RE: (TFT) Copyright discussion-Lawrence Lessig

[Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>]

Message text written by INTERNET:tft@brainiac.com
>>>     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.  

If someone puts out a game as good or better than TFT I'd certainly be
willing, but nothing I've seen has convinced me to switch yet. 

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

I agree, but I think that's mainly because everyone who would play TFT
instead of GURPS is playing BESM.

>>>     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.

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

I defintely agree that he should be paid. I just wish I knew how much! 

But I would also think that he would realize that the longer he waits, the
less likely anyone will pay him and the less they will be worth. So I would
think that the sooner he sells, the more money would get. 

How have your efforts to buy the rights gone? 

>>>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.

I think your being quite generous to the system. It still smells like D&D
to me. Though your right that with their marketing, they seem to be the
only company that can afford to Open Liscence a game. 

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

I dont think so either. 

But I think the point he brings up is that our copyright laws are *not*
carved into stone tablets. That they can be changed and maybe should be
changed to reflect the reality of today's real-world use of intellectual
property over the internet. 

As I've mentioned before (and you can see if you go to any store that sells
Japanse products) the Japanese recognize that there is a certain "rights"
allowed to fans of a product that the copyright owner has no control over.
In japan we *could* print and sell very small runs of the TFT rules. 

Anyway, while it doesn't *directly* relate to TFT, I thought it might be
interesting food for discussion. And I can see it was. 

Michael 
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"