Rights to use Forgotten Realms material

**msd** · March 9th, 2005, 23:54

I have a quick IP question about the status of FR material.

Has WoTC made any of the Forgotten Realms stuff available at all through d20 or otherwise?

Basically, what I want to do (and make available publicly since I believe it would be of use to others) is to make a custom rule sheet that has all the FGCS feats.

Anyone know the status of this? BTW, if Elric is reading this, has WoTC made the AD&D stuff part of the public domain? How are we (meaning you...you did all the work

) allowed to post that stuff...or are we? I only ask because the situation seems analogous.

(Not to be rude, but I am a law student, have taken IP, and understand IP law so I am not looking for an IP primer, but rather an answer as to the legal status of the property. Really, I'm not trying to be a jerk.)

**msd** · March 10th, 2005, 14:37

*bump*

No one knows the answer to this?

**Art Wendorf** · March 10th, 2005, 15:40

I'll give a quick post so you don't think everyone is ignoring you...

Nope. No clue. I ain't called Doc_Klueless for nuthin', :lol:

**msd** · March 10th, 2005, 15:42

Originally Posted by Art Wendorf

I'll give a quick post so you don't think everyone is ignoring you...

Nope. No clue. I ain't called Doc_Klueless for nuthin', :lol:

LOL. Thanks. :lol:

**richvalle** · March 10th, 2005, 15:45

Well heck. I thought my silence was showing my ignorance but I can put it out there for everyone to see.

Nope. Absolutly no idea. I do know they have a 3.5 version of FR though.

r 'clueless' v

Oh and btw... welcome back Art! Glad to see RL has let you go for a while.

**Thore_Ironrock** · March 11th, 2005, 01:40

Originally Posted by msd

I have a quick IP question about the status of FR material.

Has WoTC made any of the Forgotten Realms stuff available at all through d20 or otherwise?

The answer to this is a big whopping *NO* with a cherry on top!

FR is one of their most trademarked properties, since way back to the TSR days. I would not touch this one with a 10 foot orc. If there was ever a protected property in this business, it's the Forgotten Realms.

The bottom line is unless it's in the SRD, or the OGL statement of the published products indicates open content, it is to be considered closed content. Even if a published product indicates open content, the polite thing would be to ask the publisher for the right to use the material unless it is strictly for personal use -- and even then that's tough line to cross when it comes to the Internet and such.

Hope this helps.

- Thore

**msd** · March 11th, 2005, 02:25

Originally Posted by Thore_Ironrock

Originally Posted by msd

I have a quick IP question about the status of FR material.

Has WoTC made any of the Forgotten Realms stuff available at all through d20 or otherwise?

The answer to this is a big whopping *NO* with a cherry on top!

FR is one of their most trademarked properties, since way back to the TSR days. I would not touch this one with a 10 foot orc. If there was ever a protected property in this business, it's the Forgotten Realms.

The bottom line is unless it's in the SRD, or the OGL statement of the published products indicates open content, it is to be considered closed content. Even if a published product indicates open content, the polite thing would be to ask the publisher for the right to use the material unless it is strictly for personal use -- and even then that's tough line to cross when it comes to the Internet and such.

Hope this helps.

- Thore

So, I assume the AD&D stuff is off limits as well...the AD&D rules were never released as part of the SRD were they?

**CMP Mynex** · March 11th, 2005, 05:12

Originally Posted by msd

I have a quick IP question about the status of FR material.
Has WoTC made any of the Forgotten Realms stuff available at all through d20 or otherwise?

The short & long answer to FR and OD&D, AD&D, 2nd Ed and anything NOT _explicitly_ listed in the SRD & RSRD is not just no, but in legalese "Hell Effin No" *grin*

Seriously, if it's not in the SRD, RSRD, or MSRD (3.0, 3.5, & modern respectively) then you can not touch it without a licensing agreement in any capacity.

Uhrm... strange... CMP has a licensing agreement....

*wanders away whistling*

(there's a reason I'm the #1 Evil Monkey :twisted: )

**NeoDante** · March 12th, 2005, 08:02

Originally Posted by CMP Mynex

Uhrm... strange... CMP has a licensing agreement....

*wanders away whistling*

(there's a reason I'm the #1 Evil Monkey :twisted: )[/quote]

:lol: BAD MONKEY! BAD!

**Sargond** · March 13th, 2005, 13:04

And that is why some of the lowly simians "love" him so.... :P :wink:

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