Restrictions on Copying Field of Glory

jdm · Post by **jdm** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:52 am

In response to some traffic on forums and discussion groups I thought that it might be helpful to clear up any misunderstandings and make you aware of the following.

We would advise you not to copy any section of the rule book for distribution in any way. As apart from "fair dealing" Which has specific legal meaning no part of Field of Glory or the army list books may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Slitherine

I am sure you understand why we must protect our intellectual property in this way and we thank you in advance for your co-operation and the interest that you have shown in the gaming system.

Best Regards
JDM

kustenjaeger · Post by **kustenjaeger** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:51 am

Greetings

I would suggest that this is a made a sticky. JDM's point should be obvious to most people but I suspect that it is targeted at those people to whom this point may not be self evident.

Regards

miffedofreading · Post by **miffedofreading** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:03 pm

JDM,

I understand your point of view. The one area I should imagine most people will ignore you on, is photocopying the reference tables at the back of the book until a QRS is available.

It just isn't practical to keep referring to an almost 200 page book every time you want to check an impact POA.

Whilst photocopying the reference sheets at the back of the book isn't much good, it's all people have got.

Looking forward to Hammy's QRS. Perhaps you should make clear when that is released that it is sanctioned by Slitherine and can be copied freely. At least I presume it can

Andy
PS Photocopying the rules for a friend to avoid them having to buy a set just isn't practical anyway, it's a 200 page book!!! Let them buy their own copy

irondog068 · Post by **irondog068** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:26 pm

I have to agree with the last post.
From your statement we should not even use the excel program. It is copying a army list. I have got about 8 list saved on my computer so far. I suck at math so a AB program or excel is and will be used. As well as a QRF sheet. A guy my Swiss took on copyed your QRF, enlarged in and stuck in a sheet protector. I will probably do the same. And sorry, I am waiting with baited breath for the AB versoin of the army lists. If the "Evil Empire" Games Workshop is alright with it I am sure if someone explained how AB works you would be more calm about it.

Irondog

irondog068 · Post by **irondog068** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:24 pm

What is stopping me from say renewing my AB subscription (kind of anoying but it's cheap).
And designing my own army lists using AB? Nothing except it takes effort on my part.
I started doing it for Killer Katanas II but my subscription ran out. The company who makes AB makes nothing,zip, nada on the army lists that are shown. People do it and post them to make it eaiser for people to play the games and therefore by more copies of FOG and the armylist books.

Irondog

flameberge · Post by **flameberge** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:29 pm

Surely you don't mean I can't copy the charts at the back of the book for my own personal use and my own use only?

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:35 pm

No they won't as that does not involve distribution.

nickblackheart · Post by **nickblackheart** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 2:37 pm

mmmm legal point Nic, but the point is more that you are unlikely to be caught copying for yourself than that it becomes legal (the famous 11th commandment defence). With the existance of quick play sheets I would suggest that any copying is improper. The defences for fair use have been overturned over recent years, and many of the academic purposes which remain would not apply, no matter how encyclopaedic the knowledge of the authors.

Nick

"Never ask a man if he comes from Yorkshire. If he does you will never understand a word he says with that bizarre accent."

spikemesq · Post by **spikemesq** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:12 pm

nickblackheart wrote:mmmm legal point Nic, but the point is more that you are unlikely to be caught copying for yourself than that it becomes legal (the famous 11th commandment defence). With the existance of quick play sheets I would suggest that any copying is improper. The defences for fair use have been overturned over recent years, and many of the academic purposes which remain would not apply, no matter how encyclopaedic the knowledge of the authors.

Nick

"Never ask a man if he comes from Yorkshire. If he does you will never understand a word he says with that bizarre accent."

I thought the FoG Rulebook expressly stated that photocopying the reference charts solely for personal use was permitted.

nickblackheart · Post by **nickblackheart** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:54 pm

I dont have the book with me - I only post at work in lunch breaks - but if it expressly says then that is of course fine.

deadtorius · Post by **deadtorius** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:39 am

do we have to pay for the QRF charts from here?
http://www.fieldofglory.com/onthefieldofglory.php
I thought they might be handy to have for personal use only.

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:47 pm

deadtorius wrote:do we have to pay for the QRF charts from here?
http://www.fieldofglory.com/onthefieldofglory.php

No, they are free downloads.

deadtorius · Post by **deadtorius** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:49 pm

thanks for clearing that up for me

Tim-Pelican · Post by **Tim-Pelican** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 11:57 pm

Sorry to re-open what looks like an old thread, but was there ever an official response on the Army Builder topic?

