This Bugs Me...

[pogre]

Well, here's an interesting question for you. I just noticed someone who has nabbed a bunch of House Rules stuff and posted it on his (low volume) web site without asking the authors. Is this reprehensible, tacky, or reasonable?

It's in bad taste, but if it is all open content it's definitely in the spirit of the d20 license. Just look at some of the compilation books - all they need to do is place an appropriate notice in the copyright section in the license section - permission is not required. I gather that this site has not bothered with the d20 license though.

As for the MM's problem - you certainly could contact Tripod or Yahoo but I'm not sure it is worth your effort.

 

[Darkness]

Well, here's an interesting question for you. I just noticed someone who has nabbed a bunch of House Rules stuff and posted it on his (low volume) web site without asking the authors. Is this reprehensible, tacky, or reasonable?

Did he credit the authors (or at least mention/link to the House Rules board), claim it to be his own work, or don't mention authorship at all?

 

[DarkSoldier]

Just contact the sites' ISPs and have the content removed.

 

[Eosin the Red]

For myself, when my website (Call of the Horn) was getting lots of traffic - I saw things pinched off of it it in several places both with and without credit. It bugged me for a bit but eventually I figured that speading of the way I do things and of my house rules was a good thing.

Credit should be given but once it is then the real issue is about ego (or rarely about sales). If it has been up for a long time, I would leave them alone. Even if they were liberal with borrowing there was some work involved.

PS: PC - I think it is OK. I would credit the message board and user ID but good rules are good rules (I would probably ask first). There is also a great deal of parallel work. If you find rules that say what you have been working on, why not use them?

 

[Piratecat]

Did he credit the authors (or at least mention/link to the House Rules board), claim it to be his own work, or don't mention authorship at all?

He credited the authors, and he's asking for permission after the fact, but he didn't provide a link back (at least not from that same page.)

 

[Cheiromancer]

He credited the authors, and he's asking for permission after the fact, but he didn't provide a link back (at least not from that same page.)

I think that if someone took house rules material that I designed, I would prefer not to be credited. That way I wouldn't have to worry about updates, and poor rules would never be associated with me.

Anonymity can be a good thing.

 

[geezerjoe]

Well, here's an interesting question for you. I just noticed someone who has nabbed a bunch of House Rules stuff and posted it on his (low volume) web site without asking the authors. Is this reprehensible, tacky, or reasonable?

One of my teachers insists that material placed on the web without any sort of copy right notice becomes public domain. I don't know if this is true or not as it flies in the face of what I learned about copy rights many pre-web-years ago, but if that is true then it make the situation reasonable (but only if it is a low volume, not for profit site to be shared with people that the user knows primarly). If it is not true then it makes it tacky turning into reprehensible if the site is "for profit" in any way. Of course I'm one of those "moralist" types some people take issue with so take all my opinions just as that with a huge grain of salt ;-p.

l8r)

Joe2Old

 

[Creamsteak]

I 'might' be familiar with the website Piratecat is talking about... if I am, then it's really low traffic and not for profit.

I have no problem other people using/posting any of my ideas unless they are taking away my rights to the material or making money off it (which of course isn't very likely). It is definitely wrong for a person to post material without getting permission first though...

 

[geezerjoe]

I understand the "violation" that one might feel. My only reason for suggesting that it might be reasonable if not for profit and low trafic is that that is how I would feel if the person printed out the same information and passed it out to his group. I see the web as a tool in the instance. Now with higher trafic sites it would be like handing out the material at the local game shop or mass mailing the material to people in a fanzine. Since people often equate publisher with the person that created the material (I have a low opinion of the general public .. a character flaw I know) you could really say that this deprives the author of his or her copy rights.

Anyway ...

Joe

 

[billd91]

One of my teachers insists that material placed on the web without any sort of copy right notice becomes public domain.

I am not a lawyer, but I have done a little research on copyright. Posting something on the internet definitely does NOT mean you are giving up your copyright or the work becomes public domain.