iOS/iPad/Mobile spellbook builder (photos of my work)

[Bjorne]

And why not allow this app on the same grounds?

Seriously, where I live people are sort of losing interest in Mage Wars. I am not saying that a spell-book builder would necessarily reverse this trend, but it sure wouldn't hurt.

I also don't understand why they need to be so cautious. What is the worst thing that can happen with their IP if they allow this app? Can someone please provide a concrete example of a worst-case-scenario where “one fan have free reign with their IP”. If this leads to another less scrupulous person making something worse, can’t AW, at that point, just tell that less scrupulous person to stop?

Not allowing a free, fan developed app, for me that makes the warning bells start to ring. Please AW, don’t be overprotective about your IP. I am convinced you can become more successful than Games Workshop without adopting their idiotic IP and trademark policies that alienate so many fans.

[Texan85]

Failure to defend your IP interests can allow anyone else to use it, because a big iisue in IP law and people taking your IP is how well or what actions one took to protect those interests. It is as simple as that.

[Bjorne]

So if a company lets one person use its IP, then its free for all to use it? Hmm. I don't buy it.

If it's your IP it's your IP. You decide who can use it and for what.

[Texan85]

So if a company lets one person use its IP, then its free for all to use it? Hmm. I don't buy it.

If it's your IP it's your IP. You decide who can use it and for what.

If you let unlicensed use of your IP happen you can lose those rights, that's why companies sue like hell for copyright, trademark, and patent infringement. If you know about it and don't stop it, you will lose it. You don't have to buy it, that's one big way you lose it.

[Bjorne]

Or, you just license it to them...

Jesus, Fantasy Flight Games, for example, has tons of sites that "use their IP" for deckbuilders etc. Same with Privateer Press.

Can you give a concrete example of a company that has "lost control of their IP" due to fan sites and fan created apps?

[The Dude]

Cockatrice was created mostly for players to play M:TG online. IT was free to play, and it wasn't all that hard to use, and to deck build in. What else has M:TG online? Well WotC's Magic the Gathering Online, which is not free to play at all, but is really simple to use. Needless to say, the profits they lost due to Cockatrice's illegal use of IP for free content was grounds to send a Seize and Desist for the website.

You are also comparing Giants of the industry to Arcane Wonders, an amazing company, albiet small and growing. I'm not sure where there are deckbuilders for "Jesus", but I would love to see that.

[The Dude]

And I can see the love for MW online, but just looking at the MW module, it seems to be lacking. I don't think this is the kind of "love" people want to see when first picking up the game, but this is solely my opinion, and I would want to show new players something prettier, more elegant, and a more streamlined approach than what this has to offer.

[Bjorne]

MtG is another example where tolerance for out of house IP use seems pretty relaxed. Tons of fan built deckbuilders out there for MtG.

[Fentum]

And I can see the love for MW online, but just looking at the MW module, it seems to be lacking. I don't think this is the kind of "love" people want to see when first picking up the game, but this is solely my opinion, and I would want to show new players something prettier, more elegant, and a more streamlined approach than what this has to offer.

A very strong analogy here is Vassal for boardgames and more particularly wargames. Publishers allow use of their IP by independent guys who design modules for their favourite games. That allows fans to play on line. I have never yet met a guy who played the game on Vassal without owning it in real life.

A case in point is Memoir 44. It was on Vassal for a long time. Helped build a strong following. The publishers then got serious and created their own official on line version. Slicker and more professional than the Vassal module. The publishers thanked the original Vassal module guys and moved it on. Bottom line was a bigger audience with happy players.

It is mental that there's no online spell book auditor, if not an actual game module...but wait. Cosworth has, with Spike's help I believe, created a fan made independent module for Mage Wars on OCTGN. The tragedy is that although the game and graphics work well, the actual overall system of OCTGN is  a bit arcane in terms of loading games, and communicating.

Did I say 'a bit arcane' ?

Sounds as though Arcane Wonders should create a streamlined version...

[pixelgeek]

So if a company lets one person use its IP, then its free for all to use it? Hmm. I don't buy it.

If a company has a copyright or trademark and does not enforce that then they can, at a later date, be unable to enforce that IP right in another case.

[pixelgeek]

Can you give a concrete example of a company that has "lost control of their IP" due to fan sites and fan created apps?

Unless you are aware of the agreements that those sites have made with FFG etc then its not the same case as we are discussing.

[pixelgeek]

There are quite a few complicating issues that are making this entire issue not as clear as it appears from the OP's original comments. I am not at liberty to divulge them but rest assured that there is a lot going on at the moment.

Unlike companies like FFG, WoTC etc there is, AFAIK, only one fulltime person at Arcane Wonders and they don't handle IP licensing :-)

Larger companies have people and lawyers dedicated to this issue and you can't expect a smaller producer to be able to enter into agreements as quickly as other larger firms can.

[pixelgeek]

It is mental that there's no online spell book auditor, if not an actual game module...

No it isn't :-)