sauromatian wrote:'Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause, empowers the United States Congress:"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."'The key phrase being "for limited Times," which originally was just a few years for an author's copyright.
For example, "useful Arts" does not refer to artistic endeavors, but rather to the work of artisans, people skilled in a manufacturing craft; "Science" is not limited to fields of modern scientific inquiry, but to all knowledge, including philosophy and literature.
Mars wrote:Is Mickey Mouse considered an "artistic endeavor" or a piece of "knowledge"?
mbassoc2003 wrote:So, are you saying if someone discovered a cure for cancer, and they patented the process of creating the ensime or initiating the molecular bond, they should then be permitted to have the rights and limit the use and distribution of all cancer care for all time?
Basil Barrett wrote:Be patient guys, I have to feed my kids, teach my dance lessons, spend time with my partner before I shuffle off to oblivion.... Making vasts piles of cash is hardly my highest priority or TS! would never have been published in the way that we chose to do it. Isn't it enough to know that we're still alive???
all of the authors of the TS! articles/scenarios/solos etc. are known to me personally in the event of permissions being required - there's only one written contribution that I think might pose a problem with tracing author.
Mars wrote:One simple question. If Ian released this project today, would you buy it?
Mars wrote:Who says every fan, or Joe Blow on the street that wants to pump out merchandise has the "best interest" at heart? You are not going to get a consensus on who has the "best interest" so who should decide what happens? Obviously, according to you, the answer would be "the richest guy with the most expensive lawyers, fuck the fans who have been buying the stuff for decades." Mars wrote:and lower the time period to which it gets released if you are not "active" (in using the copyright character).Again thanks for supporting my point. These characters were not being actively used and would have fallen into the public domain earlier under what I proposed. This is very different from a company that is actively using the character.
BadMike wrote:I think the best thing would be if you didn't purchase any product that Ian puts out.Thanks for your concern for my well being but unfortunately, I'm hoping to get some other projects underway with Ian.
Glad my $400+ of support could help you guys out in the con's infancy. Now that its up and going I guess its easy to be kicked aside. No worries, I probably can't afford the inflation on NTRPG merchandise this year ($10 first year, $20 second year, $30 this year?)
mbassoc2003 wrote:In your untopia, presumably all football viewing rights, and all rights to play and/or discuss the game would be owned by one corporation.
mbassoc2003 wrote:The whole problem in the UK is that publishers refuse to publish in a user friendly manner. They don't get that they have to sell the buyer what he wants to buy, at the correct price and at a suitable quality in order to be successfull. For too long companies (particularly in the UK) have been publishing low quality sh!t written by unimaginative cannon fodder, and editted and typeset by some of the most illiterate and poorly educated publishing staff they can find.
Versimilitude wrote:What utter rubbish. So if somone publishes a game you like but you consider too expensive then its OK to rip it off?
Versimilitude wrote:Many UK rpg publishers provide a free pdf with a purchased hardcopy, if you buy at a convention or from their website.
Versimilitude wrote:You only contacted Basil because *I* got his email address for you. You claimed to have been looking for it for 2 years - finding it took me less than 2 weeks. Where did you look for it Ian, in your back garden? Under the table? I bet you were really disappointed when I sent it to you.
Basil Barrett wrote:Errr, slow down a bit here boys Nobody's said that this project or something very much like it won't go ahead - well not me anyway - it's just that I've been out of the loop a long time and apart from some initial discussions with Ian (that ended in a lost contact only just re-established) had no real idea of what and when was even being discussed. As soon as I can grab some time I'll talk through some possible ways forward with Ian and we'll see what can be done.I can't possibly even read, let alone reply to, all of the individual points, questions and bullshit that has been raised on this. Can I just say that all of the authors of the TS! articles/scenarios/solos etc. are known to me personally in the event of permissions being required - there's only one written contribution that I think might pose a problem with tracing author. The CDM series is not currently under discussion (athough Allen and Judith are both also aware that the idea has been discussed).Be patient guys, I have to feed my kids, teach my dance lessons, spend time with my partner before I shuffle off to oblivion.... Making vasts piles of cash is hardly my highest priority or TS! would never have been published in the way that we chose to do it. Isn't it enough to know that we're still alive???
mbassoc2003 wrote:The games industry has been stagnent in the UK for more than a decade now, with practically zero emerging tallent.