Draft Developer's Pack Posted

[MongooseMatt]

Hi guys,

The draft SRD and Logo Licence for BF Evo can now be found on the World at War page.

If you are interested in producing material for BF Evo, have a look at let us know if you spot any potential problems.

All going well, we will go live in a week or two!

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

I looked through it to try and find any possible quirks and to make sure I understood it correctly.

From Acceptance Form:

the right to produce role-playing products based upon the Battlefield Evolution game system

Shouldn’t this be “the right to produce English language gaming books and miniatures products” to match the logo license?

From Logo License:

Products produced under this agreement may not reproduce or change, in any form, the following sections from the SRD; Units, Game Turn, Move Actions, Shoot Actions, Charge Actions, Ready Actions, Reactions. Readers may be referred to these sections in one of the Battlefield Evolution rulebooks (as shown in points 10 and 11).

So to clarify, the SRD simply includes this stuff as a reference for publishers. Right?
Also, the advanced rules, sample army list, etc, are not mentioned here. Does that mean this specific data is permissible to reuse?

From SRD v1.0:
Minor quibbles in the sample army list: The infantry carry the M4, but no stats are provided for that weapon. You have the M16A4 instead. Oh, and “F-35A Joint Strike Fighter – 7280 points” ?
The Open Gaming License specifies WizKids? Is that the way it is legally supposed to be, or does it have to be changed to say Mongoose Publishing?

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark.

Does this mean that if I wish to create a supplement for Modern Combat, I have to work up a separate agreement with Mongoose in order to add “For use with Battlefield Evolution: Modern Combat” to my book, or does the “independent Agreement” refer to the logo license?

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

So, every product-book or miniature package-must include these quotes:

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Battlefield Evolution System Reference Document Copyright © 2008, Mongoose Publishing.

and

Battlefield Evolution” and the Battlefield Evolution logo are copyright 2008 Mongoose Publishing Ltd, and are used with permission. Battlefield Evolution rulebooks are available from Mongoose Publishing.

And the second one must be included in any marketing, to include on a company website. Is this all correct?

 

[Agis]

I am also confused with the Wizards OGL and the Mongoose Logo License. :?:

Are these seperate things?
Can I decide to produce a book under the OGL OR the Logo License?

 

[MongooseMatt]

Acceptance Form - good catch, that is why we have the dry run

Logo Licence - As far as the Logo Licence is concerned, yes, those chapters are simply for reference and to let publishers use specific terms. You are free to do what you will with Advanced Rules, etc. The objective here is to make sure everything with a BF Evo logo on it follows the same core rules - play one, and you know how to play them all.

SRD - army list tweaks will be made.

Product Identity - BF Evo does not use any Product Identity, as defined by the OGL. The Logo Licence covers this.

Quotes - your assumptions are correct.


The OGL and Logo Licence (LL) are indeed two different things.

You can use the OGL as you see fit. However, if you want a sense of officialdom with the BF Evo logo, then you also need to use the LL. If you use the LL, you are using the OGL by default!

 

[Agis]

Logo Licence - As far as the Logo Licence is concerned, yes, those chapters are simply for reference and to let publishers use specific terms. You are free to do what you will with Advanced Rules, etc. The objective here is to make sure everything with a BF Evo logo on it follows the same core rules - play one, and you know how to play them all.

Makes a lot of sense to me and assures at least a bit of compatibility.

The OGL and Logo Licence (LL) are indeed two different things.

You can use the OGL as you see fit. However, if you want a sense of officialdom with the BF Evo logo, then you also need to use the LL. If you use the LL, you are using the OGL by default!

Maybe I finally get it. :!:
So the OGL is by default used if a product is published based on the Developer Pack.
The Logo License is just another, higher step.

:idea:
Benefit: My product is immediately recognizable as a Battlefield Evolution compatible product via the Logo use.
Restriction: I have to stay within the guidelines of the Battlefield Evolution Logo Licence 1.0a.
Right?

Which leads me to my final questions:
1 - So under both ways (OGL and LL) the content is open and no individual copyright is possible?
2 - Has the text of the Wizards OGL to be included in a document that will be published under the Logo License?

