WotC article on card creation (MaRo: no cards inside! ;-)

[Bram]

From today's magicthegathering.com feature article found here:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/213

To my delight, Mark said the lawyer had given him the go ahead to peruse my wares. As I led him toward my little kingdom, he explained that he told the lawyer there are two kinds of people who approach him with card ideas. The first type are protective of their ideas, believing them to be valuable intellectual property. These people want Mark to sign something promising he won't steal their ideas; some even come bearing just such a legal document. I suppose that's fine if you just want to sell some IP, but Mark won't ever be seeing your work that way. The second type are willing to give up their first-born child if Mark would just give them some advice or evaluate their skill. These know that it's the ability to generate ideas which gets you a job, not the ideas in particular. Once the lawyer was convinced I was of the second type, she gave the okay.

So it appears there is a way, after all. As long as we collectively give up all claims to our ideas, there's a chance Wizards will look at them. As I've said in the past, Wizards is being overprotective anyway (I'm sure their lawyers will know that) since we can't really claim copyright on our 'innovations' that use implicitly or explicitly copyrighted game mechanics by Wizards. They can use all our cards, and all they'd have to do is change the name if it isn't a generic one (like 'Really Big Mouse') or the 'keyword' we made up for some ability.

I want EVERY card creator we have to post here and say of they would object to their cards (as they appear in the Master Thread) being used by Wizards in some form or another.

Not that it really matters, since there is a disclaimer in the rules of this forum that says if you contribute a card, you forfeit all right concerning the idea.

[Bram]

For the record: no, I don't mind Wizards using my ideas. I need neither money nor credit for my cards.

[rvs]

If anyone objects they should never make another card here again. Isn't this the starting point of our whole forum?

Yes, but there has been an influx of new creators. I juat want everyone to be on the same line. Meaning: Wizards should be legally able to rob us blind Like the dude in the article, I'll sign anything. - Bram

[dandan]

I want them to use any cards I have helped make. Feel free Wizards, my ideas are yours FREE (I would feel even more legally bound if you dropped a set of Workshops my way of course).

Not that a lot of cards we have made here haven't appeared in recent sets. Coincidence of course.

We could have a forum rule that any ideas posted here are available free of charge to Wizards (legally anyone posting in this forum would have agreed).

I really really don't understand this whole 'MaRo can't look at cards created outside of WotC'. I have worked in Design for a number of years and although intellectual property rights are well defined in law, it is very hard to enforce with people changing jobs so often. In addition, a cursory glance at the fashion industry shows that professionals so keep an eye on other creators and can't help but use this knowledge in their creations.

If MaRo emailed me and said that he liked one of my cards, wanted to use it but Wizards wouldn't pay me, I would be some kind of moron to turn him down. It would just result in my idea, something I had put forward as being good for Magic, not being made (or at least being made in a different form). If he sent me a hefty legal contract I would sign it (after checking the small print, who knows how many Maro cards MaRo has got in this manner?).

[Jebus]

I don't have any issues with them using my contributions.

[GerryMander]

actually being able to hold a physical design of a card I created would be more than enough payment for use of any of my ideas.

I might even be so inclined as to pay them a couple bucks to use one of my more favorite ideas... (probably not).

[walkingdude]

As far as card ideas/mechanics go WoC is free to take and use anyhting I post in this forum and I do not expect any compensation whatsoever.

Will

[Ephraim]

I will gladly give up all claim I have on cards I've created to WotC. One question, though: Why do they have to change the name of the cards? At least, how generic would the name have to be before it was okay? To use cards I've created as examples, would Sleepless Citadel be considered generic? Sapience? Aeromancy?

[Matt]

One good thing about keeping the old threads around (AND USING CURRENT WORDING POSTS, instead of constantly erasing the previous version) is that we have a ready archive that can be used to show who came up with which names.

I am TOTALLY on board with giving my ideas out to WotC. In fact, I believe the first time our design team and theirs crossed paths was on one of my cards (their Psychogenic Probe versus my Soul Vault).

[Rando]

I hereby give up my right to any and all cards I created.

Once a set is "in the can", we should draft a letter to Mark and all e-mail-sign it, sending the set along.

[combo_dude]

I hereby give up my right to any and all cards I created.

Once a set is "in the can", we should draft a letter to Mark and all e-mail-sign it, sending the set along.

I'm also more than happy to let Wizards use any cards I have created/will create. But to email it, we'd need everyone's permission. AND it's easier to express our opinions in person.

[Rando]

Well, i would not understand if someone decided to withhold thier cards.  There's nothing that can be (legaly) done with them.

Besides, if we did it as a team, I would wager that it would get more attention then if we did it as a dozen or so stragling individuals.  A group effort would seem more orginzed and more serious, I think, especially since we have a common purpose (vintage) and are not just Magic players.

[johnstown713]

Damn I guess I will go with the flow so they can make money off our ideas and give up my rights.  Thanks for nothing Wizards

[Jebus]

Damn I guess I will go with the flow so they can make money off our ideas and give up my rights.  Thanks for nothing Wizards

Yeah, I mean all they've done is provide you with countless hours of entertainment.  

[johnstown713]

Oh I didn't know I owed them for something like that.   Anyway I don't have a problem with them taking our ideas since at least our communtiy know that they are ours.

[rvs]

Oh I didn't know I owed them for something like that.   Anyway I don't have a problem with them taking our ideas since at least our communtiy know that they are ours.

The point is, that they wouldn't be ours.

[Doctor Phanan]

If I ever made a card that wizards deems worth printing, I would gladly give up any claim and/or rights that I might possess.

[Machinus]

To WotC: PLEASE steal my ideas and print good red creatures. Thanks.

[Master]

I don't object  to Wizards using my ideas.

[Jacob Orlove]

STOP IT WITH THE WORTHLESS POSTS.

Honestly.