Searching pathfinder wiki under Community Use Policy?

[Saraiso]

I apologies in advance if this is covered somewhere else, but I could not find anything covering my question in my (somewhat cursory) search of the message boards :P

Anyways, I'm working on making an application for iPad that acts as sort of a general GM's helper, it creates maps and provides a place to store monster and npc stats, notes on campaigns, etc. I had planned for one of the features to be a search screen, that provides a customized web view allowing users to search the pathfinder wiki (at www.d20pfsrd.com) for monster stats, spells, feats, etc. I plan to implement a feature allowing users to copy the stats from say, a monster, into the application to use in their game.

Does this fall under the Community Use Policy?

Bear in mind that I there will be no Pathfinder material that comes with the application, or is in any way part of the app, other than what users search the website for and manually copy into the application. The app functions as a way to store data, (which the users can either copy from the website or enter manually if they want to make up their own monsters) but the app does not include that data in itself.

I am working on this project primarily for my own use, but if it ends up as polished as I would like it, I would like to post it on the app store for others to enjoy, and I want to make sure I can implement the search feature without running into licensing troubles O.O

[Mark Moreland]

It sounds like you need to look at the OGL more than the Community Use Policy since you'd be allowing people to have open gaming content without (possibly) the requisite citations required in Section 15. The Community Use Policy enables you to use Paizo intellectual property normally restricted by the OGL. Note, however, that if you ever plan to (even possibly) release your app commercially, the Community Use Policy wouldn't apply. Perhaps the confusion stems from the fact that PathfinderWiki uses the CUP and not the OGL (as it contains no rules) and d20pfsrd uses both licenses; and that the two are different sites.

[DMFTodd]

If your product doesn't contain the data when you release it, then, no, I can't see how you'd need a license of any sort. Does Google or Yahoo need a license to show me the PFRD?

[Mark Moreland]

If, however, the product is distributing OGC in any form, that content needs to be covered under the OGL itself, and anyone who downloads OGC to their phone from d20PFSRD or another website needs to be able to see the applicable Section 15 entry for that content without needing to reconnect or download additional material. For example, if I set up an email service where I send out a new feat every week to people on a mailing list, each email technically should include the OGL, and a section 15 for that content. If it's all hosted on a single website instead of emailed in individual chunks, then the site just needs to include the OGL once, but the Section 15 for that copy of the OGL needs to include all declarations for the entire site.

My advice would be to check with a lawyer to determine how any specific project dealing with distributing Open Gaming Content will interact with the existing licenses to ensure you aren't inadvertently violating any of those licenses.

[Saraiso]

Thank you both for your replies.

One thing I want to make clear, is that the app will not ship with any OGL or Piazo content at all. No feats, no items, nothing preloaded. All it will have is a mini-web browser that allows the searching of d20pfsrd, and the ability to copy and paste from that website.

I'm checking with them to make sure that searching their website isn't going to cause problems (but since it's the same thing any web browser can do I don't think it will be an issue), but my main concern was if all of a sudden the app would count under the CUP or OGL or whatever once the data was entered into it by the user.