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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 17:37:07
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Some commentary in another scroll on this shelf about Polyhedron Realms content got me excited at the prospect of seeing the content included in the back Catalog of Realmslore that will become available with 5E.
However I’m curious who exactly owns the material published in Polyhedron? I understand the magazine was published by the RPGA and later merged with Dungeon magazine—does this mean WotC owns that older Realms content?
I’d really like to see what the Polyhedron Realms stuff was all about.
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Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 17:38:58
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
Some commentary in another scroll on this shelf about Polyhedron Realms content got me excited at the prospect of seeing the content included in the back Catalog of Realmslore that will become available with 5E.
However I’m curious who exactly owns the material published in Polyhedron? I understand the magazine was published by the RPGA and later merged with Dungeon magazine—does this mean WotC owns that older Realms content?
I’d really like to see what the Polyhedron Realms stuff was all about.
The way I understand it, yes they own it....but I would love to get an "official ruling".
I'd love to see that stuff.
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A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Edited by - The Red Walker on 22 Aug 2012 17:40:11 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36982 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 17:40:26
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Since Polyhedron was published by TSR (thru the RPGA), I'd expect that they own all the content, and that said ownership is now in the hands of WotC.
I have a few old issues of Polyhedron, and if the content was available as part of the back catalog, I'd happily buy more. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:03:28
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Thank you Wooley for pointing out TSR was the publisher.
That's something not mentioned in the wiki page for Polyhedron.
(Anyone want to volunteer to fix it?) |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:15:03
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| I managed to get my hands on all of them finally. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:26:08
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Lucky bastitch.
The only ones I ever owned were the few they released along with dragon magazine for awhile.
The old Polyhedron stuff is exactly the kind of material that should go in a 'freebie' section of the WotC site (which I discussed at length in another thread). Those are the kinds of thing that draw new fans into the setting. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:30:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Razz
I managed to get my hands on all of them finally.
Well done.
Just curious: were you more successful through e-bay type searches or did you happen to find most of them in used book stores?
I imagine online would be easier, but it's kind of fun to go looking for old issues of Dragon and Dungeon magazine in antique shops and book stores. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Eilserus
Master of Realmslore
USA
1446 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:50:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Lucky bastitch.
The only ones I ever owned were the few they released along with dragon magazine for awhile.
The old Polyhedron stuff is exactly the kind of material that should go in a 'freebie' section of the WotC site (which I discussed at length in another thread). Those are the kinds of thing that draw new fans into the setting.
That's a good idea. I wouldn't mind being able to look through all the old RPGA Living City material either. I suspect there's lots of interesting lore about the Ravens Bluff area that hasn't seen the light of day in years. |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 22:31:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
quote:
Originally posted by Razz
I managed to get my hands on all of them finally.
Well done.
Just curious: were you more successful through e-bay type searches or did you happen to find most of them in used book stores?
I imagine online would be easier, but it's kind of fun to go looking for old issues of Dragon and Dungeon magazine in antique shops and book stores.
Definitely got them online, the easiest route for sure. |
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JamesLowder
Forgotten Realms Author & Game Designer
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 22:35:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
However I’m curious who exactly owns the material published in Polyhedron? I understand the magazine was published by the RPGA and later merged with Dungeon magazine—does this mean WotC owns that older Realms content?
I’d really like to see what the Polyhedron Realms stuff was all about.
At least in the TSR era, Polyhedron did not buy all rights to everything published in the magazine, so Wizards would need to check contracts before posting issues or even specific articles online. They might have rights to some things I wrote, such as “The Friendly Familiar” in #45 and “The Brothers Galgolar” in #50 (both are Realms content). But I own the rights to my video column, "Into the Dark," which ran for quite a few issues. They'd need my permission to post those. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 01:41:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Razz
I managed to get my hands on all of them finally.
Indeed. Through assistance from George Krashos [I can never thank him enough for that] and my haunting of old bookstores here, I also finally completed my collection of each and every relevant POLYHEDRON Realms-related issue. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 09:54:09
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only the useful ones
Some of the Border Kingdoms and Raven's Bluff articles were published. The Turmish articles, Malatra, and Llurth Dreier (not the version from Underdark) were the most interesting. |
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Matt James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
918 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 13:00:47
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 16:58:54
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quote:
Originally posted by JamesLowder
At least in the TSR era, Polyhedron did not buy all rights to everything published in the magazine, so Wizards would need to check contracts before posting issues or even specific articles online.
