Quote
Originally posted by Lorenoth:
**In a way everything is plagiarizm, because it's nearly impossible to come up with something totally uninfluenced by previous things..
**
" pla-gia-rize vb (1716): to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: use (a created production) without crediting the source ~ : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source -"
as Webster teaches us, not everything is plagiarism. it's only plagiarism if you don't credit the origional source. Copyright infringement is another matter entirely.
One possible definition of copyright infringement cited by the US copyright laws is as follows:
"to produce derivative works based upon the original:"
That means, if you produce something based upon the intellectual concepts used in an origional work, you are liable. (Go to (url="http://"http://www.loc.gov/copyright/circs/circ1.html")copyright.gov(/url) for more info)
However: The government will not hunt you down for infringing on a copyrighted work; that is the privilege of the copyright holder. Most authors would probably be flattered to have a fan make an RPG based on their work, and if you aren't going to make serious money off your game, you probably won't hear a peep out of any lawyers. Very, very few of us will be earning a profit from games made with Coldstone anyway. Possibly even none of us, though I hope to hear some success stories. So, I doubt legal issues will have any impact on our games.
Lay off Paddy. If he wants to make a discworld game, let him. He just won't be able to sell it. Probably half of the people on this board are going to be paying homage to their favorite authors in one way or another. Coming out and stating it doesn't neccessarily mean you're unorigional: it just means you're not plagiarizing anymore.
(edited for spelling)
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Do not follow me for I may not lead. Do not lead for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. Just leave me the hell alone.
-Jedi
(This message has been edited by jmitchell (edited 05-12-2001).)