Coda netbook - would there be legal problems?

[KillerWhale]

Hi all,

I'm beginning to pile up quite a lot of Coda material I designed; new equipment, house rules, ship classes, new maneuvers...

None of this is written in good english understandable by any other than me

But the thought has crossed my mind to make a netbook with these.

But I recall that in the LUG days, there has been a similar netbook, that apparently violated some copyright rules.

Since I don't want to break any copyright rules, or to go against the interest of the STRPG staff (or to work for seeing my material immediatley banned ), I'd like to know why the LUG netbook had been banned - so as not to repeat whatever mistakes were made.

What am I allowed - and not allowed - to do exactly?

Thanks!

[KillerWhale]

Err... Hi?

Just a little message to revive this thread, in case it hasn't be noticed... Is there really no information available at all on this subject?

Thanks a bunch for any help!

[Yamakawa]

You're best bet would be to email Decipher and ask directly. A would assume that there will be some restrictions.

[KillerWhale]

Hmm... Yes, why not. But somehow I fear their answer will be straightforward, like:

"No, you can't write anything that is Star-Trek-RPG-wise, because we own the license and only us can publish anything, period."

You know, typical company answer (and I understand the need for these answers - otherwise it's an open door for various abuses of company goodwill).

That's why I'd like to ask this board (and especially the game developers) what exactly can and cannot be done (and what infringement did the LUGTrek netbook do precisely) in a netbook. I know the answer has more nuance than "you can't do anyhting"...

I don't want to step on anybody's toes. I like ST, I like the RPG, I think the developers did a terrific job, and I don't want to go against anyone's interets...

[Dan Gurden]

I think the netbook you were mentioning was something else.

In the early days, someone (I dont know who), took all the information on this web-site and posted it in a netbook. All without permission.

That was where the problem lay.

I think that , as long as all the information you have is your own work, and no text is copied or printed from the main rulebook, that you have as much right to post a netbook (of your own stuff) as you have to type it up in the first place.

As Yamakawa says, best to check with Decipher, either Doug or Don (in his capacity as freelance writer and this site owner) would be the best people to answer here.

Alternatively, submit the stuff to Don to post on this site and beat the rush for CODA support material here (Real-Life Permitting)...

[Eric R.]

Well so far my effort at making a FASA to CODA SRM has not been condemmed by the powers that be. Knock on wood. I have decided to leave out the Constitution class as seen in the series and movies and printed up in the Decipher book instead doing one on the April/Pike era That should skirt that potential problem before it becomes one.

Since the book has no commercial value what so ever I doubt it would be a problem to the lawyers. However if I was working on say a LUG to CODA SRM then we get into trouble as decipher has the rights to make those ships over in the new system. The FASA ships on the other hand are dead no one is going to officially touch them again with FASA gone and Paramount banning any offical work on them.

When the book is done I will be turning it over to Don to use as he sees fit. If he wants to break it apart and offer the ships individually throwing the front and back matter out that will be his option and will be easy to do in the word format I am using.

[KillerWhale]

Hi all,

Thanks a lot for your answers. Yes, all material is mine - although some of it has been reviewed on this board and I took into account some nice advice on it. Of course, I won't forget to thank the board

I'll pm Don directly - and let you know what his answer was, if he has the time to answer.

Thanks all

[Doug Burke]

One of the main problems (IIRC) with the Icon netbook from back in the early days was that it used copyrighted material (mostly images) without permission.

[KillerWhale]

Thanks Doug; that would explain it, indeed. Of course I don't intend to do so in my netbook... (If I have the time to write it, of course )

[Don Mappin]

I can't give any advice on this matter because I frankly don't know. Perhaps Doug can ask since he is the official NetRep.

My question would be one of why? Why a netbook of only your material? Is it that good? Is it going to be so fantastically laid out that it needs to be a PDF? What is the reasoning, or do you just want to see your name in lights. In a very short order we'll be updating TrekRPGNet to accept new submissions, including Coda. Why wouldn't you want your material on the most popular Trek RPG site on the Net?

It always bugs me when people want to recreate stuff in a niche market. Rather than distribute all the cool RPG stuff amongst several sites, lets leverage them together at one awesomely-cool site! Then people can go to one place to pick up their stuff.

I doubt anyone realizes the type of power that TrekRPGNet wields because of you, the consumers. Our collective mass means I get phone calls from Decipher asking us for help. Would you like to see "x" product? How would this go over?

Split us up over several sites and this all goes away. Something to think about...

I apologize for the mini-rant. Best of luck on your work!

[KillerWhale]

Hi Don,

And thanks for answering, and for the pointer.

I don't know how to say it, so here goes: Don, I like the time you put in this, in answering us, and I like your work. But assuming people are megalomaniac, that their work may not be interesting, and that they are too stupid to understand marketing basics can be really unnerving, and wounding. I believe it was not your intent, but your words here have gotten me jumping.

-- RANT MODE ON --
You have been warned

No, my work is just horse waste, and my megalomania is so vast it even outranks Dukat's. That's why there will be written my name on every page, with colors and funky fonts, but in there there will only be my work, because it's so cheap I don't want anybody else to outsmart me. And, oh yeah, I'll only put it on my site, I'm too afraid to submit it to you because I know you'll reject it.

