WotC is *NOT* Evil: THE FINALE

[Fifth Element]

Yes, I do feel entitled to something. I have only been playing 4E for a couple months and I've already spent a ridiculous sum on their products. That DOES entitle me to good support.

Even if this were to affect their response, how would they be able to differentiate you from some random guy wanting to put up their images without paying for them? They don't know how much you've spent. This is the perspective you're lacking: you're not considering their point of view.

That being said, you're entitled to nothing more than you've paid for. I've never seen anything in my 4E books that says "Call customer support and ask about our legal policies!" If anyone were going to discuss it, it would be their lawyers, and they're not going to discuss anything like that with random internet dude. You may feel entitled to that, but you have no right to feel entitled to that. It's all you.

I'm sorry, but I work in customer service.

And I work in the business world. As an accountant my position relative to my clients is similar to that of a lawyer. I would advise my clients not to discuss anything like this with their customers. Even very large, important customers. It's simply none of their business.

Maybe you should try buying a large block of Hasbro stock. Maybe then you could feel entitled to an explanation.

 

[P1NBACK]

Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

 

[McTreble]

I'm no laywer, though many of the legal type explinations make perfect sense to me. What I am is someone who knows how to write a letter or inquiry. One thing that you did that made me instantly dismiss your view is the use of CAPS. It's akin to screaming, not talking.

A friendly tip: If you must emphasize something in this manner and don't have the desire to utilize extensive rhetorical verbage, use italics. I wouldn't call it completely professional, but it stresses your points without cramming them down your throat.

 

[Fifth Element]

So...that being said, I will rest my case, admitting that I was-in point of fact-quite wrong to so harshly judge.

Very reasonable. Now, about that thread title?

 

[Fifth Element]

Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

Heh, that's not quite so true when the other party has lawyers.

 

[Fifth Element]

A friendly tip: If you must emphasize something in this manner and don't have the desire to utilize extensive rhetorical verbage, use italics. I wouldn't call it completely professional, but it stresses your points without cramming them down your throat.

Precisely. In my work I write an awful lot of letters to Revenue Canada (that's our version of the IRS, of course), and let me tell you they do some very unreasonable things (though I wouldn't even call them evil, just incompetent at times). Every so often I have to pull out the italics. It adds that little bit of emphasis when needed, and doesn't make me look like a dick. A measured use of italics is completely professional.

 

[Pbartender]

Heh, that's not quite so true when the other party has lawyers.

Not just lawyers, but a Legal Department, mind you.

 

[El Mahdi]

As far as using WotC copyrighted artwork on-line: Yeah, you're SOL on that one. I think that one is pretty obvious. You are only telling them in a very general way how you are going to use it. If they gave you blanket approval before "seeing" the site, and then found out it was representing their IP in a manner they don't want, they'd be screwed. And even if you showed the site to them ahead of time, they have no guarantee that your site would remain that way, or remain non-profit.

But, as far as using images for a game at a gamestore: 1) I believe that would be what's called "fair use". You can print out pictures, use them on your computer, make handouts, etc., and it's not a problem. 2) But, even for something that's fair use, WotC is not going to give you aproval or authorization. Ever. They've laid out what is okay and "legal" in their Fan Kit and under the GSL...and that's it. Period. End of Story. They are not going to approve of anything outside of those parameters. If it's not already in the Fan Kit or the GSL, you can't do it, and they are never going to say you can. This isn't just a WotC thing. Any company works that way...INCLUDING PAIZO. 3) But, as far as the use of such stuff in a game where it's probably Fair Use: even it it wasn't, "How in the Hell would WotC ever even know?"! Do you really think that secret police from WotC are going to storm your FLGS, seize your game materials, and haul you off in Adamantine shackles?

Seriously, you can rant all you want in the manner you did to WotC, but they didn't respond any differently to you than they or any other company would have responded to anybody else.

I'm also pretty sure they read your emails and listened to your messages, and probably shared it with everyone in the office. Probably something like, "Hey, we've got another one of those people... Read this one. It's off the leash!".

Seriously dude, you don't want to be "that guy".

 

[mach1.9pants]

Very reasonable. Now, about that thread title?

This, the title is just licence for trolling edition wars angst-a-thon and everything else that comes with it.

Well done for admitting your error, always nice to see (and hard to do!)

 

[MerricB]

An interesting thing about the copyright of artwork:

If a painter sells a painting, he normally doesn't give up the rights to reproduce that painting. He still has the copyright! So, if I make prints of the painting I've bought and sell them, I'm breaching his copyright.

With Wizards, they also buy the right to reproduce the painting; either in a limited or unlimited manner. (In the early days of Magic, they paid royalties on every card to the artist whose work was used...)

Cheers!