Found this on the net today
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl108.html
In a nut shell it stats
"Copyright does not protect the idea for a game, its name or title, or the method or methods for playing it."
Sooo dose this mean that "The Storytelling System" is free to use since that is the name of the game?
Found this on the net today
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl108.html
In a nut shell it stats
"Copyright does not protect the idea for a game, its name or title, or the method or methods for playing it."Sooo dose this mean that "The Storytelling System" is free to use since that is the name of the game?
While the Copyright might not protect a name or title, the Trademark laws probably do.
so lets say I change the name of the game but not the rules than what?
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The copyright does not protect the idea that you are making a roll of d20 and add modifiers against a target value, or the idea that you roll X 10-sided dice and count everything 6+ as a success (methods of playing a game).
However if you write that this is a Perception check or Dexterity + Wits roll, well, you're heading into the copyright territory, because the names and concepts are IP of the creators.
Of course, if your game has only incidental similarities to the Storytelling System, it's fine, but if it is enough to count as a ripoff, well, you know what happens.
Copyright law is one of those areas where the one with the bigger pockets almost always wins. You may very well be completely "right" and still lose.
Cannot remember where I saw it, but someone has published a pdf where they basicly put the rules to AD&D up almost per word from the Players Handbook.I think putting the rules to the game in your own words frees you from copyright infingement. As for it being a slippery slop, as the law is concerned it's either or. I'm just trying to find out where that lies.
But remember you have to be noticed and with the tons of dreck on the net, it's easy to fly under radar.
I will copy a whole game and I will sell it and no copyright law from the US can reach me. Ha ha ha, I live outside the US and I will donwload all the pirate torrents I want and I will break all the EULAS I want and no one will jail me ever. Go out of your country and go to the pirate paradise ha ha ha. And after doing all of that I will go to live to Panama so US is not going to extradite me.Lol.
Being serious: Law says clearly: "rules are not copyrightable", so don't care so much about consequences since I can cite (even though I dont have the time or the mood to do so) at least 20 derivative works from the d20 system and still they sell and continue without any problem only have the precaution of changing relevant words for synomimous.