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Re: Realmz: copyright fight? was enouth ideas....

 A post from the TSR Online Coordinator....
 > Maybe I'm coming in late on this, but it looks like AOL 
 > has caved to TSR.
      
      Actually, when AOL was informed of the problem, AOL's lawyers decided 
 to hide the Realmz software until Realmz's legal status was cleared; this
 was done without any pressure from TSR - AOL wished to avoid any possible
 accusations of complicity with Fantasoft regarding possible copyrigth
 violations - if Realmz was ruled to be in violation of TSR's copyrights,
 AOL could be held responsible for distributing illegally copied
 copyrighted material.
      
      Again, AOL came to this conclusion independantly, without any request 
 from TSR.
      
 > It's ok for them to take most of their original ideas from 
 > books like Tolkien's, but I guess it's not ok for Realmz to 
 > take inspiration from those same sources.  
      
      If you recall, Tolkien based much of his work on folklore.  TSR based 
 their game on similar folklore.  Tolkien did file suit against TSR for the
 use of an actual Tolkien creation (the hobbit), not for the use of
 "elves," "dwarves," etc.
      
 > Anybody know just what TSR is objecting to? 
      
      Mainly copyright violations - spell structure and artwork.
 Unfortunately, I'm one of the people who has to investigate the game,
 so I'll be the one digging through it.  :/
 -- 
 Sean Reynolds, TSR Online Coordinator
 TSRinc@aol.com | AOL: keyword TSR | http://users.aol.com/tsrinc/
 "If I was John, and you were Yoko, I would gladly give up musical genius,
  Just to have you as my very own ... personal Venus."
     'Be My Yoko Ono,' Barenaked Ladies