Guest Vile Traveller Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 In the US, the copyright period was calculated from the date of publication until the end of the Disney corporation. Fixed your typo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Evil Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Fixed your typo. Unfortunately that's very true - there's already speculation about another copyright term extension act to prevent Mickey Mouse from falling into the public domain in 2023. The 1978 extension and the 1989 extension were both passed under pressure from the Disney Corporation to prevent their IP from becoming PD. And now there is increasing pressure on other countries to "harmonise" their copyright laws with those of the US... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d10tavern Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I bet if someone slipped up and Mickey Mouse became public domain, someone would need a fresh change of knickers. Quote The d10 Tavern - Role-playing and other games. Free games: Odd Story | Smeg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrad Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Heh...I'm still hoping thast we get a Legend-compatible version of the Conan RPG. The Hyborian Age and the d100 system were made for each other. And it would bring the game system to a much wider audience. Sadly I don't think it will ever happen though Have you seen Jason Durall's BRP Conan rules? http://basicroleplaying.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=113 http://basicroleplaying.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=114 Quote http://www.basicrps.com/core/BRP_quick_start.pdf A sense of humour and an imagination go a long way in roleplaying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Evil Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I bet if someone slipped up and Mickey Mouse became public domain, someone would need a fresh change of knickers. I know that this is way off topic, but there is evidence that Walt Disney didn't include the correct copyright notice on some of the earliest films featuring Mickey Mouse - notably Steamboat Willie. When a former Disney employee revealed that the copyright notice was invalid under the Copyright Act of 1909, a Professor at Arizona University invited his students to write a paper examining this claim. When one of them published her research paper on the Internet, the Disney corporation threatened to sue her for "slander of title" unless the paper was withdrawn. Furthermore, when a Georgetown University law student investigated the claims and discovered that Disney had not renewed the copyright as was required under the law at that time, he received a letter from Disney's General Legal Counsel threatening him with legal action if he advanced the claim publicly. The letter stated that ""With respect to your plans to otherwise promote these as being in the public domain, please be advised that slander of title remains actionable under California law for both compensatory and punitive damages." From a legal perspective, it is highly likely that Mickey Mouse is already in the public domain - but anybody who tries to claim this in any meaningful way will be sued into oblivion by the Disney juggernaut, so it is a moot point. The moral of the story is that intellectual property rights are often more about who has the deepest pockets that who has the strongest claim. Getting back on topic, this is the reason that I love the Open Gaming License - for all of its flaws, it gives us the freedom to do whatever we like with IP such as the Legend system without fear of being sued. It's one of the best things that has ever happened in our hobby and will help to ensure its long-term survival - publishers and game systems may come and go, but material released as open game content will be available for our use forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Evil Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Have you seen Jason Durall's BRP Conan rules? No...I wasn't aware of them, but they look sweet! I still think that the Legend system is best suited as a vehicle for swords & sorcery gaming - I'm hoping that the Spider God's Bride is an awesome adaptation of the d20 adventure that showcases the strength of the system and will draw in some new players. I'm also hoping that Legend will serve as a gateway to the broader d100 gaming community, encouraging people to try BRP and the forthcoming edition of Runequest. Divorcing the game from the Runequest brand may be a blessing in disguise, because it means that people will approach the game without as many preconceptions. Sadly, some gamers seem have strong prejudices against Runequest that are based entirely on hearsay. Giving them a chance to try out the system without any expectations may make it easier to get them to try out Glorantha as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 From a legal perspective, it is highly likely that Mickey Mouse is already in the public domain - but anybody who tries to claim this in any meaningful way will be sued into oblivion by the Disney juggernaut, so it is a moot point. The moral of the story is that intellectual property rights are often more about who has the deepest pockets that who has the strongest claim. Well, Mickey Mouse is already officially in the public domain in quite a number of countries, for example in Russia, and Disney's chance to win a court case there is almost nil. I am not sure about all the works of Robert E. Howard, but I think that they are now also in the public domain in many countries. It depends on when a country ratified the Berne Convention and whether it is applied retroactively to titles which had become public domain before the con- vention was signed - in some legal systems the view is that "once public domain, always public domain". Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 So what we need is a "Legend of Conan Doyle RPG," since Sherlock, Professor Challenger and Co. have presumably long passed into public domain. Plus Doyle's pulp ghost stories are as creepy as anything Lovecraft wrote. Module #21B ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongoose_Matt Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I know Mongoose is a UK company so I imagine they have to go along with whatever the EU says, but I still find it interesting. Not to muddy the waters here further (!), but Mongoose is actually two legal entities, one based in the UK, the other in the US. So we can be whatever we want to be, really As for whether we would want to enter these waters... Well, I think we would give it a punt, though I don't know if we would be offering the same advance we did in the past... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogspawner Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I know Mongoose is a UK company so I imagine they have to go along with whatever the Germans say, but I still find it interesting. Another typo fixed. Nice to know Mongoose can choose to obey the Americans, either... not. Quote Britain has been infiltrated by soviet agents to the highest levels. They control the BBC, the main political party leaderships, NHS & local council executives, much of the police, most newspapers and the utility companies. Of course the EU is theirs, through-and-through. And they are among us - a pervasive evil, like Stasi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 (edited) Another typo fixed. The Germans ... ? - If this were only remotely true ... Over here the impression is that we are dancing to British and French tunes. Edited November 25, 2011 by rust Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d10tavern Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I'm also hoping that Legend will serve as a gateway to the broader d100 gaming community, encouraging people to try BRP and the forthcoming edition of Runequest. Divorcing the game from the Runequest brand may be a blessing in disguise, because it means that people will approach the game without as many preconceptions. Sadly, some gamers seem have strong prejudices against Runequest that are based entirely on hearsay. Giving them a chance to try out the system without any expectations may make it easier to get them to try out Glorantha as well... I have the Avalon Hill boxed set of RuneQuest, which was my first exposure to the system and the setting of Glorantha. Back then I was coming from a standard fantasy mindset, that fantasy was elves and dwarves etc. I will say coming from that mindset, I was a bit... not exactly put-off, but more puzzled, when I found out about humanoid ducks. It just didn't fit into my view of a serious fantasy. Like a fantasy version of Howard the Duck. These days it doesn't bother me, but I can see why some players may be put-off by such things. So I think it's true that separating the system from the setting in this instance may bring in more players that normally would be put-off by the setting. Quote The d10 Tavern - Role-playing and other games. Free games: Odd Story | Smeg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Evil Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 As for whether we would want to enter these waters... Well, I think we would give it a punt, though I don't know if we would be offering the same advance we did in the past... Good luck with that - I really hope that you guys get the licence again! I get the feeling that Paradox were hoping that the recent Conan movie would increase the value of the IP, but when it tanked at the box office they might have priced themselves out of the market. It's a pity, because thew movie wasn't all be - Jason Mamoa was surprisingly good in the lead role and a number of the sets were excellent. It's just that the plot was fairly lame, feeling like a bad example of the 1970s Conan comics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Evil Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I have the Avalon Hill boxed set of RuneQuest, which was my first exposure to the system and the setting of Glorantha. Back then I was coming from a standard fantasy mindset, that fantasy was elves and dwarves etc. I will say coming from that mindset, I was a bit... not exactly put-off, but more puzzled, when I found out about humanoid ducks. It just didn't fit into my view of a serious fantasy. Like a fantasy version of Howard the Duck. These days it doesn't bother me, but I can see why some players may be put-off by such things. So I think it's true that separating the system from the setting in this instance may bring in more players that normally would be put-off by the setting. It's funny how much the existence of Ducks offends some gamers. I've met people who won't even try Runequest because they regard the existence of the Durulz as so offensive. Even