What will Masterplan be after the C&D?

[Kurtomatic]

Purple haze all in my eyes. Don't know if it's day or night. You've got me blowin, blowin my mind. Is it tomorrow or just the end of time?

Wow, is it hot and stuffy in here, or is it just me? Maybe it's just me. I probably just need an ice-cold beverage...

HYPOTHETICAL

Given that a fan-written Compendium API client has woken the grumpy bears at WotC, which action results in a better outcome for the D&D community?

A. Formal snailmail nastygram is sent to specific projects that requires those developers to modify their app in order to appease the capricious WotC overlords.
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B. WotC simply shuts down the Compendium web service API.
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Please note that option B always occurs before option C...

C. Plucky fan devs don capes and eyepatches, hit the lotto crushing the faceless corporation in court.
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..rendering Option C entirely moot. WotC can shut down the API tomorrow, and its first-party applications will function normally. Does that sound draconian? Actually, the third-party fan apps would only be midly inconvienenced. iPlay4e is largely a creature of the Character Builder; as long as the CB is updated regularly and its XML output is available, iPlay4e continues to rock the character management space. Loss of Compendium links annoys users, but core functionality is maintained. Likewise, Masterplan's encounter planning shtick is a creature of Adventure Tools; as long the Monster Builder is updated regularly and its XML output is available, users simply have to export the monsters individually for import into Masterplan (much the way the CB/iPlay4e works now).

The API is thus merely a convienence for all parties: WotC gains by encouraging consumption of Compendium data and thus subcriptions; the fan apps get a direct query pipe for users to access subscription data, integrating the Compendium into their application interface. I would be shocked (SHOCKED!) if anyone ever makes an actual legal filing of any kind about the Compendium API. I think WotC would just shut it down before came to that (see: PDF Apocolypse).

 

[wedgeski]

The people advocating the idea that software developers need to smile and take the hit merely because WOTC is 'big' are hurting the entire gaming community by feeding the climate of fear.

"judicial barbarianism", "chilling effect on innovation", "climate of fear". Do you think such rhetoric helps or hinders the discussion?

I too am a software developer. I've ploughed hundreds or thousands of hours, over many years, into personal projects, some of which I've released, the vast majority of which sit half-finished on a repository somewhere.

But I tell you what: if I consider something a likely candidate for community release, I have the bloody good sense not to tread the grass on someone else's lawn, and not to write code which is against the word or spirit of whatever license(s) I'm using. The guy(s) behind Masterplan should have known better.

 

[Kurtomatic]

My only problem with this is that it is now, during the time of when a new tool should be very close to being announced. If that tool is something to compete with Master Plan, then we really know what was behind it.

Also, I find it hard to not trust the deveper when he said the C&D explicitly stated to kill the whole software. he said they specifically pointed out what they did not like, but the C&D was to stop deveoping Master Plan - not to change it so it doesn't do it anymore.

All they had to do to stop what Master Plan does was to implement something on their side. A C&D letter does not stop the content that is already out there (if any) anyways.

Like I said, we shall see what happens as time goes on. If he releases v9, he may get another letter, or something more serious. There really is a reason why he is asking for lawyers advice after all.

There are sensible concerns here, but I think the biggest risk for anyone regarding legal action from WotC would be copyright or trademark infringement. They've clearly shown willingness to pursue those issues in court and with law enforcement. I have no idea what kind of risk Masterplan has in that regard.

C&Ds are written by lawyers, not software developers, so I'm unsurprised the demands may have been made in a hamfisted way. Still, that is pretty disconcerting, and sometimes incompetence is as scary as malice; I agree that's something to watch.

WotC making changes on their end to solve the problem is great in theory, but very non-trivial in practice. Currently, the Compendium API only identifies clients by individual subscriber accounts. They really don't want to be closing subscriber accounts based on client functionality. The API is currently setup in a very developer-friendly way. Messing with that risks making the API too hard to use. Its a tricky bit of risk management.

If they really try to entirely shutdown a fan project for non-IP reasons, and only because it competes in the same space as a new first-party tools app, teh internets will burn! Another bit of tricky risk management. Bleh. The blowback for just shutting the API down wouldn't be nearly as bad.

 

[Kafen]

"judicial barbarianism", "chilling effect on innovation", "climate of fear". Do you think such rhetoric helps or hinders the discussion?

