Re: [WW] Pilots? Pretty please?

[lizard <lizard@mrlizard.com>]

Robbie Corbett wrote:

> Surely the section on pilot creation in *Death from Above* is Product
> Identity (PI) to Pinnacle's game Weird Wars system, it's certainly not
> part of the d20 OGL?
> 

You'll have to read the copyright notice in DFA. Product Identity 
normally cannot be applied to material derived from the SRD. The name of 
the class could be claimed as PI, in theory, but "Pilot" is so generic 
it won't fly. (No pun intended) ("Ace of Horror", or something, could be PI)


> Ideas cannot be copyrighted you say? True. But if I am to copy the
> section of the book and send it to someone verbatim (in ASCII or
> whatever), then that is 'text that is copyright' and I am behaving
> illegally?
> 

Only if the material is not "Open Game Content" under the OGL, and you 
do not follow the terms of the OGL.

Look at, oh, Creature Collection II. One of my critters is in there, the 
Skeletal Host. Now look at the copyright notice in CC2. It specifies 
which material in each monster listing is PI, and which isn't. The 
"flavor text" and the name of the monster is PI. The stat block and the 
special abilities and combat description is OGC. You can copy all the 
material that is OGC, give it a new name (such as "Tinkerman", my 
original name for it), and add in your own flavor text, then print it, 
sell it, whatever -- PROVIDED you include the Open Game License in 
whatever document you end up creating.

Some books, such as "Three Days To Kill", are almost all Open Content. 
The artwork and layout is PI, but you can read the text, convert it to 
ASCII, give it a new name, and sell it yourself -- again, provided you 
otherwise obey the OGL.


> I'm not trying to be argumentative (honest), just clarify the issue.
> 

Have you read the Open Gaming License?