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<blockquote data-quote="towngen" data-source="post: 106579" data-attributes="member: 1528"><p>I'm not an expert on copyright law, but everything I've read indicates that names and short phrases are NOT copyrightable. They can claim copyright, but it doesn't change the fact that they can't copyright a name. They can only trademark a name as a product identity in a specific market.</p><p></p><p>Now if you retype a feat description somewhere then of course you are infringing because the text of that feat is copyrighted. Even if you change the wording some, it's still a derivative work and thus subject. But a simple list of names is not copyrightable, from my limited understanding.</p><p></p><p>All that being said, if they don't want me to use the list of names, then fine I won't. I don't intend to fight them over it. I'm just pointing out the obviousness of how it doesn't really matter to me one way or the other.</p><p></p><p>As for the technical legality of a person typing in the list themselves for their own use, I cannot imagine how that could be infringement. That is simply using the game material for it's intented purpose, to play the game. Posting it on the internet however might be of questionable legality, assuming that a collection of names is protected by copyright (which I don't think it is, claim or no claim).</p><p></p><p>It's funny to me that processes and formulae are specifically not protected by copyright also. Processes and formulae are only protectable with a patent. Thus the whole mechanics of d20 games is, by definition, not protectable by copyright. Only the specific presentation and flavor text is protected. Of course, the name of their collection of processes (D&D) is a Trademark owned by WotC.</p><p></p><p>But you can always claim compatability with that process without their permission the same way generic ibuprofen says on the bottle "compare the active ingredient to Tylenol(TM)." Then they have a little blumb on the bottom listing the appropriate owner of th Tylenol brand name. So I can write, "compare the stat blocks generated with those from Dungeons & Dragons(TM)" and add the appropriate indication of ownership in the about box of the program.</p><p></p><p>I intend to include a general disclaimer in my program that all trademarks are owned by their respective companies and that I don't challenge them and that I have no affiliation with any of them. Also, if they throw a fit and tell me to remove the list of god names, that's cool. I'll remove it and include a file with other names that is easily edited. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Walter</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="towngen, post: 106579, member: 1528"] I'm not an expert on copyright law, but everything I've read indicates that names and short phrases are NOT copyrightable. They can claim copyright, but it doesn't change the fact that they can't copyright a name. They can only trademark a name as a product identity in a specific market. Now if you retype a feat description somewhere then of course you are infringing because the text of that feat is copyrighted. Even if you change the wording some, it's still a derivative work and thus subject. But a simple list of names is not copyrightable, from my limited understanding. All that being said, if they don't want me to use the list of names, then fine I won't. I don't intend to fight them over it. I'm just pointing out the obviousness of how it doesn't really matter to me one way or the other. As for the technical legality of a person typing in the list themselves for their own use, I cannot imagine how that could be infringement. That is simply using the game material for it's intented purpose, to play the game. Posting it on the internet however might be of questionable legality, assuming that a collection of names is protected by copyright (which I don't think it is, claim or no claim). It's funny to me that processes and formulae are specifically not protected by copyright also. Processes and formulae are only protectable with a patent. Thus the whole mechanics of d20 games is, by definition, not protectable by copyright. Only the specific presentation and flavor text is protected. Of course, the name of their collection of processes (D&D) is a Trademark owned by WotC. But you can always claim compatability with that process without their permission the same way generic ibuprofen says on the bottle "compare the active ingredient to Tylenol(TM)." Then they have a little blumb on the bottom listing the appropriate owner of th Tylenol brand name. So I can write, "compare the stat blocks generated with those from Dungeons & Dragons(TM)" and add the appropriate indication of ownership in the about box of the program. I intend to include a general disclaimer in my program that all trademarks are owned by their respective companies and that I don't challenge them and that I have no affiliation with any of them. Also, if they throw a fit and tell me to remove the list of god names, that's cool. I'll remove it and include a file with other names that is easily edited. :) Walter [/QUOTE]
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