I too am a software developer. I've ploughed hundreds or thousands of hours, over many years, into personal projects, some of which I've released, the vast majority of which sit half-finished on a repository somewhere.

But I tell you what: if I consider something a likely candidate for community release, I have the bloody good sense not to tread the grass on someone else's lawn, and not to write code which is against the word or spirit of whatever license(s) I'm using. The guy(s) behind Masterplan should have known better.

It helps and it's honest - the alternatives paints WOTC in far less flattering terms when describing their actions if it ever gets to the legal level. Plus, they are mild, and Scribble is spot on with his bit on moderation. I am not calling them names and the terms fit.

Your last point highlights why the climate of fear and penalty to innovation is an important factor to keep in mind. Masterplan is not part of WOTC. Why should a developer 'know' better than to use an API that a company puts out? The end users are at fault for sharing data - not Masterplan. It's a real life example of the chilling effect in action. If you are wary of even considering it, why would a young coder with a realllllllly good idea even want to put it into code after reading about veteran coders afraid to use an API? *shrug* EDIT: I'll add that anyone in the UK should be really wary of the chilling effect with the Digital Economy Act set to go into action. Software vendors are going to be under heavy attack from anyone that knows how to accuse people of copyright violations.

Anyways, it's worth fighting the good fight even if some people get grumpy over it.

 

[MerricB]

*It's worth noting that game mechanics are not copyrightable, and it's questionable whether Masterplan actually does violate WotC's copyrights.

Although game mechanics are not copyrightable, the expression of those mechanics is. If Masterplan just prints the exact text from the compendium, that's a breaking of copyright.

The point about games mechanics not being covered by copyright means that if you write your own language to describe the mechanics, you're clear. (Assuming the mechanics haven't been patented).

Cheers!

 

[mudbunny]

Although game mechanics are not copyrightable, the expression of those mechanics is. If Masterplan just prints the exact text from the compendium, that's a breaking of copyright.

The point about games mechanics not being covered by copyright means that if you write your own language to describe the mechanics, you're clear. (Assuming the mechanics haven't been patented).

Cheers!

Given that the mechanics for most of the powers are just variations of 1d20+ modifiers vs a target number, and that things like this have been around for decades, I am quite certain that they would not get patented in most countries that have a somewhat competent Patent Office.

 

[MerricB]

Given that the mechanics for most of the powers are just variations of 1d20+ modifiers vs a target number, and that things like this have been around for decades, I am quite certain that they would not get patented in most countries that have a somewhat competent Patent Office.

I'm making a general point here with applicability to Masterplan; I'm quite sure the D&D mechanics are not patented.

Cheers!

 

[AllisterH]

Anyways, it's worth fighting the good fight even if some people get grumpy over it.

I'm not sure how this can be seen as a "good fight" for Masterplan..

If, what we suspect is true, that the C&D order is because Masterplan allows the copying of the database and thus allowing users to bypass the login access, I'm not sure WHY we should be seeing this as bullying of Masterplan...

Especially given that iplay4e and other programs haven't had C&D orders directed at them...

 

[Kafen]

I'm not sure how this can be seen as a "good fight" for Masterplan..

If, what we suspect is true, that the C&D order is because Masterplan allows the copying of the database and thus allowing users to bypass the login access, I'm not sure WHY we should be seeing this as bullying of Masterplan...

Especially given that iplay4e and other programs haven't had C&D orders directed at them...

Oh?

Ema's Sheet
http://www.emass-web.com/ or this one with the details Ema's Charsheets Killed by WotC - Giant in the Playground Forums

Powercards bit, too
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...desist-letter-d-d-4th-edition-powercards.html

Fighting to stem the tide! I joke about it, but there is a serious edge to it if you actually enjoy using the API. WOTC just needs to release a real fansite policy to work with the API at this point.

 

[AllisterH]

Oh?

Ema's Sheet
http://www.emass-web.com/ or this one with the details Ema's Charsheets Killed by WotC - Giant in the Playground Forums

Powercards bit, too
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...desist-letter-d-d-4th-edition-powercards.html

Fighting to stem the tide! I joke about it, but there is a serious edge to it if you actually enjoy using the API.

All of which involve whole sale copying of text from the PHB and distribution.

WOTC has gone after people who have only violated their IP in a big way.

Posting entire sections of the PHB and the compendium gets a C&D.

Something that requires you to have the books/DDI access gets ignored by WOTC.