On Sat, 2005-08-27 at 12:01 -0700, Sean Kellogg wrote: > But the text is an embodiment of the expression of the game...
Is it? If I take, for example, the experience progression tables from the d20 system I can easily determine that they use a simple mathematical formula. I can extract this formula and then use to it produce my own tables for experience. Clearly, in this case, the text is not the embodiment of the game. I would imagine it depends on what you define a game mechanic to be. > Well, the industry is very much of the opinion that it is copyrightable... > so > absent case law or clear statutory language to the contrary, I'm having a > tough time believing they are not copyrightable. In these instances, > industry custom carries a lot of weight. I would point you to games such as Tunnels and Trolls, Warhammer FRP and others which closely mimic the rules of Dungeons and Dragons and have been published for years within the industry. The industry has a long history of copying rules from other games and, is in fact reliant on the sharing of game mechanics and concepts (dice pools, alignment, attributes, etc). Wizard's of the Coast do not constitute the industry. > But a math formula is not original expression, nor is it an original idea > (which is why it's not protectable under patent law either). As for recipes, > yes, they are copyrighted. I understood mere lists of ingredients were not copyrightable unless "accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook."[1] > As a broader point... the line that distinguishes ideas from expression (and > thus copyright law from patent law) is anything but clear. I would agree there is no clear legal precedent here, one way or the other. [1] http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html -- Ricardo Gladwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
