Copyright claims etc

[Palaiologos]

Can one theoritically make a "copyright claim" for one's unfinished scenarios?

For example lets say one has started desinging and researching some particular scenario themes but due to one's other occupations he has been forced to postpone their creation. Nevertheless ones still plans to finish them one day and would appreciate if he could still do so without being considered a thief due to another finishing a scenario with a same theme, although started desinging at a later date.

Just expressing a thought here. Im not like to argue with anybody on this or even persist. Perhaps one could have a time limit on his copyright claim, i.e finish the said scenario within 3 months or loose the claim.

Is this too inapropiate for a scenario designing community?

[Harry Tuttle]

I could go into some sort of common law mumbo jumbo, but I won't because it's tiresome when applied to Civ.

You can't copyright a theme as your own. So for instance you can't say that you're making a scenario about robots and then say no one else can make a scenario about robots because you thought of it first. Robots are common knowledge.

Now if for instance you create a fantasy world and talk about on the forums how you have created unique such and such characters, unique place names, and unique physical characteristics and then I went out and basically copied the whole idea from you... well then that could be considered basic copyright infringment because you already established that you were the original creator of this unique fictional world. I can't go and use your work and call it my own.

Now of course, if you go make a scenario based on the Byzantine Empire you can't "claim" it. It's based on history, it's common knowledge.

Last year, as I remember it, some guy over on CivFan tried to claim OurMan stole his ideas for a Harry Turtledove's "How Few Remain" scenario. The guy said that he thought of the idea first and OurMan copied his very Vanilla, very crappy scenario. He also said he had rights to create a scenario based on Turtledove's books because he had started work, unbeknownst to anyone, on the scenario. That's not copyright infringment. It's not stealing in any way. What we have in this situation are two scenarios based on the same book, a book that can be used for a scenario, as long as the original author (Turtledove) is cited as the one who created the story.

As long as you create an original scenario, based on your interpretations of a topic, historical event, etc... then it is not stealing. In fact, it will probably be fun to compare two similar scenarios about the same topic.

[typhoon]

very good summation there. A blanket ban on a particular theme (unless it is of course a personal, specific creation as has been pointed out) would stifle an already tiny community, and though I'm sure there are many good ideas out there what we can achieve as of present with Civ 2 is finite. Even more absurd is the restriction on open-source material, be it historical fact or an item of popular fiction- no one has a monopoly on the former and only the original author has any claim at the latter.

That being said, with the legality of the matter already established, one area of concern is the correct etiquette in such a circumstance. For example, with full knowledge that Harry is at present occupied with RomaMini, would it be appropiate for me to begin work on my own Roman scenario and steal his thunder, so to speak? Now I'm sure Harry is maganimous enough not to mind , but its easy to see how some, especially after a substanital investment of time and effort, would be unhappy. Or perhaps, if the other chap has a "better" (standards are abritary as always) scen perceived to be in development, it could discourage the lagger to drop his work entirely- a shame really if both have the potential to turn out as masterpieces.

Impropriety aside, another worry is that the concurrent development of two scenarios of the same subject matter could result in the pinching of concepts and ideas from each other. Friendly competition is all very well (though, obviously, people make scenarios to be enjoyed by all and not as a form of contest), and maybe a good idea can be borrowed from here or there, but malicious undercutting would result in both being more guarded about what they release, and create an atmosphere of suspicion- which I personally find abhorrent in a community such as this. So let's keep the environment here sociable and conducive to the main activity.

I end my sleep inducing thesis here.

[Palaiologos]

Point taken. Limiting an already dwindling community isn't the thing to do.

I personally have three scenarios planed after i am discharged (Galipoli, Mithridatic Wars and a grand Roman one) and although have done the map and research for these 2 years ago, never found the time needed to finish them. Don't want to be accused of stealing someone's else idea.

Thread closed i suppose.