Now WotC has taken Dragonlance (merged)

[trancejeremy]

Or it could simply be that the Dragonlance license generated insufficient profit, and it happened to come up at the same time as the Paizo issue.

Funny way to run a business, having no money come in from an IP, instead of even a small amount that required almost no effort on their part.

 

[Banshee16]

Sooo, when WOTC gives something, they have to give it forever, relinquishing all rights to IP they've license, or they're shameful?

Nice.

Chuck

They're perfectly within their rights to take those licenses back. But it doesn't mean we have to *like* them for it. Particularly when other companies they'd given the licenses to have done some fantastic jobs with them....in fact, Margaret Weis Products was doing *better* with Dragonlance than WotC/TSR ever did, IMO.

Banshee

 

[Mouseferatu]

Funny way to run a business, having no money come in from an IP, instead of even a small amount that required almost no effort on their part.

You're assuming they don't plan to do anything with it. We have no idea if that's the case, do we?

 

[TheYeti1775]

Looks I got to be the first to bust it over on the WOTC board.

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=834968

 

[Jim Hague]

Not to sound hysterical or anything, but is this all the pre-cursor to an all out assault on D20, OGL, and the SRD in preparation for 4th Ed?

Until there's actual proof, it's probably best not to fan the hysteria with these kinds of rumors. Wait and see, friend, wait and see.

 

[Land Outcast]

The sky is fallin', I tell ye...

 

[WhatGravitas]

I believe the idea that has been floating around of WotC wanting to have the sole site for "official" D&D / D20 errata, enhancements, and new material via the DI is the answer.

Perhaps they want to put the "old settings" online, perhaps as a "Explore _______"-feature, and therefore need al licenses. And no straying Paizohawk.

I mean, they already produced a bunch of nostalgia modules... but they're not going to produce the old settings as books, so they're probably put them online in some form.

Or, that's also possible, the license run out, and Weis Publishing didn't want to renew it. We know nothing right now, right?

 

[Sejs]

The timing on this all is very ... odd, to say the least.

 

[Khairn]

You're assuming they don't plan to do anything with it. We have no idea if that's the case, do we?

You're right, we have no idea of what their plans are. They aren't communicating with their customers, despite all the hoop-la. All we have to go on is the actions.

Something stinks, and its not my socks.

 

[trancejeremy]

Sooo, when WOTC gives something, they have to give it forever, relinquishing all rights to IP they've license, or they're shameful?

Nice.

Chuck

Yes, I do think it's shameful. IMHO, licenses would have an option for the licensee to renew.

I've always found it to be rather unfair when a company spends a lot of time and effort building up the value of a property, then have their license yanked from them.

Not that's exactly uncommon. But people complained when it happened with AEG and Stargate, or WEG and Star Wars.