Hi1
This is a valid concern (although an old one). Here are the things you
CA NOT DO with GW material:
1. You can NOT use any of their art, no way no how. That's why net epic
cards have "original art". In other words if you made it is yours.
2. You can not reprint any of their material, which includes
backgrounds, etc. Keep in mind that in copyright law (in most countries)
you copyright concrete expressions of things not ideas. We are NOT
permitted to just take the second edition rule of Space marine and scan
them and offer them. You can make your own rules using ideas from
different sources and write it down in your own words and its okay. In
case of net epic we have changed things to a degree that it's our own
product (but we acknowledge the use of terms that belong to GW). They
could object to the use of terms like "land raider" and such, but not to
the rules since they are not the same. However, they do grant you usage
of the terms as long as you acknowledge their rights (which we do).
In summary net epic stay within limits of what's "legal". Keep in mind
the copyright law has many holes in it and usually it is "he with the
most money" that prevails and not "he who is in the right".
I ran this by a lawyer friend once and he said we were "okay" provided
suitable disclaimers and great care in not using any art or direct
copies of their material. This was once a great concern but has stopped
being one long ago. Remember even GW is linked to our website and
believe me if they ANY reservation they would have expressed them a long
time ago.
This is why I always ask for original fiction, pictures and even making
our own background (with our own changes). All these keep us in safe
ground.
Also don't worry about Epic A and any perceived competition since we
were around with epic40k and nothing ever happened then either. It seems
by what second hand commentary other members have told me regarding what
Jervis and others think about Net Epic is positive and we promote epic
rather than hurt it.
Net epic is a good thing all around.
Peter
-----Original Message-----
From: Jarreas Underwood [mailto:jarreas_at_...]
Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2002 9:51 AM
To: netepic_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [NetEpic ML] Comments about the New Version of NetEpic
>I've always wondered what sort of stipulations GW placed on NetEpic. I
was
>worried that adapting rules from EA might be enough for GW to close
NetEpic
>down. Which would be a shame. I don't know if that is something that
would
>need to be checked or not.
>
>MrFlibble
I've wondered that myself. I don't know, and I'm reasonably certain that
if
they're contacted we'll be given the official line of: "You can't use
our
ideas." I'm of the opinion that if we acknowledge that all the concepts
are
theirs, and we never ever try to sell anything, they'll gratiously
ignore
us. The "don't make waves" theory of intellectual theft - as long as
we're
actively spreading interest in the 40k universe without cutting into
their
profits, they'll leave us alone.
Also, I've seen an incredible number of web pages dedicated to 40k, with
copies of the rules, most of the codexes and tons of fluff taken
directly
from published GW material. They're much more on the grey side of
intellectual theft than we are, and as long as they're around I'm not
all
that worried about Net Epic getting shut down. It's when all the private
sites start to dissappear that we need to worry - like all the D&D sites
when TSR got on it's high horse.
I'm not sure how the new Epic Armageddon will affect this, as we may be
seen as direct competition. I hope not, but this is GW - you never can
tell
which way they'll jump. Peter, you've been in much more contact with GW
folks than I have - how do you see things?
-Yar
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Received on Sat Jun 01 2002 - 14:40:56 UTC