Forgotten realms Data?
Is there a pre-made pack, either pro or community, for FR world data for Realmworks?
Ideally it would reflect the 5E timeframe.... |
No. People can't share that due to Copy right reasons.
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Why is this different from the Hero Lab community pack?
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Under US law mechanics cannot be copyright. The Hero Lab content is basically all mechanical and any descriptions have been reworded by the community.
Rewording entire stories and campaign data is a whole different ball game. |
Mechanics can definitely be copyrighted.
WotC has chosen to release some elements of 3.5, 4e and 5e under the OGL. This has never included any of the Wotc published settings, a handful of monsters (beholders, umber hulks, githyankis, githzerai and maybe a few others) and a few others. You can find the precise details in the OGL's. |
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https://www.mcvuk.com/business/game-...d-by-copyright https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/493...t-trademarks-a You can copyright your rules as written, but if someone rewords them and makes the exact same game, you are out of luck. |
Just because some idiot judge ruled that way doesn't change things. Someone with deep enough pockets will eventually take that to an appellate court and get the ruling fixed. It is obviously copyright material.
This is exactly like the time some other idiot judge ruled that software owners needed to own three licenses for their software. One for the copy on the original media, one on the hard disk and one for the software running in RAM or they were in violation of copyright. That got overturned. |
Those were just examples. I wasn't pointing exclusively to those.
Copyright is of the expression of an idea, not of the idea itself. Can you point to the "things" that don't change, because everything I've ever read says different that you. |
The exact text is obviously copyrighted. The rules themselves may need to be patented but I know quite a lot about IP law and the usual issue in arguing over infringement is the judge and/or the jury simply doesn't understand or care enough about the subject matter to make an intelligent decision, see moronic ruling on needing 3 licenses for software above.
In previous cases, back in the early days of RPG's, many games blatantly ripped off D&D's basic mechanics. TSR simply sent off cease and desist letters and the companies involved most closed up shop. Some tried to change their systems but none ever actually tried to challenge whether TSR owned the D&D system. The idea that someone else could take the PHB and the DMG reword them and release them under new titles is simply so blatantly absurd as to be laughable and if you try I guarantee you that Hasbro will crush you |
The concepts of patent, copyright and trademark are all intertwined, and the power of a large corporation to use money and legal hammers to force smaller entities to give in regardless of who is actually correct is not in doubt.
All I said was that you can't copyright mechanics. *And you can't*. I wasn't giving a detailed lecture on intellectual property. If you're going to discuss this type of thing you need to get details correct. Good grief. Look at us, squabbling amongst ourselves just to keep busy while LWD completely ignores us. |
Well, we should probably remember that our good friend kbs just underwent serious surgery and might not quite be himself right now.
Kbs, I hope you are doing well, and forgive us if we are grousing about your behavior if it is drug-induced. I hope you heal well and quickly. |
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Who? What? Where? :P Really ridiculous that rules cannot be protected. At least for some time they should have an exclusive like in pharma industry and other process where the first inventor invested much more time / money to develop the idea, than the copycats. |
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Rules can definitely be protected, it is Mechanics that can't be. Hasbro definitely could protect the rules of D&D but they couldn't stop you from making a game that used the same six attributes (Strength, Dexterity, etc). They could prevent you from calling it anything to do with Dungeons and Dragons, or even from probably naming it Dungeons and Demons, as an obvious derivative, but the basic mechanics such as spellcasting and attacking cannot be prevented
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Tunnels & Trolls in late 70s was first that came to my mind and was attacked by then TSR, and later again by WOC in 2005. Gygax Magazine (yea that Gygax) was a periodical in similar form to Dragon Magazine and again was attacked via WOC/Hazbro, and again tossed as not related to the IP they held over World of Greyhawk (something I keep up with in detail). And after personally speaking with Luke Gygax on this, the basis of claim ironically was the very name itself. The court ruled that a man has the right to his own name was the basis of dismissal. Unfortunately in this particular case, it ended up quagmired in an internal family battle and died. And lastly... Mazes & Monsters, which by any standard was a blatant aim at D&D... and any growing up in the late 70s / early 80s will tell you an impact on the game... but again tossed not once but twice since they (as you note in your post above) were not RPGs but a Novel & made for TV Movie.... The follow up book "The Dungeon Master" couldn't get any bolder at "re-use" of a name... And while WOC could continue filing suits... at some point they reach the law of diminishing return... I suppose.... DLG |
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I have a friend (shameless Plug for Casey below) that published some work they did as a collective on The World of Greyhawk- Bandit Kingdoms... and they went after him... Now understand, he was a non-paid lead member of what was called the "triad" back in what was termed "Living-Greyhawk" in the early 2000's. And all he did was assemble the work many did under one binded book so to speak. He credited them, and basically the cost to print was a wash vs profit, but WOC filed anyway... after 3 different meetings through arbitration, they finally pulled the suit.... Ironically the only ones that would use the perioditcal would be Greyhawk users, which facilitates WOC and their IP and product.... They were just butt hurt that he was able to assemble the various originating authors when they couldn't. But in this lawsuit happy world we live in, you can sue anyone for anything .... logic and reason to be determined later... *snark*:rolleyes::D For all you Greyhawkers following along.... >Casey's Work>http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...ngdoms-Summary |
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My beloved Greyhawk suffers a similar fate at the hand of Hazbro by proxy to Lorraine's shortsightedness.. even when a group of us tried to outright purchase the IP..... they would rather let it sit collecting dust and cannibalizing its corpse by repurposing pieces and shoe-horning them into Forgotten Realms where they NEVER WHERE...... huff huff..GURRREE HOWLLLLL. now you did it KB... you inadvertently awoke the beast known as the disdain of Lorraine and WOC... MAWAAHHAAAHAHA...:mad: Back... Back in the cage of despair you beast!....:eek::eek: The only words I would say are certainly not fit for the "younglings here" hehe BJ would be sending me a nasty note even though I'd be right..... Suffice to say... In the interests of trying to be the only company to offer RGP... they forgot the endproduct user will have the last say... And now all these years Later, My friends Eric Mona, Wolfgang Baur, Monty Cook, Gary Holan, Anna Meyer and many others are being recognized as industry leaders in spite of the past (and present) shortsighted bureaucracy. Why, because they listened to the people who use the products. DLG |
So to get the thread Semi- back on track... for any looking for back history of the original works of MANY of the "NEW" forgotten Realms published materials (and many more "Stolen" pieces to come) one only has to look as far as The World of Greyhawk.... and change the names to protect the ignorant.... because WOC/Hazbro hopes you don't notice the regurgitation... :D
DLG:D |
WotC could easily produce World of Greyhawk, Ravenloft and Dark Sun. But because Hasbro doesn't really care its FR and nothing else. They even still own Dangerous Journeys which with a little bit of work could be released as a very good game for those desiring a rules heavy RPG.
As to Lorraine it may have flown under most gamers radar but I know someone in the auction house world here in Chicago and back in 2010(?) she sold a big chunk if not all of her Buck Rogers memorabilia which seems to indicate she had fallen on pretty hard times. |
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The head of the family that owns the Buck Rogers IP selling what the auction book estimated at several million in memorabilia is, I think slightly, different. And based on the ages of the stuff, and knowing what I know of Lorraine most if not all of it was inherited.
But it could be colored by my personal dislike of the woman. |
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