 

[MongooseMatt]

So the OGL is by default used if a product is published based on the Developer Pack.
The Logo License is just another, higher step.

Correct.

Benefit: My product is immediately recognizable as a Battlefield Evolution compatible product via the Logo use.
Restriction: I have to stay within the guidelines of the Battlefield Evolution Logo Licence 1.0a.
Right?

Right!

Which leads me to my final questions:
1 - So under both ways (OGL and LL) the content is open and no individual copyright is possible?
2 - Has the text of the Wizards OGL to be included in a document that will be published under the Logo License?

1. The content is Open both ways - you still retain copyright, however. The OGL just makes it copyleft, for want of a better word. You are allowing others to use it.

2. Yes - and look up (Google) the importance of section 15. Basically, everyone adds to it if they use each other's material. Some D20 books had a very, very long section 15!

 

[Agis]

Section 15: So the OGL requires that I state all copyright notices from other licensee's content I am copying, modifying or distributing.
The license notice itself must be altered by adding all copyright notices of other products to the Section 15 part of the license, right?

So if I copy from licensee A and B, I have to state the copyright notices of A and B in section 15.
(Now I understand why some has sooo long section 15s ...)

If I am only using material from the BF:Evo SRD and my own IP I do not have to alter section 15, or?

 

[MongooseMatt]

[
If I am only using material from the BF:Evo SRD and my own IP I do not have to alter section 15, or?

You should add your work's title to the bottom of section 15. If someone then comes along and uses, say, a tank from your book, then they will be adding their title to the bottom of the list as well - and the list grows and grows. . .

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

So once we publish something under the Logo License, anybody is allowed to use our material in their own publications?

 

[MongooseMatt]

So once we publish something under the Logo License, anybody is allowed to use our material in their own publications?

That is correct - so long as they follow the same rules of the OGL.

 

[Rabidchild]

Any news on this? Revisions, release date? -exciting-

 

[MongooseMatt]

Any news on this? Revisions, release date? -exciting-

Just waiting for a tweaked logo, and we are good to go!

 

[Agis]

Any news on this? Revisions, release date? -exciting-

Just waiting for a tweaked logo, and we are good to go!

YES!!!! Soon... 8)

 

[mutantpoo]

Unless I missed it somehow is V/STOL not part of the pack ?

 

[Agis]

Unless I missed it somehow is V/STOL not part of the pack ?

Hmmmm
I looked up the SRD file. It is mentioned in the advanced rules.

But it is indeed missing in the Air Units section. (Scratch, scratch...)
:idea:
@Matt: Is the SRD based on the WaW document? Since we have no loiter units in WaW, we left it out...

 

[Rabidchild]

I have a question about the SRD and the Logo License. Point 12 of the Logo License says:

12. Products produced under this agreement may not reproduce or change, in any form, the following sections from the SRD; Units, Game Turn, Move Actions, Shoot Actions, Charge Actions, Ready Actions, Reactions. Readers may be referred to these sections in one of the Battlefield Evolution rulebooks (as shown in points 10 and 11).

So am I reading it correctly that we cannot print any of the first 8 pages of the SRD if we want to use the logo license? I am confused because the SRD includes portions of Units, Game Turn, Move Actions, Shoot Actions, Charge Actions, Ready Actions and Reactions and states they are Open Content.

Am I reading something incorrectly here? Any clarification would be much appreciated.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Remember, the OGL is different from the logo licence - the latter, we can put additional stipulations on.

The reason for this, incidentally, is to ensure that all products with the BF Evo logo will be compatible with each other - learn to play one, you know how to play them all!

 

[Agis]

IMO: Units, Game Turn, Move Actions, Shoot Actions, Charge Actions, Ready Actions, Reactions are not to be changed under the Logo License.

But - check out Apocalypse Z, you can realise almost every change with clever use of traits and advanced rules!

 

[Rabidchild]

Great, thanks for the quick reply! I was wondering if it was for compatibility. Cheers guys.