Re: out of print games and copyrights

Subject: Re: Re: out of print games and copyrights

Comments:
: : One of my hobbies is wargaming. These are board games, many of which are out of print (Avalon Hill games, copyrights owned by Hasbro). The user community has very limited ability to share information about rules since publishing them on the internet is illegal. A solution is for the users to rewrite the rules in their own words and abandon the original copyrighted rules. This would enable them to clean up poorly written portions, and integrate Q&As accumulated over the years. Since ideas can't be copyrighted, would something along these lines be possible and legal? In discussions, some have claimed that in addition to the rules "image", the effort of the designers finding information on things like weapons effectiveness, etc, needed to make a game realistic is intellectual property and copyrighted. My understanding is facts are also not copyrightable, and effort isn't tangible. Is this correct? : Dear ScottO, : Since there wouldn't be lawyers if there were not different ways of looking at things, there may be thingss that I don't understand about what you say. Without taking professional responsibility, my understanding of what you have said agrees with you. : M. Arthur Auslander : Auslander & Thomas-Intellectual Property Law Since 1909 : 505 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 : 212-594-6900, fax 212-244-0028, aus@auslander.com : ELAINE's Workshop® : E arly L egal A dvice I s N ot E xpensive(sm)

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