TTRPG company Paizo has recently released the first draft of an Open RPG Creative License (ORC) to the public for feedback. This follows weeks of controversy following the attempted deauthorization of a similar license from Wizards of the Coast earlier this year.
Creating the ORC and its FAQ Document with Azora: A Collaborative Effort
According to the story by Gizmodo, to make sure that the ORC would be as free as possible to players in a way that keeps them (and game publishers) happy, Paizo collaborated with Azora, an Intellectual Property law firm. Together, they wrote up the ORC and a FAQ document to go with it.
Firstly, the ORC's main mission is to create a situation where common game mechanics can be shared across the tabletop landscape without fearing infringing on any specific company's copyright.
Paizo and Azora Commit to Optimizing Processes for Accessibility and Clarity
It's important to note that, likely due to the complexities of tinkering with copyrights, the documents put up by Paizo and Azora did err on the side of precision as opposed to simplicity. Paizo's announcement of its first draft was announced on its website's community section.
The company explains that this was due to the need to ensure that the ORC could resist any and all imaginable legal challenges. The FAQ they provided was added to ensure players and publishers can understand the document itself.
Giving Detailed Feedback to Conclude the Process Sooner: Paizo's Open RPG Creative License
The current feedback period that Paizo has put in place is expected to last until Friday, April 21, after which Paizo and Azora will take that feedback and release another draft. The entire process is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
The company has noted that if additional public commentary is needed, the process will continue until the license is deemed satisfactory by most interacting publishers. Until then, however, the company encourages people to read through the documents and give detailed feedback to conclude sooner rather than later.
After a lengthy period of silence, TTRPG company Paizo has finally released the first draft of its Open RPG Creative License (ORC). This much-anticipated license is the company's response to the controversy that erupted earlier in the year when Wizards of the Coast announced its plans to deauthorize its own similar license.
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Paizo's Open Game License and FAQ Draft Released to the Public
Of course, that was eventually reversed, and Wizards stayed the course. However, this didn't stop Paizo's president Jim Butler, who said the company was still looking into creating its own license.
Following months of development and collaboration with intellectual property law firm Azora, Paizo has made the first draft of its ORC license publicly available. In addition to the license draft, Paizo released a draft of its FAQ for readers, encouraging any feedback for potential changes.
The feedback period is planned to continue until April 21st, and if needed, additional rounds of public commentary could continue until the end of the month.
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