D&D 4E Rumor control: Lucca 4e seminar report inaccuracies

[Scott_Rouse]

Scott, this question is directed to you, please:

Fact: There is no 4E D20. Period.

Fact: There will be a 4E OGL.

Fact: They cannot repeal/revoke the 3.5E OGL.

Fact: They did repeal/revoke the 3E D20 when they came out with the 3.5E D20.

Assumption: They will repeal/revoke the 3.5E D20, as they did with 3E.

Questions:

1) What will happen to all those products that already exist with the D20 logo on them?

--- Will all the books in the warehouses have to be returned? Destroyed?

--- Will the hobbyshops be expected to remove them from sale?

--- Will all the companies with .pdf products, large and small alike, have to remove them from sale from the web? (ENWorld/DTRPG/RPGNow, E23, YourGamesNow, Monte Cook, Green Ronin, and Goodman Games, to name just a few...)

--- Will there be a possiblity of D20 products being banned from sale on Ebay, as the licence has been formally revoked?

2) Will companies no longer be able to support the existing customer base's products?

3) Will all the websites that cater to the all the D20 customers be expected to delete and/or edit their content? What about those sites who acutally use "D20" in their domain name?

This might sound paranoid, but everything here is a solid possiblity.

(Edited for mah poor grammer. I ain't a gud spellin' type...)

As I said on the WOTC boards: Good questions but ones I am not comfortable answering. Sorry, I am not trying to be evasive or disingenuous. The questions are legal in nature and I am no lawyer.

 

[Henrix]

Thanks for taking the time, Scott!

 

[cleaverthepit]

From what I understand, and considering I am no lawyer but do co-own a company that has made d20 products.... BUT this by no means makes my answers true or accurate and I AM NOT A LAWYER.

) What will happen to all those products that already exist with the D20 logo on them?

Nothing. Fire sales mostly to get em out of warehouse and off the floor, out of boxes etc.

--- Will all the books in the warehouses have to be returned? Destroyed?

'have to' - no. but the person warehousing them may tell a publisher to take em bak or they will get dumped because NO BODY will ever buy enough again to cover warehousing fees.

--- Will the hobbyshops be expected to remove them from sale?

No.

--- Will all the companies with .pdf products, large and small alike, have to remove them from sale from the web? (ENWorld/DTRPG/RPGNow, E23, YourGamesNow, Monte Cook, Green Ronin, and Goodman Games, to name just a few...)

No, nothing else can be produced with the d20 logo on it. If its already in the pipe (produced and being sold) at the time the liscense is pulled. After pulled? Look maybe they can, maybe not (I don't even think they can). But I will bet dollars to doghnuts you've put more thought into than WotC.

--- Will there be a possiblity of D20 products being banned from sale on Ebay, as the licence has been formally revoked?

no

2) Will companies no longer be able to support the existing customer base's products?

if by this do you mean to ask will it be financially viable for a company to support its 3.5 product with more 3.5 products (such as more setting material etc.)? If that is what you mean to ask then, very unlikely. But who knows?

3) Will all the websites that cater to the all the D20 customers be expected to delete and/or edit their content? What about those sites who acutally use "D20" in their domain name?

Well, use of the logo will be illegal so, yes. Content? perhaps some.

Davis Chenault