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<blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 6380423" data-attributes="member: 6779310">There's this neat concept in US IP law... and UK as well, tho' apparently not as strongly... called Fair Use.Fan created content generally falls under fair use, provided that (1) the IP referenced is credited as to status, (2) no money is being made, (3) you're not devaluing the IP with your fan content.The abuses by companies such as Games Workshop really are just that: Abuses. As in, if someone could afford to fight them, GW should lose in court, but GW is able to outspend in their psychotic (and unlawful) denial of fair use. Now, I'm not saying they haven't had some legit cases... but they've lost half of those. And even if WotC decides that they should emulate GW, their owners, HasBro, have a very generous approach to fan sites and fan projects... and would likely zipyank any such overzealousness as constituting bad PR, and being more of a damage than the fan-site. Moreover, WotC as a whole, doesn't even make enough to be a line item discussed at the annual meetings. (And it's still one of the top 5 companies in gaming.)Now, they're expected to make a profit. HasBro will ruthlessly bury anyone making a serious dent in even WotC's pittance of the overall HasBro pie... but they will tolerate a lot. Just look at the way HasBro remains hands off about commissioned MLP derivative artwork, MLP fan-sites, and MLP derived craftworks. They know not to bite the hand that lines their pockets.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="aramis erak, post: 6380423, member: 6779310"] There's this neat concept in US IP law... and UK as well, tho' apparently not as strongly... called Fair Use. Fan created content generally falls under fair use, provided that (1) the IP referenced is credited as to status, (2) no money is being made, (3) you're not devaluing the IP with your fan content. The abuses by companies such as Games Workshop really are just that: Abuses. As in, if someone could afford to fight them, GW should lose in court, but GW is able to outspend in their psychotic (and unlawful) denial of fair use. Now, I'm not saying they haven't had some legit cases... but they've lost half of those. And even if WotC decides that they should emulate GW, their owners, HasBro, have a very generous approach to fan sites and fan projects... and would likely zipyank any such overzealousness as constituting bad PR, and being more of a damage than the fan-site. Moreover, WotC as a whole, doesn't even make enough to be a line item discussed at the annual meetings. (And it's still one of the top 5 companies in gaming.) Now, they're expected to make a profit. HasBro will ruthlessly bury anyone making a serious dent in even WotC's pittance of the overall HasBro pie... but they will tolerate a lot. Just look at the way HasBro remains hands off about commissioned MLP derivative artwork, MLP fan-sites, and MLP derived craftworks. They know not to bite the hand that lines their pockets. [/QUOTE]

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