John,
What you are about to read will look amazingly similar to what you
will find on an official site very soon. I don't think posting it
will get me in any trouble since it is something I helped write. It
contains a couple of the clarifications you have been seeking:
The "Concept Use" statement seems to give you permission to steal
from me and not credit me.
This is absolutely not true. It would be illegal, and Issaries has
absolutely no intention of using your work without your permission
and without giving you credit. What needs to be made clear is the
difference between using a "concept" and using a body of your work.
A concept is something as simple as a single place name, the name of
a person, or the name of an event. It is very difficult for Issaries
to track down the original author of a simple idea, like who came up
with the concept that "Harvar Ironfist has red hair," and always
give them credit. There is no realistic way to credit everyone who
contributed some cool little item as part of a larger concept.
Often, small concepts were worked on by a number of people and there
is no clear development history. It is impossible for Issaries to do
it, and the policy needs to state that Issaries has no obligation to
do this.
Bodies of work are an entirely different matter. An example would be
writing a page on the City of Boldhome. Issaries can only use a body
of work with author permission and credit. You are not giving away
your rights to be named as the author. If you honestly believe that
Issaries would steal your work, you may want to seriously consider
another gaming world to write about. Glorantha has been a group
creative effort for many years now. Every effort is made to give
credit where due. Also, whenever someone has made it known to
Issaries that they have not credited someone properly Issaries
credited that individual through a subsequent announcement, usually
with an apology for the omission.
Isn't this Policy just a hollow sham without the appendices?
No. While it would be better explained with them, none of the
appendices (that are still being written) contain anything beyond
examples of the policy in action to help make it understandable.
They are a nice addition, but do not add to the policy rules.
Enjoy,
Rick
Arrogant Bastard
- In ImmoderateHeroQuest_at_yahoogroups.com, "John Hughes"
<nysalor_at_h...> wrote:
> Jeff:
>
> >That's an untenable reading of the "concept use" clause
>
> Well then, it's easily fixed. A single, clear public statement
from Issaries
> addressing these issues.
>
> A short, simple and direct company charter or statement of purpose
that
> addresses Issaries rights *and* obligations to customers, gamers,
authors
> and even (gasp) supporters.
>
> It's called good business.
>
> >This is not a change over previous
> >practice or policy
>
> <Doubletake>. Umm, so tell me again why most Gloranthan support
activity has
> been frozen by Issaries for the last twelve months?
>
>
> Cheers
>
> John.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> nysalor_at_m... John Hughes
> Questlines: http://mythologic.info/questlines/
>
> May God us kep
> From Single vision and Newton's sleep!
>
> - William Blake, Letter to Thomas Butts, 22 November 1802.
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeff Richard" <richaje_at_g...>
> To: <ImmoderateHeroQuest_at_yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 5:49 AM
> Subject: [ImmoderateHeroQuest] Re: Why...
>
>
> |
> | > > You're being asked to sign away all your rights upfront.
> | >
> | > As the editor of a Glorantha fanzine, I am expected to sign
away
> | all
> | > my _contributors' rights_ upfront. Given that I do not own
those
> | > rights, this is an impossible expectation to fulfil, even if I
> | felt
> | > that it were morally acceptable to just rip off all their hard
> | work
> | > and send it to Greg (for free). Which I don't.
> |
> | That's an untenable reading of the "concept use" clause - and I'm
> | really tired of that bogus reading being used over and over and
over
> | again.
> |
> | "Concept use" as defined in the Policy is simply that folk -
> | specifically Issaries - can use the names of persons, places,
> | creatures, entities, events, objects, or concepts from any
original
> | material, Gloranthan development or publication, without need for
> | further credit or payment. This is not a change over previous
> | practice or policy - heck, it should be a black-letter law
> | restatement of US Copyright Law (although judges do get very
> | confused about what constitutes an "idea" in fantasy literature -
> | look at the confusion involved in the McFarlane v. Gaiman
litigation
> | over some of the Spawn characters).
> |
> | Let's say you come up with a character named Stampy McGee
(scourge
> | of the Timinits) and write tons of stories about the adventures
of
> | Stampy. You post these stories to the Digest, or Oliver's
website,
> | or they get published in Tradetalk, or whatever, and lots of
folks
> | Glorantha have Stampy McGee wandering about Jrustela. Under the
> | Concept Use statement, Issaries can include Stampy McGee as a
person
> | when they come out with Men of the Sea III: Defeat of the Ant
> | People, and include references to some of the events mentioned in
> | these stories.
> |
> | However, under the Concept Use statement, Issaries cannot simply
> | print the Stampy McGee stories, or significant excerpts thereof -
> | they are still the author's Original Material. Does this make
any
> | sense? It is no different than UW including Rastalulf Vanak
Spear
> | as a hero cult of the Exiles (something I am perfectly happy and
> | honored that they did). What the Concept Use statement is
eliminate
> | the ability of folk to bring litigation about whether the
fictional
> | person is an idea or material under US Copyright law.
> |
> | Jeff
> |
> | PS.
> |
> | > The II fan policy strikes me as being completely
> | > fucking paranoid, but maybe Greg just chose an idiot,
incompetent
> | > lawyer (hoping not to offend the lawyer if he or she is a list
> | > member, but if so well tough shit).
> |
> | I did not write the fan policy (nor was I involved in writing
it) -
> | however, I have written IP agreements for major corporations
> | (including Goldman Sachs, KKR, and various companies owned by
> | Microsoft's second largest shareholder). The II Fan Policy is
> | incredibly tame and if you think this is "completely fucking
> | paranoid", you are an idiot.
> |
> |
> |
> |
> |
> |
> |
> | You Are All Idiots. Signed, De Immod.
> |
> |
> |
> |
> |
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