Question on copyright and fan-use of copyrighted material...

[Arravis]

I'm trying to see if anyone knows what I can legally post on a public message board like this one or at a website, when it comes to copyrighted material.

I know that the Greyhawk gods are copyrighted by WoTC and that if I publish and sell anything with them in it, I am breaking the copyright. But, what about fan-art, fan-fiction, etc... what if I post a compiled and detailed history of Boccob based on Dragon magazine artiles, 2nd edition and 3rd edition books, etc... as a fan and user of the material, can I post that information on a website? If not, aren't basicly all of the D&D fan sites in violation of that?

I've nearly finished compiling a ton of information from countless books, magazines, and different sources and publishers on the Nine Hells (I'm about to run a mini-campaign there) and I'd love to share that with other gamers. But, can I legally? Any help wuld be appreciated, thanks guys!

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

But, what about fan-art, fan-fiction, etc... what if I post a compiled and detailed history of Boccob based on Dragon magazine artiles, 2nd edition and 3rd edition books, etc... as a fan and user of the material, can I post that information on a website?

No.

If not, aren't basicly all of the D&D fan sites in violation of that?

Maybe. There is "fair use". For instance, I can say how many hit points Elminster has and that's OK. But putting up Elminster's entire stat block wouldn't be OK.

Your project sounds like a big no-no though. I'd drop the website idea, but you could always submit it as an article proposal to Dragon.

 

[Arravis]

Some of the material is from different publishers, so that could be nigh impossible. Seems like a waste I can't share it .

It's not a standalone sorty of thing though... so in that, I'm not sure if I could use it or not. Go to this post (ironically on a WoTC board) and scroll down to my post to get an idea of what I'm doing...

http://boards.wizards.com/rpg/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=201;t=000675

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

The stuff of your own creation is OK. But you're quoting Manual of the Planes and other sources. Again a few quotes is OK and "fair use". But think about the nature of your project. You want your site to be a one-stop master source for Dis. That's exactly the kind of thing that copyright laws don't want you doing.

Consider the reader who wants to know about Dis. You're removing the reason for him or her to purchase those sources you listed.

I read your post. It sounds like a terrific project. Again, I'd strongly encourage you to see it published in Dragon or something like that. Hey, maybe you could pitch it to WotC for their site as a web-enhancement. But you're crossing the line when it comes to a fan site. Sorry, man. You've obviously put a ton of work into this and I am honestly sympathetic.

-BG

PS I know people like to make fun of gaming companies for all the big money they're supposed to make, but really you're looking at a small-print publisher. Game publishing is very small. The quilt-making industry is bigger than we are! No lie. Loss of sales are something they rightly consider important.

 

[Arravis]

I'm not claiming WoTC is evil or any such thing... it's their right to enforce copyright laws and I have no issue with that. I'm just trying to stay informed.

As far as "Fair Use" is concerned... can I print out a handful of copies for friends... can I email copies to friends (as long as it's all for home use)? Can I make a post about it and say "Hey, anyone that wants a copy, please e-mail me". I'm just trying to get an idea for the limits.

As far as Dragon... it uses material from Legions of Hell, Tome of Horrors, and a bunch of Planescape books and WoTC books... so that could be tough.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

I'm not claiming WoTC is evil or any such thing... it's their right to enforce copyright laws and I have no issue with that. I'm just trying to stay informed.

I apologize, I didn't mean to imply that you did. It was a general mini-rant thing. Mea culpa.

As far as "Fair Use" is concerned... can I print out a handful of copies for friends... can I email copies to friends (as long as it's all for home use)? Can I make a post about it and say "Hey, anyone that wants a copy, please e-mail me". I'm just trying to get an idea for the limits.

For friends, yes. This I know. I have no idea about e-mail. I mean, things like file-sharing are going back and forth in the courts. I sincerely have no idea.

But seriously, pitch the idea to Dragon & WotC.

 

[Arravis]

I'll have to see what I can squeeze out of it (beyond the random encounter charts) that isn't copied directly or taken in part from something else.

To do this project, I started out with the old 1st edition books... took notes on all the info there, then went through all the 2nd edition stuff and took notes from there, editing the 1st edition work... and so on. I basicly started out with the earliest published work and went under the assumption that the data became "better" informed as it went forward in time. I kept doing this went all the way back from the old Monster Manual and as far forward as the latest Dragon Magazine.

With this spanning so much stuff... I'm not sure if I can publish it, even in Dragon.