though they aren't a major part of the Glorantha setting and can easily be ignored, some people just can't get past this prejudice. The one thing that people who don't play RQ seem to know about the game is that it includes a race of sentient ducks. Very strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Another typo fixed. Nice to know Mongoose can choose to obey the Americans, either... not. Frogspawner, in order to be granted the exquisite pleasure of obeying Frau Merkel, you Brits should first abandon that old-fashioned currency and join the eurozone. [just kidding - actually, Frau Merkel and her subjects are guaranteeing for everyone's bonds here ] Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vile Traveller Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 The one thing that people who don't play RQ seem to know about the game is that it includes a race of sentient ducks. Purely from a marketing viewpoint, there's a valuable lesson there. Donald Ducks are the equivalent of Classic Traveller's "dying in character generation rule" when it comes to putting off potential customers*. If only Disney would protect its other characters with the same fervour that it reserves for its Mouse! *When I first got my RQ2 rulebook, I Tippexed out all references to "duck" and replaced them with "goblin". After that no more newbies were scared off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 (edited) * Edited November 26, 2011 by Mankcam Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 *When I first got my RQ2 rulebook, I Tippexed out all references to "duck" and replaced them with "goblin". After that no more newbies were scared off. I encountered the Duck issue, and unfortunately still do. I got around this by making the Durulz a Halfling fisher-folk culture that lives in the marshes, a bit like Tolkien's Hobbit Stoors, but no 'old english' feel at all. It kinda worked, but generally I steer clear of all things Duck, lest of all I lose my gaming group. I personally find Ducks ridiculous, and I guess it shows that Greg Stafford has one hell of a quirky sense of humour. Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 As a Classic Traveller fan who dealt with dog men, lion men, militant space cows, and stranger things, I have no problem at all with RuneQuest ducks. A little goofy at first, but it does make RQ unique, not just another generic fantasy game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 At first I also had no problems with the Ducks and considered them a rather funny idea, but after a while characters ordering "Peking Roast Durulz" at the inn and shouting "Durulz and Cover !" whenever someone fired arrows at the party became too much fun for my campaign ... Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d10tavern Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I encountered the Duck issue, and unfortunately still do. I got around this by making the Durulz a Halfling fisher-folk culture that lives in the marshes, a bit like Tolkien's Hobbit Stoors, but no 'old english' feel at all. It kinda worked, but generally I steer clear of all things Duck, lest of all I lose my gaming group. I personally find Ducks ridiculous, and I guess it shows that Greg Stafford has one hell of a quirky sense of humour. I would be really interested to know why he decided to include ducks in the setting. Has he ever said? Quote The d10 Tavern - Role-playing and other games. Free games: Odd Story | Smeg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I would be really interested to know why he decided to include ducks in the setting. Has he ever said? I did not read anything of that kind, all I know is that his concept of the Ducks/Durulz seems to have changed several times, the latest one I am aware of is this: http://www.glorantha.com/greg/q-and-a/ducks.html Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 At first I also had no problems with the Ducks and considered them a rather funny idea, but after a while characters ordering "Peking Roast Durulz" at the inn and shouting "Durulz and Cover !" whenever someone fired arrows at the party became too much fun for my campaign ... Isn't that part of Gloranthan culture, though? The ducks are an ancient, noble warrior race with a somewhat fatalistic worldview, but these upstart humans have trouble taking them seriously? Except for the militaristic part, the duck concept kinda reminds me of Marsh Wiggles in the Narnia books -- heroic, serious marsh-dwelling beings treated as comic relief. The difference is that Wiggles are quite a bit taller; the average human would have to look up to meet the eyes of the average Marsh Wiggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 The ducks are an ancient, noble warrior race ... It still looks to me like a casting desaster, comparable to Paris Hilton playing a Navy Seal or a crew of cuddly koalas as bloodthirsty pirates on a viking longship ... Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d10tavern Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 The difference is that Wiggles are quite a bit taller Don't they all wear different colored shirts too? I never understood why C.S. Lewis invented those guys. I guess some like their singing and dancing. Quote The d10 Tavern - Role-playing and other games. Free games: Odd Story | Smeg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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