From:	"Steven A. Tinner" <bluewizard@*****.COM>
Subject:	Re: [Legal] Card ideas
Date:	Thu, 25 Sep 1997 14:09:34 -0400

>> What kind of legal issues would FASA have to deal with if they wanted
>> to publish a card that was posted on this list?
>
>Good question. I'll ask Skuzzy or Jim about that when they get back.

If current state of the TCG industry says anything, then you really don't
have much to worry about.
Look at Magic the Gathering. Fans make up TONS of their own cards. Scrye
Magazine even publishes the things in every issue.

AFAIK - FASA would need to ask for permission if the card were not already
their "intellectual property"
For example - just because I make an Ares MP Laser card, does NOT mean that
FASA needs my permission to make one too.
Even if theirs has the same benefits as the one I came up with, the original
Ares MP was their "Intellectual Property" and as such, I had no legal basis
for making the card for anything other than fun.

Now, if I make a runner card named Bull, and give him some really neat
special ability like "Turn Bull to destroy any gear or location, then the
issue becomes trickier.
I would assume that to produce an exact duplicate of this card, FASA would
need my permission IF I marked the material as being copyright me.

Overall, I don't expect to see this as a major issue.

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://www.ncweb.com/users/bluewizard
"My ex-girlfriends, they don't like me, but they should/'Cause I'm the
reason that the new guy looks so good." - "Get It Right Someday" by the
Gear
Daddies