WotC Talks OGL... Again! Draft Coming Jan 20th With Feedback Survey; v1 De-Auth Still On

Following last week's partial walk-back on the upcoming Open Game Licence terms, WotC has posted another update about the way forward. The new update begins with another apology and a promise to be more transparent. To that end, WotC proposes to release the draft of the new OGL this week, with a two-week survey feedback period following it...

Following last week's partial walk-back on the upcoming Open Game Licence terms, WotC has posted another update about the way forward.

Screen Shot 2023-01-09 at 10.45.12 AM.png

The new update begins with another apology and a promise to be more transparent. To that end, WotC proposes to release the draft of the new OGL this week, with a two-week survey feedback period following it.


They also list a number of points of clarity --
  • Videos, accessories, VTT content, DMs Guild will not be affected by the new license, none of which is related to the OGL
  • The royalties and ownership rights clauses are, as previously noted, going away
OGL v1 Still Being 'De-Authorized'
However, OGL v1.0a still looks like it's being de-authorized. As with the previous announcement, that specific term is carefully avoided, and like that announcement it states that previously published OGL v1 content will continue to be valid; however it notably doesn't mention that the OGL v1 can be used for content going forward, which is a de-authorization.

The phrase used is "Nothing will impact any content you have published under OGL 1.0a. That will always be licensed under OGL 1.0a." -- as noted, this does not make any mention of future content. If you can't publish future content under OGL 1.0a, then it has been de-authorized. The architect of the OGL, Ryan Dancey, along with WotC itself at the time, clearly indicated that the license could not be revoked or de-authorized.

While the royalty and ownership clauses were, indeed, important to OGL content creators and publishers such as myself and many others, it is also very important not to let that overshadow the main goal: the OGL v1.0a.

Per Ryan Dancey in response this announcement: "They must not. They can only stop the bleeding by making a clear and simple statement that they cannot and will not deauthorize or revoke v1.0a".


Amend At-Will
Also not mentioned is the leaked draft's ability to be amended at-will by WotC. An agreement which can be unilaterally changed in any way by one party is not an agreement, it's a blank cheque. They could simply add the royalties or ownership clauses back in at any time, or add even more onerous clauses.

All-in-all this is mainly just a rephrasing of last week's announcement addressing some of the tonal criticisms widely made about it. However, it will be interesting to see the new draft later this week. I would encourage people to take the feedback survey and clearly indicate that the OGL v1.0a must be left intact.
 

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Greggy C

Hero
Nothing about the 1.0a continuing to be authorized going forward so this is worthless.
  • Your OGL 1.0a content. Nothing will impact any content you have published under OGL 1.0a. That will always be licensed under OGL 1.0a.
Why would they support two OGL's.
Everything under old OGL will still be forever under the old OGL, that is reasonable.
 





AdmundfortGeographer

Getting lost in fantasy maps
If they just make a new SRD that is only accessible in the new OGL, but leave earlier SRDs available in the 1.0a, I’ll see it as a fine compromise.

But I think leaving SRD 5.0 and 5.1 out there is a hard line for management.

We could be seeing the future SRD available in the next OGL be presented deeply different even if mechanically compatible.
 


Greggy C

Hero
So if this was the exact same as the 1.0 expect it had the anti bigotry, and irrevocable added to it, would you guys still complain about 1.0 being deauthorized?
If 1.1 was exactly the same as 1.0, everyone would still complain, because most people on forums don't want them to succeed :)
They want their piece of the pie$ and they can't have it if Wotc succeeds.
Its all about money.
 

there's no statement saying that they've abandoned their plans to try and revoke the OGL v1.0a, and there's nothing about them dropping the provision that they can change the OGL v2.0 (née 1.1) anytime they wish.
Yup and the latter is particularly bad, because it invalidates any other change they make, because they could go back on stuff at any time.

Until those are fixed, this is just so much wank.
 

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