A question on copyrights / trademarks / etc.

[lordofthemax]

So I have EXTREMELY limited knowledge on all things legal, so I need someone's help with this. What sort of permissions/licenses/etc do I need in order to, say, write a book that takes place in the Starfinder universe, or maybe make a card/board game?

[Distant Scholar]

The short version is, "Probably a lot". The slightly longer version is "We can only guess."

[I was thinking this would be a thread about technomancers copyrighting or trademarking the spells they come up with ...]

[Archmage Variel]

Distant Scholar wrote:

The short version is, "Probably a lot". The slightly longer version is "We can only guess."

[I was thinking this would be a thread about technomancers copyrighting or trademarking the spells they come up with ...]

That's actually a great roleplay idea.

[lordofthemax]

Distant Scholar wrote:

The short version is, "Probably a lot". The slightly longer version is "We can only guess."

[I was thinking this would be a thread about technomancers copyrighting or trademarking the spells they come up with ...]

Actually, that's a better idea than mine. Let's do that instead. So how WOULD that work? Like, if I buy a machine from some big corporation but then modify it using magic and stuff, and change the look of it and upgrade the specs, can I then release it as my own?

[Garrett Guillotte]

lordofthemax wrote:

So I have EXTREMELY limited knowledge on all things legal, so I need someone's help with this. What sort of permissions/licenses/etc do I need in order to, say, write a book that takes place in the Starfinder universe, or maybe make a card/board game?

If you want to sell something "that takes place in the Starfinder universe" for money, you'd be licensing it from Paizo directly. Have your lawyer call their lawyer.

If you want to give away something "that takes place in the Starfinder universe" for free, Vic's already confirmed the Community Use Policy covers Starfinder as well.

If you want to sell or give away something that uses the Starfinder rules, regardless of whether you use the setting, you'd also use the OGL.