RE: (TFT) Copyright discussion-Lawrence Lessig

["rsmith" <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>]

Hi Michael,
	I read what lawrence said about copyright and scanned
much of the other threads on this link.

	I agree that copyright should be for a limited
duration, and the Mickey Mouse Protection act just helps
big business.

	However, regardless if copyright is for 50 years,
or 75 years, TFT is still a long way off before you could
reasonably claim that copyright has expired and it is in
the public domain.

	Howard Thompson owns TFT and if you want to use it
he should be paid.


	I agree with those that say, dump TFT and use another
quick and fast game system if Howard Th. is not willing to
accept a reasonable sum for this long dead game.  Every
year that goes by means that TFT is worth less.  On top of
that, when TFT came out, D&D was an ugly slug.  Now the
D&D d20 system is actually playable and since it is owned
by the Hasbro / Mattel / Avalon Hill / Parker brothers /
Wizards of the Coast monopoly D&D will have a marketing in
that small game companies will never match.

	GURPS captures the many supplements / game universes
with one rule set market nitch.  Gaining the Traveller
franchise will grab another large set of gamers for SJG.

	TFT would have a giant problem trying to make a
profit in today's market.


	Howard Th. originally asked for ~$250,000 for the
rights to TFT (if I remember long past threads correctly).
At the time, TFT was close to edging out Runequest for the
#2 market share in roleplaying games. (I have heard that
TFT did have the #2 slot, but that may have been Metagaming
propaganda...)

	At the time, TFT was the strongest game system about
(in my humble opinion).  It had a superior rules, it had
many fans, it had some good supplements and some so-so ones.

	However it was NOT worth $250,000.  No one paying that
much could ever expect to make back their money.

	Soon after Metagaming went under, the wargaming market
dried up. The roleplaying market shrank to 1/3 its 1978 size.
I think that after asking for such a huge sum, Howard Th.
thinks that getting a couple thousand dollars from a hobbyist
who just wants to keep the TFT system in print as a joke.
What is more it would be an admission that his original price
was way too high.

	The easiest thing for Howard Th. to do is wait for
someone to come up with some gigantic figure ($20,000 us funds
for example), and if no one does, then just sit on the TFT
rights.

	That is why I think that we will never see TFT be
republished.  (At least for another 55 years.)


	Support other game systems if you want new published
material.  I've invented my own rules and adventures for years
and won't be changing any time soon, so I'll stick with TFT.
But I don't ever expect to see new material for it.


	Rick


-----Original Message-----
From: tft-owner@brainiac.com [mailto:tft-owner@brainiac.com]On Behalf Of
Michael Taylor
Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 5:03 PM
To: TFT Mailing List
Subject: (TFT) Copyright discussion-Lawrence Lessig


Lawrence Lessig is one of the sanest proponents to copyright law I know. In
other words, he happens to agree with my views. Slashdot recently posed 10
questions to him and I think the questions and his answers are a great way
to view the current arguments about copyright. Here's the link:
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/12/21/155221&mode=thread

Michael
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