Given that the Excel army tool exists, and appears to be fully sanctioned (being downloadable from the official web site), I don't really see the difference in creating data sets for AB.

Searching both this forum and elsewhere on the Internet, I can't see that there are such datasets, but I also can't see whether that's because no-one has yet stepped up to the challenge, or because Slitherine have put a legal block on such an activity.

As a relative new-comer to historical wargaming, I'm really enjoying FoG, but being able to use AB would be a big help!

Regards,
Tim.

lonehorseman · Post by **lonehorseman** » Mon May 24, 2010 9:14 pm

Hey.

Copying FoG is a nono I understand but I thought seeing as there are people here who understand the lagality of the issue I might as well ask this question.

The major opposition to FoG in South Africa argues that the books are too expensive (yet I own 4 list books so far and the rules) and that rules and lists should be free. They build on this arguement as a base to photocopy/ electronically store DBM which they rate is legal as;
a) 3.1 was never published
b) the DBM army list books are out of print (so can apparently be copied and distributed as long as it is for free).

Is this correct? I am sure that the copyright is still held by Mr Barker and RBS. I am also aware that the books are still available from certain vendors and as such it cannot be argued that they are not available to the public.

Feedback would be appreciated

D

lonehorseman · Post by **lonehorseman** » Mon May 24, 2010 9:15 pm

and sorry to have reopened an old thread with my legal (not lagal as I previously stated) question

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Tue May 25, 2010 9:37 am

lonehorseman wrote:Hey.

Copying FoG is a nono I understand but I thought seeing as there are people here who understand the lagality of the issue I might as well ask this question.

The major opposition to FoG in South Africa argues that the books are too expensive (yet I own 4 list books so far and the rules) and that rules and lists should be free. They build on this arguement as a base to photocopy/ electronically store DBM which they rate is legal as;
a) 3.1 was never published
b) the DBM army list books are out of print (so can apparently be copied and distributed as long as it is for free).

Is this correct? I am sure that the copyright is still held by Mr Barker and RBS. I am also aware that the books are still available from certain vendors and as such it cannot be argued that they are not available to the public.

Feedback would be appreciated

I believe that anyone producing a copy of DBM 3.1 in electronic or printed form is on very dodgy ground regarding copyright.

If you own a printed copy of DBM 3.0 and have an electronic copy of the ammendments then having a printed copy of them combined would not be something that the copyright owners would be likely to worry that much about.

Printing and handing out copies for free is a different matter and selling these copies is clearly infringment of copyright.

grahambriggs · Post by **grahambriggs** » Tue May 25, 2010 10:22 am

DBM3.1 was a set of amendments to the printed DBM3.0. It was provided free of charge to people who had bought the rule book. The copyright owners chose not to take action against anyone who combined the two electronically and printed it out. But they could have done. I never saw electronic versions of DBM 3.0 or the army list books being used when the printed articles were available for sale. If that had happened no doubt the copyright owners would have taken action to protect their copyright.

The owners of copyright for FoG have made it quite clear that copying in this way is not allowed. Closing ones eyes and wishing hard that copying FoG is legal will not make it so. It would be extremely foolish to do so.

lonehorseman · Post by **lonehorseman** » Tue May 25, 2010 10:33 am

My issue is not with FoG. I am more than willing to pay for a colour book of this standard. I was trying to punch a hole in the arguments of MSSA who use the (IMO illegal) 'free' copies of DBM rules and list books as a reason to get people to play DBM over FoG . I wanted to know if they are right in saying electronic copies of DBM are fine as long as distributed for free.

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Tue May 25, 2010 10:51 am

lonehorseman wrote:My issue is not with FoG. I am more than willing to pay for a colour book of this standard. I was trying to punch a hole in the arguments of MSSA who use the (IMO illegal) 'free' copies of DBM rules and list books as a reason to get people to play DBM over FoG . I wanted to know if they are right in saying electronic copies of DBM are fine as long as distributed for free.

Unless they have consent from the authors it is breaking copyright to distribute electronic copies of DBM.

It was overlooked by the authors for players who had a printed copy of DBM 3.0 but it was still strictly illegal even then.

Restrictions on Copying Field of Glory

Restrictions on Copying Field of Glory

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