Re: Infocom Sample Transcript Games
19 Dec 95 16:39:59 GMT
In article <4arb7b$su0@news.lth.se>, mol@marvin.df.lth.se (Magnus Olsson) writes:
> In article <DJL4K4.I93@eskimo.com>, Brian C. Lane <blane@eskimo.com> wrote:
>>dgilbert@bu.edu (David Gilbert) wrote:
>>
>>
>>> The main reason why I asked was because I had a few ideas of my own. Is this
>>>type of thing legal, than? Or did you get special permission? Or did you just
>>>figure "What the heck?" :)
>>> Thanks!
>
> I don't think Graham asked for permission. "Balances" is a *pastiche*
> of a sample transcript. We must distinguish that from creating a game
> that starts out *exactly* like one of Infocom's sample transcripts,
> which I think is what was discussed.
>
>> Sometimes I wonder if people really want to be creative? All this
>>talk about copyrights, legal or not, etc. are immaterial if you want
>>to create, especially if you don't plan on selling it commercially.
>
> And, of course, if you don't mind being sued. :-(
>
> Honestly, I don't think Activision will sue anyone for writing games
> in, say, the Enchanter universe. However, if you do what I think the
> original proposal was, that is take one of Infocom's sample
> transcripts and incorporatae it, _verbatim_, in your game, then you
> *are* infringing the copyright, and you *might* get into trouble.
>
>> JUST DO IT! Infocom is dead, gone and buried.
>
> Their legal rights aren't dead, gone or buried, they have just changed
> hands.
>
> Magnus
Quite so: don't do it. But more to the point, why? "Balances" is a bit
of fun, no more, hardly a real game at all. Devising a game should
be a rich and creative exercise, not an act of plagiarism. If Infocom's
games did not exist any more, there might be a reason to recreate them,
but they do. We do not need duplicates.
Graham Nelson