
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Hello, I am lawyer with a PSA: almost everyone is wrong about the OGL and SRD. Clearing up confusion.
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