Hi,

While I am busy with pleasant things, for once, and putting my old manuscript folders in order, one big question:

What's the state of BM's actual copyright situation?

So, Wizbro owns... Something.
And supposedly, the Arneson estate owns... Something.
And Judges Guild owns... Something.
And Flying Buffalo owns... Something.
And Dustin Clingman/ZGG owns... Something.
And Code Monkey Publishing (correct name?) owns... Something.

Can someone enlighten me, or rather than that, fill in the *somethings*? -I used to have a pretty good idea about things, but my info is surely at least five years old.

Thanks,

Rafe

Not Blackmoor, but AiF, as property of Adventure Games, was sold to FB at some point. Supposedly, that is.

The simple version is that WotC owns Blackmoor.

Now to get into some more detail:

Wizards of the Coast
The own the Blackmoor name, the setting and most associated IP.

Arneson Estate
Dave Arneson said that Bob Bledsaw had reverted the rights of the FFC back to Dave. This would have been passed onto his
daughter upon Dave's passing.

Judges Guild
Assuming the above is true JG holds no claim to Blackmoor. If Bob Bledaw never made the promise of reverting the FFC rights back to Dave into writing, then JG could dispute the claim, perhaps making it possible to reprint the FFC. This is problematic however because of WotC's claims to the Blackmoor setting. They could probably get away with publishing the FFC as a Campaign Journal, but not as a setting.

ZGG/Dustin Clingman/Code Monkey:
It is hard to say if they have any claim. This depends on the contract ZGG had with WotC and whatever contract ZGG and with Code Monkey. Most likely if they have any claim at all, it is to the specific content published while their lisence was in effect. This would prevent WotC from publishing things like the Redwood Scar or other books published during that era. I do not believe it would prevent WotC from rewamping the DA series for 5th Ed however.

Code Monkey has claim to Shaerdraeth, although that setting includes a few items that might be considered plagiarism, if not removed before publishing.

Flying Buffalo
Dave Arneson sold his company Adventure Games to Flying Buffalo. This included Adventures in Fantasy and the mini-setting Bleakwood.


The above might look complicated, but the simple answer is WotC owns it.

-Havard

Not that it matters much to me ... I'm going to crib, import, adapt, modify, and use to taste* ... ;)

*without violation of copyright or IP!

Thanks for the input BM!
Thanks for pointing to the statements in the book. That probably cleans out some of the speculation. I was thinking the lisence contract between WotC and ZGG could have specificied that rights for everything would revert back to WotC if the lisence was discontinued, but perhaps that would have been included in the books then?

One thing worth noting though is that WotC did release their Return to the Temple of the Frog while ZGG still had the lisence. That should probably prove that WotC can do alot with the Blackmoor Setting should they want to, even if they are prevented from using Skelfer, the Elf Schisma and the MMRPG references...

-Havard

The name Blackmoor, specific names of people, places, and things in Blackmoor, belong to WotC.

EXCEPT things created during the ZGG and CMP time frame and released.

ZGG was/is a totally separate entity from CMP. CMP entered an agreement with ZGG to take things over and develop new things.

I (CMP) can use things ZGG made that do not belong to WotC (because of licensing with ZGG). I (CMP) can use things we made. WotC can NOT use things ZGG and CMP created, except OGC items (as can anyone).

For example: I cannot use Westryn or Cumasti names for Elves in any of my products. I could come up with differing names but similar histories, not exact since I can't use the lands of Blackmoor itself (Maps and locations are primarily in WotC's hands... locations created by ZGG or CMP are of course, fair game).

To the best of my knowledge, other than a few select things under the Arneson family control, everything else belongs to WotC of the original Blackmoor material.

Hope that clarifies.

W. Robert Reed III
Mynex
- #1 Evil Monkey
- Code Monkey Publishing Owner
- Summum Malorum Simius

Thanks for clearing this up Robert!

-Havard