Full Games List
Featured Games
New Games
Reviews
Media
Images
Blogs
Game Updates
Images Feedback Summary
Game Design Highlights
Tutorials
Articles
Scripts
Utilities / Plugins
Resources
Engines
Engine Bulletins
What is Makerscore?
Past Events
Achievements
Misaos
Forums
Post History
Chat
New to RMN?
Full Store List
RMN Music Pack (free)
[RMVX ACE] PLANNING A GAME AND HAVE A LEGAL QUESTION
Posts
Pages:
1
xXDrakesxWrathXx
View playlists
Closeso i wanted to get this settled for me before i planed this game too much, i have quite a few tabletop rule books sitting around and i was wondering if i could use their contents to make a game, would that be alright or would i get in deep trouble?
P.S i am new so if this is in the wrong forum my apologies.
P.S i am new so if this is in the wrong forum my apologies.
*sigh* i might have hit a snag ,the table top books i mentioned are from Fantasy Flights Edge of the Empire series, i was hoping i could make a Star wars Themed game using them. FF seems to have bought a license from Lucas film and i cant seem to find any thing under an Open Gaming License.
@ magnaangemon01 by commercialize it would basically mean making money off of it correct? is it still alright or do i need file this idea in the "Not gonna happen" category?
@ magnaangemon01 by commercialize it would basically mean making money off of it correct? is it still alright or do i need file this idea in the "Not gonna happen" category?
It's fine. What is copyrighted is the implementation of the idea, and not the idea itself. So unless you'll port over the entire thing word for word, you aren't in trouble :)
Well that's good to hear, <3 *whistles over battalion of engineering droids*
Time to get to work, thank you all for your input.
Time to get to work, thank you all for your input.
I'd contact the authors if I were you, unless the stuff you're using is explicitly covered by a license like CreativeCommons or OGL.
That isn't quite how it works, because there are elements in tabletop RPGs that are protected and could be grounds for a lawsuit.
author=karins_soulkeeper
It's fine. What is copyrighted is the implementation of the idea, and not the idea itself. So unless you'll port over the entire thing word for word, you aren't in trouble :)
That isn't quite how it works, because there are elements in tabletop RPGs that are protected and could be grounds for a lawsuit.
What they can get you for is trademarks. Try not to use unique names that the original authors use.
Titles and names cannot be copyrighted. Only content can be copyrighted. Exact wording gets you in trouble. Changing the wording and using your own protects you a little, but if you rewrite the movie Star Wars changing nothing but the wording, that's going to be pretty transparent to a judge. So, you can make a Star Wars story, and as long as it's original, there's nothing they can do.
For titles and names, they use trademarks. These are tricky. Only unique titles can be trademarked. My name is Thomas Myers. There's no way in hell that can be trademarked. I share my name with the creator of the Halloween horror films, at least three renowned doctors and an historically notable lawyer, just to name a few famous Thomas Myers' off the top of my head. Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader: not so common, can probably get a trademark...except people may name their children after these characters. What was unique becomes common.
Finally, your work may fall under the catagory of fanfiction, for which it has been ruled that so long as it does not explicitly copy material, that it may be regarded as transformative to the existing work (much like satire) and as a result, does not fall under the criteria of copyright or trademark infringement. It was Paramount Pictures suing to put a stop to Star Trek fanfiction no less, that lost their suit and got us enthusiasts this wonderful ruling.
Simply put, don't copy what's already there and you should be alright to base a story on it.
Edit: I focused on the Star Wars side because this where some major concern of infringement would be, especially now that it's owned by Nazi Disney Studios.
Titles and names cannot be copyrighted. Only content can be copyrighted. Exact wording gets you in trouble. Changing the wording and using your own protects you a little, but if you rewrite the movie Star Wars changing nothing but the wording, that's going to be pretty transparent to a judge. So, you can make a Star Wars story, and as long as it's original, there's nothing they can do.
For titles and names, they use trademarks. These are tricky. Only unique titles can be trademarked. My name is Thomas Myers. There's no way in hell that can be trademarked. I share my name with the creator of the Halloween horror films, at least three renowned doctors and an historically notable lawyer, just to name a few famous Thomas Myers' off the top of my head. Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader: not so common, can probably get a trademark...except people may name their children after these characters. What was unique becomes common.
Finally, your work may fall under the catagory of fanfiction, for which it has been ruled that so long as it does not explicitly copy material, that it may be regarded as transformative to the existing work (much like satire) and as a result, does not fall under the criteria of copyright or trademark infringement. It was Paramount Pictures suing to put a stop to Star Trek fanfiction no less, that lost their suit and got us enthusiasts this wonderful ruling.
Simply put, don't copy what's already there and you should be alright to base a story on it.
Edit: I focused on the Star Wars side because this where some major concern of infringement would be, especially now that it's owned by Nazi Disney Studios.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
author=Tambourin
That isn't quite how it works, because there are elements in tabletop RPGs that are protected and could be grounds for a lawsuit.
Patents are different. There are mechanical processes which were patented as inventions, like the method of letting one player see another in an online 3D server-based game.
author=LockeZauthor=TambourinPatents are different. There are mechanical processes which were patented as inventions, like the method of letting one player see another in an online 3D server-based game.
That isn't quite how it works, because there are elements in tabletop RPGs that are protected and could be grounds for a lawsuit.
Hmm...He's talking about tabletop games. I'm not sure how patents would apply to paper and dice systems. Then again, we're in the area of licensing for the systems we're actually using to make the game. I know I can't sell anything because my copy of RM2K3 came from an abandonware site.
Well, you could always use the Heroes Journey, which was the base of the Star Wars story (as well as many other stories too) and add a sci-fi bent. That's not trademarked in any way, shape or form. Of course this means no sorlaax or Jabba the Hutt... alternatively, you could mis-name everything deliberately.
- Wabba the Butt
- Bookies
- Awox
- Starmaxx
- Bans Yolo
;p
- Wabba the Butt
- Bookies
- Awox
- Starmaxx
- Bans Yolo
;p
Pages:
1
