[OT?] Copyright infringement, Scrabulous, and the GPL

[Richard Weait]

On Mon, 2009-04-20 at 17:24 -0400, Marc Lanctot wrote:
> I figure this the place to ask about my question concerning copyright.

> So my question is this: is it legal to implement a (say GPL'd) online 
> game which allows users to play a game whose original rules etc. are 
> under copyrights /as long as you don't use their names and art/?

If you really plan to do this, with real money and real risk, it is
insane to ask anybody except your own well-paid lawyer to help you judge
the risks that you will truly own.  I can recommend excellent lawyers in
this area.  

If you ask only to chit chat, I think your idea sounds risky as
demonstrated by Scrabulous.  Copyright is one issue, trade mark is
another.  There are probably other issues involved as well.  I think
wilful infringement makes it more expensive, though that may relate only
to patents.



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