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<blockquote data-quote="Matt Thomason" data-source="post: 8896074" data-attributes="member: 6777331">So, the way things currently stand:We have the rights to 3.0, 3.5, 5.0 (not sure about 4.0?) under the OGLThat gives us the right to a lot of game terminology that Wizards could feasibly claim copyright on.You cannot realistically own a game design. The mechanics of 6e cannot be legally protected outside of a patent, which would require a very new and unique method in order to get a patent for.&nbsp; Various game terms might be copyrightable (if complex enough) or trademarkable (if unique enough)Setting information is absolutely copyrightable, and cannot be reproduced by us.They are free to license 6e under any terms they see fit, with reference to the earlier OGL or under a completely new license requiring anything they care to name.BUT - at the very worst, we can clone 6e by using the terms allowed in 5e via the current SRD and its license, rewriting any 6e-specific rules text in our own words, and changing any possibly-protected terms, or by not using the SRD at all and writing everything in our own words and terms (admittedly, this would be a legal minefield and require a heck of a lot of checks to make sure nothing infringed on WotC's rights)This may not be a desirable situation for Wizards at all, and may even have moral objections to certain parts, but it is however where games stand where it comes to legal protections.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Matt Thomason, post: 8896074, member: 6777331"] So, the way things currently stand: We have the rights to 3.0, 3.5, 5.0 (not sure about 4.0?) under the OGL That gives us the right to a lot of game terminology that Wizards could feasibly claim copyright on. You cannot realistically own a game design. The mechanics of 6e cannot be legally protected outside of a patent, which would require a very new and unique method in order to get a patent for. Various game terms [I]might[/I] be copyrightable (if complex enough) or trademarkable (if unique enough) Setting information is absolutely copyrightable, and cannot be reproduced by us. They are free to license 6e under any terms they see fit, with reference to the earlier OGL or under a completely new license requiring anything they care to name. BUT - at the very worst, we can clone 6e by using the terms allowed in 5e via the current SRD and its license, rewriting any 6e-specific rules text in our own words, and changing any possibly-protected terms, or by not using the SRD at all and writing [I]everything[/I] in our own words and terms (admittedly, this would be a legal minefield and require a heck of a lot of checks to make sure nothing infringed on WotC's rights) This may not be a desirable situation for Wizards at all, and may even have moral objections to certain parts, but it is however where games stand where it comes to legal protections. [/QUOTE]

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