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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "Christopher J. Liguori" <Christopher_Liguori@*****.PW.COM>
Subject: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 13:31:41 EDT
In the US intelectual property is protected by in three ways; by
copywrite, trademark, or patent.
The same is true in many other countries. Trademark gives the person or
company control over
the use of the word being trademarked within certain limits. Trademarks are
the name of a company
("FASA") or product ( "Awakenings") or concept ("Matrix").
The content of the
sourcebooks is
copywrited, as is everything anyone writes on this list. Copywrite is a more
limited form of protection,
and covers the content of a writen work.

For instance if you sold or even distributed a product called "A Guide to
the Matrix" that related
to Shadowrun (not if it related to math) and FASA disapproved they could try to
stop you from
using the name "Matrix". They would have to show harm (which is more difficult
if the product is
free but far from impossible) and they likely would not for other business
reasons (increases
awareness of the game, keeps hard-core gamers happy, you don't want to look
like jackbooted
thugs keeping the man down :-)

If however you copied a page out the BBB for reference in your game its
not a violation of copywrite.
If you scan it and post it to this list or your webpage then you have violated
the copywrite.

I am a lawyer, and my roommate in law school is now a patent attorney, so
I have some background
in this. Also for the record I am old enough, been a member of this list on
and off (mostly off, unfortunately)
since 1995 and a proud owner of a SR1 hardcover (much used and abused) so sign
me up for the
"retirement" village.

Chris
"I don't need no stinkin' sig" ;-)
Message no. 2
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 16:18:29 -0400
At 01:31 PM 5/12/98 EDT, you wrote:

> I am a lawyer, and my roommate in law school is now a patent
attorney, so
>I have some background
>in this. Also for the record I am old enough, been a member of this list on
>and off (mostly off, unfortunately)
>since 1995 and a proud owner of a SR1 hardcover (much used and abused) so
sign
>me up for the
>"retirement" village.

Welcome to the Respected Elders Relaxation Resort Chris. We could always
use a lawyer. I have a feeling that ol'MC23 will be harassing the
women-folk (perhaps in the back of a old VW bug...) and we'll need a good
lawyer.

Considering how warm that blasted flesh hurler concept made the list, I'm
glad I have a carp/haddock/salmon/tuna protected resort to relax in.

You do the legal, I'll to the PR. Consider yourself on retainer.

Erik J.


Resepected Elders Relaxation Resort, President of Operations
and Director of Activities

"Hey, how about a game of first edition using only the Blue Book?"
Message no. 3
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 01:55:27 +0100
And verily, did Erik Jameson hastily scribble thusly...
|Considering how warm that blasted flesh hurler concept made the list, I'm
|glad I have a carp/haddock/salmon/tuna protected resort to relax in.

Anyone got a storage heater? We could store up all the flame generated to
help protect us from Hypothermia in the cold of winter.....
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| Windows95 (noun): 32 bit extensions and a |
| | graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit |
|Andrew Halliwell | operating system originally coded for a 4 bit |
|Principal Subjects in:- |microprocessor, written by a 2 bit company, that|
|Comp Sci & Electronics | can't stand 1 bit of competition. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ o+ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ |
|5++ X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! :( |
Message no. 4
From: Dark Knight <ddr4@*******.EDU>
Subject: Re: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 22:57:32 -0400
Ok ok, I am back :)

So I think my question was: How much did FASA copyrighted their stuff? Do
they copyrighted all the stuffs about their "future world" (i.e: cyberware,
magic, matrix(tm) world, etc etc)
That's what I really wanted to know.

Okie, cheers!
Dark Knight a.k.a He-who-walks-through-the-darkness-physad



Demetrius Alexander Xystus Dax Dipo Panji Ramadani
http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/ddr4
==============================================================
"True love? Blindfold your eyes, see with your heart. That's
the only way you will find true love"
"All I want to be, is just a candle in the darkness. A flicker
of hope in desperation. A life-bringer.
Message no. 5
From: Katt Freyson <katt@******.NET>
Subject: Re: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 23:31:37 -0400
|> From: Christopher J. Liguori
|> Sent: May 12, 1998 1:32 PM
|> Subject: Trademark and Copyright

|> In the US intelectual property is protected by in three ways; by
|> copywrite, trademark, or patent.

Point of order, the word copywrite does not exist. Copyright is the
correct term. We are talking the copy rights, the copying writing. Perhaps
you are confused by the term Copy Writer, which means someone who writes
copy. Or, you just made a silly error <grin>.

|> If however you copied a page out the BBB for reference in
|> your game its not a violation of copywrite.

Sorry, but I am pretty sure that you are wrong here. Copying a page for
your own personal use is covered under fair use, but if you are including it
in a game, which you would distribute, then it is a violation of the
copyright.

|> I am a lawyer, and my roommate in law school is now a
|> patent attorney, so I have some background

And you repeatedly wrote the word copyright wrong each and every time?

-M
ICQ UIN 3337155
Montreal, Canada
http://www.dsuper.net/~katt
Message no. 6
From: Robert Watkins <robert.watkins@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 13:48:54 +1000
Katt Freyson writes:
>|> If however you copied a page out the BBB for reference in
>|> your game its not a violation of copywrite.
>
> Sorry, but I am pretty sure that you are wrong here. Copying a page
for
>your own personal use is covered under fair use, but if you are including
it
>in a game, which you would distribute, then it is a violation of the
>copyright.


Copying a section (not just a page), for personal use, or for the use of
your gaming group, would fall under the category of fair use. Copying that
section and sticking it on your web page (even if you only told your group
about it, and it didn't have links from anywhere else to get to it)
wouldn't.

--
.sig deleted to conserve electrons. robert.watkins@******.com
Message no. 7
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 00:24:28 EDT
In a message dated 5/12/98 10:45:51 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
katt@******.NET writes:

> |> I am a lawyer, and my roommate in law school is now a
> |> patent attorney, so I have some background
>
> And you repeatedly wrote the word copyright wrong each and every
> time?

Good Point...

> -M

-K :)
Message no. 8
From: Sheldon Rose <scrose@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Trademark and Copyright
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 00:59:17 -0500
>
> Sorry, but I am pretty sure that you are wrong here. Copying a page for
> your own personal use is covered under fair use, but if you are including it
> in a game, which you would distribute, then it is a violation of the
> copyright.

Context of that original statement seemed to be in game use which is
covered under fair use. Just as are character sheets and other assorted
materials of a like nature.

Matter of fact the materials posted on this list also falls under the
protection of assorted copyright laws. Being the collective property
list members who contribute to the list. If someone where to make use of
said materials without the consent of the original author and/or list
admin. They would violate this copyright and be subject to making
restitution. I'm not sure it would be worth the effort unless someone
marketed materials and ideas gathered from this list. But it would stand
up in court for royalties if the need ever arose.

Further Reading

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Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!