Dungeons and Dragons (D&DThe latest attempt by )-maker Wizards of the Coast (WotC) to update the decades-old Open Gaming License (OGL) still contains the controversial statement that “Open Gaming License 1.0a is no longer an authorized license”. The news comes after the company’s initial attempt to roll out an OGL update with similar language (and other controversial changes) was welcomed. widespread fan anger and alienation from the creative community.
WotC says this recommended “deauthorization” OGL v1.0a It will not affect any original content published under the previous license since its inception in the early 2000s, and such content will not need to be updated or relicensed to accommodate any new OGL language. However, any published content after that the proposed OGL v1.2 went into effect, could not simply select the previous license instead. as a draft update.
Inside An explanatory post on the D&D Beyond blogKyle Brink, WotC Executive Producer, said that WotC understands this planned decommissioning is a “major concern” to the community. But he added that it is a necessary step to enforce the new OGL’s restrictions on illegal and/or hateful content, including “harmful, discriminatory, unlawful, obscene or harassing conduct” as determined by WotC.
“If someone can choose to post harmful, discriminatory or illegal content under 1.0a, we cannot use the protective options in 1.2,” Brink wrote. He added that providing “an immersive gaming experience” in this way is an “extremely important” goal not included in the original OGL.
Still, it’s still an open question whether WotC has the legal force to completely revoke the previous OGL version. This is because the original OGL contains a clause that clearly states that players “may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License”.
The original OGL doesn’t contain a specific language that says it’s irreversible. But in a FAQ posted when the original OGL was releasedWotC directly says “Even if Wizards makes a change [to the license] If you disagree, you can continue to use an older, acceptable version based on your preference.” A recent interview with desktop gaming site En WorldRyan Dancey, the original OGL architect and former Vice President of WotC, said the company “doesn’t have the authority to deauthorize a version of OGL. If that was a mandate we wanted to reserve for Hasbro, we would list it in the license.”
Coming to the House of Commons
In addition to deauthorizing OGL v1.0a, the new draft language dwarfs many of the most controversial parts of the original leaked update, including enforcing revenue reporting, collecting royalties for the biggest content creators, and forcing a license back to WotC. The new draft language for original content also clearly states that the new license is “perpetual, non-exclusive and irrevocable” and that only a few technical parts may be changed in the future.
D&DThe basic mechanics will be licensable. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)says that WotC “puts no limits on how you use this content”. While this is not entirely true, this license grants a “worldwide, royalty-free, non-sublicensable, non-exclusive, irrevocable license” to said rule content, provided the licensor properly credits WotC for its creation.
for “carefully D&D “Content” published by WotC (for example, classes, spells, monsters and other creative content made by the company), the new license will allow use, modification and distribution with few restrictions. content, as discussed above, draft language blocks anything that violates third-party IP or imply official endorsement by WotC.
A poll that allows the public to comment on this new draft OGL language will be made public on Friday and will be available until February 3, WotC said. Such iteration of the company and feedback “will take as long as it needs … until we get it right,” Brink wrote.