Shoot, this was what I was worried about.
My outsider's view of WotC is they're not heavily staffed, so devoting resources to having someone track down all the rights and then get permission/work out the process to get this stuff included in the back catalog probably isn't high on their list of things to do.
That said, securing the rights/permissions to get this stuff can't be nearly as hard as getting the rights to use a song, for example, so I hope they'll try. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 18:58:27
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| I know this has probably been asked dozens of times, and I should probably know the answer, but where can I find a list of the polyhedrons with FR articles? |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 19:57:47
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by Ed Greenwood: 'Elminster’s Everwinking Eye'
misc: 70–1, 74–5, 94–5
Maskyr's Eye: 54–8
Mulmaster: 60, 64, 66–8
The Moonsea: 77–81
Zhentil Keep: 82–6
The Vast: 72, 87–9, 91–3
Turmish: 96, 98, 101, 103–8
The Border Kingdoms: 109–11, 115–21, 123–41, 143–8
by Steven Schend:
Adversaries: Lady Aridarye Phylund, Lord Urtos Phylund: 93
The Cult of Ao: 94
by Eric L. Boyd:
Forgotten Deities: 103–121
Wayward Wizards: Tulrun of the Tent: 125–6
Llurth Dreier: City of Ooze: 140
Men of the Basilisk: 142
Richard Baker:
Secrets of the City of Ravens: 144
Am I missing any?
I don't imagine Ed, Eric or Steven are hard to track down or make accommodation with if necessary. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 20:05:13
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| Thanks Feraer - there was also the two James Lowder mentioned above. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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JamesLowder
Forgotten Realms Author & Game Designer
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2012 : 00:49:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
Shoot, this was what I was worried about.
I'll have to check my contract for the Realms game stuff, but I am fairly certain that TSR bought all rights to that. If so--and it's likely they own all the rights for the Realms material in Poly--WotC/Hasbro could, then, scan and post those articles.
If they wanted to scan and post whole issues, that's another matter. I've talked with various publishers about doing a collection of my film reviews, for example, and having them posted online like that would seriously undermine my ability to get a publisher to do that sort of book.
In the same way that Wizards would not want me posting things for which they own the rights on my web site, I would not be happy to have them post things for which I own the rights on theirs. |
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Derulbaskul
Senior Scribe
Singapore
408 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2012 : 14:44:32
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| WotC would automatically own all the FR stuff - it's their IP, as simple as that. |
Cheers
D
NB: Please remember: A cannon is a big gun. Canon is what we discuss here. |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4703 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2012 : 14:53:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul
WotC would automatically own all the FR stuff - it's their IP, as simple as that.
Where law is involved it is never as simple as that. Contract might prohibit republish without permission. Contract might require payment to copyright holder. Contracts can get very involved. Ed's contract as much has been revealed, appears to indicate that FR could revert back to him if other terms of contract not honored. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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see
Learned Scribe
235 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2012 : 22:13:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul
WotC would automatically own all the FR stuff - it's their IP, as simple as that.
No, it's not remotely that simple. If I write my own script for a Star Trek episode, I can't produce or publish it because it's a derivative work. But neither can CBS (the current owners of Star Trek) publish or produce it, because it's my work, even if it is derivative. If CBS and I reach a deal to publish it in a Star Trek magazine, whether CBS can republish it later is entirely determined by our contract, regardless of the fact that it used CBS IP.
If TSR was sensible, it put terms in the contract so that it would own the FR articles, so it could reprint, make its own derivative works without having to ask the author's permission, et cetera. But they don't have any automatic right to do so simply for owning FR. |
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe
USA
577 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2012 : 13:49:50
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Stuff I want:
A purchasable collection of FR Polyhedron articles.
A purchasable collection of FR Dragon articles.
A purchasable collection of FR Dungeon adventures. |
*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2012 : 18:43:10
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A pdf of collected FR articles from all those sources (split into three, as Walker suggested) sounds like a really great idea.
One problem - who owns the articles published during the Paizo Dragon run? |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Polyhedron Realms content: who owns it?
