Nothing to see here...move along.

[Ashtal]

I'll leave the option about showing pictures up to Morrus - that's something I don't know how he feels about.

And Greg - this has nothing to do with censorship, as you are well aware, but with following the rules. Morrus has compelling reasons to forbid them. If you don't like it, tough.

 

[Morrus]

Yes, we all know this is illegal. However, in the real world this sort of thing goes on. One of the largest MUDs on the Internet has copyrighted material from the most popular fantasy settings/novels. You can fight Drizzt Do' Urden and Artemis Entreri, Gandalf is in there...Excalibur..etc.

I am not saying it is illegal or right/wrong. I am merely stating that if it is free, it usually goes unnoticed. If WOTC sues, fine, it is their property. However, there is a track record in game history of this sort of thing going on without consequence.

P.S. - Sorry Ashtal I did not know of those rules.

Actually, in the real world, I get contacted by the owner of the IP. Trust me. WHat do you think that big ESD conversion policy hoopla was all about, and who do you think it was specifically aimed at?

 

[Xar666]

Actually, in the real world, I get contacted by the owner of the IP. Trust me. WHat do you think that big ESD conversion policy hoopla was all about, and who do you think it was specifically aimed at?

I totally agree with you Morrus. If I were in your shoes I would feel the same way. I was not trying to justify placing links on the board. I was just stating that the conversions will happen and that I personally don't believe that any legal action will be taken against the modders (I may be wrong), since history has shown us that copyrighted material has been used in free games/mods for years. This is your board, you run it however you wish.

P.S. About my above question on the picture? yes/no? (It was such a nice picture)

 

[bushfire]

Yep, you had to know that as soon as something genuinely interesting came along, the lawyers would have to descend like a pack of ravenous hyenas. When are people going to realize that you can't stop this stuff. You can't, you can't, you can't. To quote T.S.E. 'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper'. A variation would be. 'This is the way the imagination ends, not with a bang, but a lawyer'. *sigh*

You know if they were doing something original you would have a point. But they aren't. They are copying portions of something made by TSR, the rights of which are now owned by Wotc. They are trading on the Trademarked names and copyrighted writings of someone else. And they are planning on distributing this worldwide via the Internet.

If they wanted to actually create something new, similar to Undermountain, but an original creation, then more power to them. But all they want to do it seems is copy someone else's work.

 

[Xar666]

They are copying portions of something made by TSR, the rights of which are now owned by Wotc. They are trading on the Trademarked names and copyrighted writings of someone else. And they are planning on distributing this worldwide via the Internet.

What is so bad about that? They are not profiting from the work and they do state and give thanks to the authors of the content. People who love the original work make most of these mods. It is a bit of a tribute to the author. If I published a module 10 years ago and someone converted it and offered it up for free for millions to enjoy, I would be flattered.

Aren't music artists whose original songs are covered by other music artists during live performances usually flattered? (And you are paying money to the cover artist for those)

 

[gregweller]

Here is legal dictionary definition of 'censorship':

"To examine (as a publication or film) in order to suppress or delete any contents considered objectionable"

Now, we can argue over whether the owner of this board has the right to censor something that for whatever reason he feels that it is objectionable--I suppose he does. That doesn't not make it censorship, though. It is censorship in that it is 'suppressing something that is considered objectionable'.

One should realize that if you try and ban stuff like this, it will only make it that much more popular. Personally, I've now got incentive to go out and track down and download every single 'illegal' mod made for NWN, even if I never buy the game. But then, that's me.

 

[Morrus]

Here is legal dictionary definition of 'censorship':

"To examine (as a publication or film) in order to suppress or delete any contents considered objectionable"

Now, we can argue over whether the owner of this board has the right to censor something that for whatever reason he feels that it is objectionable--I suppose he does. That doesn't not make it censorship, though. It is censorship in that it is 'suppressing something that is considered objectionable'.

One should realize that if you try and ban stuff like this, it will only make it that much more popular. Personally, I've now got incentive to go out and track down and download every single 'illegal' mod made for NWN, even if I never buy the game. But then, that's me.

Gregweller, you can say anything you like. I have no interest in your moral assessment of the situation, or of your opinion of the long term effects of such policies, or even of what it might "drive you to do". I am not going to risk having my website closed down just to support someone's moral worldview (a worldview with which I don't agree, incidentally).

 

[Leopold]

Here is legal dictionary definition of 'censorship':

"To examine (as a publication or film) in order to suppress or delete any contents considered objectionable"

Now, we can argue over whether the owner of this board has the right to censor something that for whatever reason he feels that it is objectionable--I suppose he does. That doesn't not make it censorship, though. It is censorship in that it is 'suppressing something that is considered objectionable'.

One should realize that if you try and ban stuff like this, it will only make it that much more popular. Personally, I've now got incentive to go out and track down and download every single 'illegal' mod made for NWN, even if I never buy the game. But then, that's me.

see you seem to forget your in morrus' world..in morrus' world morrus can do ANYTHING he wants. If he wants to ban the letter R from the alphabet, by all means any post with the letter R in it can be banned, it's his world, his boards, his rules. Live by them and prosper, fail to do so will result in punishment (nonlethat preferable although pay-per-view would be nice!).

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Quote:

If he wants to ban the letter R from the alphabet, by all means any post with the letter R in it can be banned, End Quote:


If he did that, how would he spell his name?

 

[Leopold]

Quote:

If he wants to ban the letter R from the alphabet, by all means any post with the letter R in it can be banned, End Quote:


If he did that, how would he spell his name?

he'd be SOL! It would be Mo**us! the letter R banned!!! forbiddeennnnn!!