New OGL - what would be acceptable? (+)

[Umbran]

This is a (+) thread. If you aren't interested in talking about what we'd find acceptable in a new license, please find another discussion.

We are talking a lot about what isn't acceptable. But, let us think in terms of a counter-offer.

1) No OGL is revoked. Create the OGL v1.0b - it is the same as v1.0a, but includes the extra words that make it clearly irrevocable. The SRD for 3e, 3.5, and 5e remain under the OGL (and now can be used under the irrevocable license).

2) The new license is the "OneD&D Open License", or somesuch. So, not actually a new version of the OGL. OneD&D may be released under the OD&DOL, so folks who want to work explicitly with OneD&D can do so, and can't revert it to OGL.

3) WotC can reserve rights to commercial videogames, software, movies, TV, novels and such. That's fair.
3a) Non-commercial software and media are allowed. Actual play programs are explicitly differentiated from other reserved media, and explicitly allowed.

4) WotC can have rights to some royalties from big players, but they are a percentage of profits, rather than percentage of revenue. That way, a runaway success product or new publisher can't accidentally find themselves taking a loss due to royalties.

What am I missing? I may take good suggestions from the thread and add them to the list above.

 

[Retreater]

All counter-offers can keep the clause about terminating the license due to bigoted content.

 

[Umbran]

All counter-offers can keep the clause about terminating the license due to bigoted content.

In the OD&DOL, certainly. I'd rather not see people have to argue over whether static racial stat mods are bigoted or not, so maybe the OGL v1.0b can get by without?

 

[mamba]

Acceptable: free and open (no registration, no income reporting, no fee), perpetual, irrevocable, limited to static content whether print, PDF or VTT

Unacceptable: anything less than that.

So WotC gets their wish with no NFTs, no computer games, etc. but the TTRPG part (including VTT) stays as is.

The problem with even requiring registration is that then it is not irrevocable, all WotC has to do is take down the site they use for 3PPs to register their products.

 

[darjr]

Public domain SRD.

Edit: Please take with a grain of salt.

 

[Art Waring]

Protection for current & future publishers from being forced into a new license or modified terms they don't agree with for any reason, as was the original intention of the 1.0a OGL.

100% Open, and 100% Irrevocable by any future individual, company, or corporate entity.

No royalties, reporting income, or registration with any third party. 100% perpetual wordwide royalty-free forever (or optimistically at least the next 30-50 years).

Assurances that corporate interference with the license is in the document itself rather than a FAQ, that way the license is crystal clear and set in stone.

 

[Umbran]

Public domain SRD.

Edit: Please take with a grain of salt.

Yeah. I mean, sure, we'd accept that, but it isn't a viable counter offer, either. Not really in the spirit of the thing.

 

[Umbran]

So they get no NFTs, no computer games, etc. but the TTRPG part (including VTT) stays as is

Sorry, who is "they"? Third party publishers can't do NFTs, computer games, and such, you mean?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I would say there could be a fee (much smaller then 20%) if you sell more then 750k, but that % needs to be based on profit not revenue.

Off hand I would make it a graded

maybe even lower...

something like "The first 500,000 of revenue has no fee. Once you hit 500,001 you pay 3% of your profit, but then if you make more then 750,000 you are going to pay 5% of your profit and if you make 1,000,000 you pay 7% of your profit... if you make 1,250,000 you get a job at wotc and pay them 10% of your profit

 

[Sacrosanct]

I’d be ok with 1.1 having reporting and royalties and limiting to various media types and on approved platforms (like DnD Beyond) IF they opened up IP to use. Similar to DMsGuild, but open up all settings, And they keep the existing OGL of course. Pretty much a lot of what you had in your OP.