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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ghostwind" data-source="post: 1815653" data-attributes="member: 3060">One of the challenges in using another company's open content is the determination of exactly what is and what isn't open content. On one end of the spectrum, you have companies like Bastion and Green Ronin, which tend to open up most if not all of the book's text as OGC. On the opposite end are companies that have their declarations so wrapped up in legal jargon that it boils down to only the actual game mechanics as they relate to the SRD are open (Mongoose and Malhavoc come to mind). Most publishers lie somewhere in the middle of this. One of the things I found when writing Pale Designs was that most publishers are quite helpful when you contact them, explain exactly what you are writing and what OGC of theirs you want to use. If you need a clarification, that is the time to ask. For example, if they declare that all feats in product A are OGC and there is a paragraph of relevant flavor text directly below the feat's description, you can ask if it is OGC and if it is not, would they mind allowing you to use it as such? 99% of time, the answer will be that you can use it.  Now there is a prevalent feeling among publishers regarding supplying electronic files to writers who want to use their OGC. For the most part, they don't like it and here's why. 1. A huge amount of work went into creating the product in question and they don't really want to make it easy for others to reap rewards from that work without some measure of compensation, whether it be monetarily or just the satisfaction of knowing that someone took the time and effort to type the OGC in themselves from that product. 2. They don't have the time to try to physically separate the OGC text into a new file just for the writer. 3. There are concerns about piracy and the use of that file. 4. Some publishers do not fully understand the OGL and would rather not share the files to avoid possible issues down the road in terms of compliance. 5. Some publishers simply do not want anyone using their open content for any reason because they feel it is still representative of their work, period. Now having said this, I reiterate what I said that most will be quite cordial about assisting if they can when you contact them by email. For Pale Designs, Clark Peterson (Necromancer Games) was kind enough to offer to double check my section 15 and OGC/non-OGC declarations for accuracy. I've since done the same myself for a couple of pdf publishers. It's all in the spirit of cooperation and promoting use of the license that makes it easier for everyone to write and use someone else's open content.</blockquote>

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