-- RANT MODE OFF --

Aw, come on.

To answer your questions calmly.

I am speaking of a netbook with my material because, as I stated above, I frankly don't know when - or if - I'll be able to even write it in correct English. So I would hate to ask other people's material, only to have them wait forever until I have some time to put in it. Moreover, I'd like some coherence, because I have some personal opinions on the Trekverse.

Now, is the thing terrific? Dunno. Guess the reader will have to decide on this one.

So why do I want a PDF? I guess I am reasoning using my own system, but, aren't we all. When I'm looking for stuff for the RPG, I don't like to have to save just every web page and image, or to print it if I want to save it for later. I like to download stuff I can review later. I like to have work presented in a neat way. I like to put time in what I care for, RPGing for instance, and I don't like HTML layout, which never prints as well as PDF.

Since that's me, that's how I want to do things. Not so sure though now I want to bother at all. Seems I unintentionally kick an ant's nest here.

I perfectly realize the power of TrekRPG net, since I've been a long time customer of ICON, then CODA, I've been a member of the TrekRPG ML when it existed and I love your work. I never intended to put my stuff only on my site, which is more than under construction for now; for instance some trek webmasters were kind enough to put it online here and there. If you ever find my stuff interesting, I would be delighted.

As for the "only one site" approach, I understand its power, but I think this is risky. If this one site collapses, everything collapses.

And no, I don't want my name in lights. I have other outlets to let my megalomania express itself , and I never intended to even write my own name in this if it ever sees the light of day, only my nickname.

My turn to apologize for the mini-rant, but I'm just a fan, looking for guidance so as not to infringe any copyrights, not to eat the Decipher staff bread, just wanting to share some stuff I came up with. Your remarks are really harsh for someone who just wants to respect the rights of the company and people whom work he loves.

EDIT: I've seen your time online is limited, so don't waste time answering this; I think we both made our points. I suggest we move on, and I look forward to communicating with you on more RPG-related topics. Friends?

[Don Mappin]

Originally posted by KillerWhale
My turn to apologize for the mini-rant, but I'm just a fan, looking for guidance so as not to infringe any copyrights, not to eat the Decipher staff bread, just wanting to share some stuff I came up with. Your remarks are really harsh for someone who just wants to respect the rights of the company and people whom work he loves.

EDIT: I've seen your time online is limited, so don't waste time answering this; I think we both made our points. I suggest we move on, and I look forward to communicating with you on more RPG-related topics. Friends?

Never thought otherwise.

For the record, my "questions" were ones aimed at you to only make you think. I wasn't really asking them and I wasn't really concerned with the answers. More of a "have you thought this through all the way" type question for your own benefit.

As such, you unloaded on me when, quite frankly, you have my full support to do your own NetBook. Good luck, regardless of where the material shows up, what you think of me, TrekRPGNet, or anything else. You took my entire message in the wrong context and far too personally.

If I never write another word for Decipher or RPGs--ever--I won't care one wit. That's time better-spent getting yelled at in public on message boards.

[AllenS]

As an old-timer, I was around when the original LUGTrek netbook was done. It was done because we were so happy to have a Star Trek RPG again that LUG simply could not put out supplements fast enough for us. We wanted stuff RIGHT THEN; stats for Klingons, ships that hadn't been done yet, stats for the TV characters, conversion systems, etc..and we unloaded it all on the mailing list. The Netbook was a compilation of tons of fan material submitted by a lot of people. It did contain unauthorized images, which as stated is one reason it went away. Another was that after a time, we didn't need it anymore; the 'official' stuff was coming out and Don had put all or most of the Netbook's contents on this site.

Please do not take this wrong, but if there were going to be another Netbook, I would prefer it to be like the original (minus the images), and be a compilation of a lot of people's material.
Your campaign is your campaign, and you have your own ideas about Star Trek and all that, and that's as it should be. I doubt seriously if I would use any of it; others might feel differently. I don't think there is a legal reason you couldn't, however.

Allen

[chroniton33]

admiral i was wondering if it is alright to use meshes downloaded off the internet in ship pdfs as long as the artist name and banner were part of the picture. i recently started designing ships using coda rules and have been loading them into my yahoo coda group

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by chroniton33
admiral i was wondering if it is alright to use meshes downloaded off the internet in ship pdfs as long as the artist name and banner were part of the picture. i recently started designing ships using coda rules and have been loading them into my yahoo coda group

hehe, I know this one from experience.

Yes. Its alright to use them for personal use, and even post them to the website.

AS LONG AS YOU OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE ARTIST.

Many dont care as long as credit is given, hence the name and credits on the picture, many will happily offer the use if asked. But a few have been plagerised and had their work abused and get very, VERY upset if the work is used without permission, even if credit is given...

And in submitting the smae stuff to this site, Last time I submitted something that wasn't from the public domain, I got an email checking that the picture supplied was used with permission... Which I had to send my email that gave me permission to back it up.

So yes, use these guys pictures. Many of them are beuties. But get permission in writing first. It costs nothing to show these guys the courtesy that you obviously intend on doing by including their credits.

As an additional motivator, some guys even give you more. For example, the Venture bridge pictures I use. The artist sent me specially credited pictures, and a set of 'red alert' lighting views to use as well...