3 ms·
My current understanding is that you'd probably be fine to publish this without the OGL, as copyright law would _probably_ allow you to do this. The OGL is a s
by timvdalen 4y ago
My current understanding is that you'd probably be fine to publish this without the OGL, as copyright law would _probably_ allow you to do this.
The OGL is a sort of "you're definitely safe under these restrictions" promise. If you comply with it, the promise is that you definitely won't be sued.
Of course, that promise is now being broken.
- ehutch79 4y agoThe US copyright office has stated that game mechanics are not copyrightable. So rolling a d20, the 6 attributes, etc. The actual words on page are copyrightable though. You obviously can't copyright 'bears' as monsters, but beholders and mindflayers, etc are copyrighted. The specific stats are a grey area, but if you 'clean room' your bestiary, you should be good. You are absolutely right about this being more of a promise not to sue, more than anything else.
- trynewideas 4y agoThe OGL specifically protects use of the copyrightable text of the mechanics, that's the whole point of the OGL-compatible System Reference Document. Anyone can write a d20 system with the same mechanics, but the more literal text you crib from the SRD, the more you expose yourself to litigation — unless you agree to the OGL. The OGL says, here, crib from and directly reference this copyrighted text so you can eliminate broad swaths of reinventing the wheel and focus on your compatible content. Third-party publishers on shoestrings adopted it en masse for both litigation safety and convenience.