Why did Chaosium change their minds after so many decades? I still have the original hard cover that featured the Mythos from the 70's. It would be nice if this gesture would also allow D&D the license to resale those books for the folks still playing AD&D.
You've got it backwards; D&D doesn't get to use the Cthulhu Mythos, the Cthulhu Mythos is choosing to use the D&D SRD. Remember this is still a third party product being released by Chaosium, the current license owners of various Lovecraft IP elements, not an official WotC product.
You've got it backwards; D&D doesn't get to use the Cthulhu Mythos, the Cthulhu Mythos is choosing to use the D&D SRD. Remember this is still a third party product being released by Chaosium, the current license owners of various Lovecraft IP elements, not an official WotC product.
Just as a general note most all of Lovecraft’s works are in the public domain, and have been for quite some time. I am guessing that in terms of licensing to the underlying works, Chaosium has very little in the way of unique rights at this point (though they are old enough that they likely did when they started). What they do have is the trademarks for certain Cthulhu-inspired things and any intellectual property they created above and beyond what Lovecraft wrote - but that is all their own intellectual property, not something licensed from the Lovecraft estate.
This obviously isn't the place for the topic, but I think that's only true for some of HPLs works (pre 1929) and obviously not relevant for non HPL Mythos content
Also ... there was a D20 CoC book by WotC back in 2001. Perhaps not 100% exactly the same thing (I frankly don't know), but it's not at all like the two only just met.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Whatever the copyright status of the Cthulhu mythos, Chaosium indubitably has the copyright to the Call of Cthulhu game, including all the supplements they've published (and images and so on within), and the publication case for doing Lovecraft without referencing CoC is pretty thin.
Chaosium is not the only ones with a license to the Mythos; Sandy Petersen also has (or had until recently) a license to the greater Mythos as a whole. However, it seems that when they were bailed by Quimbley Games, the license passed to them for the duration of the deal. SP produced a Mythos rulebook for DnD 5E and Pathfinder 2E along with multiple adventure books.
Myself bought the translated Sandy Peterson's book. Now I am not so interested in the crunch after buying a lot of sourcebooks during 3.5 ed but the PC species were original. I would like a sanity/madness game system like the one from Unknown Armies. Maybe I published here a house-rule version.
The only time D&D got in trouble for using Cthulhu stuff ever was in the 70s before the Mythos entered public domain.
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He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
So the answer to all this is: "Because they decided to and the business cases aligned.
According to Mike Mearls interview with Treantmonk, he pitched the idea to Chaosium when he started working with them and they agreed-ed. That seems to be the genesis of this product.
The only time D&D got in trouble for using Cthulhu stuff ever was in the 70s before the Mythos entered public domain.
It appears to have actually been significantly messier (and legally less clear) than that.
I will concede the point that my post was perhaps overly simplistic. Also, Deities and Demigods came out in 1980, not 76 like i originally thought ( thus the 70s ) so i was plain wrong on that count.
But i must confess, it was simplistic because i have...opinions. Ones best not got into. ok, i will get into them a little. The whole copyright situation between LoveCraft's writings being public domain, but his contemperaies who he shared ideas and sometimes mythos with not being, and thus an avenue for legal action is so stupid i want to scream. It is like GW going after the term "Spacemarine" which first appeared in the 1930s well before they existed and claiming it is their trademark etc.
Now i will stop before the mods have to put me in the naughty Gnoll cage.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
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Why did Chaosium change their minds after so many decades? I still have the original hard cover that featured the Mythos from the 70's. It would be nice if this gesture would also allow D&D the license to resale those books for the folks still playing AD&D.
You've got it backwards; D&D doesn't get to use the Cthulhu Mythos, the Cthulhu Mythos is choosing to use the D&D SRD. Remember this is still a third party product being released by Chaosium, the current license owners of various Lovecraft IP elements, not an official WotC product.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Just as a general note most all of Lovecraft’s works are in the public domain, and have been for quite some time. I am guessing that in terms of licensing to the underlying works, Chaosium has very little in the way of unique rights at this point (though they are old enough that they likely did when they started). What they do have is the trademarks for certain Cthulhu-inspired things and any intellectual property they created above and beyond what Lovecraft wrote - but that is all their own intellectual property, not something licensed from the Lovecraft estate.
This obviously isn't the place for the topic, but I think that's only true for some of HPLs works (pre 1929) and obviously not relevant for non HPL Mythos content
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Also ... there was a D20 CoC book by WotC back in 2001. Perhaps not 100% exactly the same thing (I frankly don't know), but it's not at all like the two only just met.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Whatever the copyright status of the Cthulhu mythos, Chaosium indubitably has the copyright to the Call of Cthulhu game, including all the supplements they've published (and images and so on within), and the publication case for doing Lovecraft without referencing CoC is pretty thin.
Chaosium is not the only ones with a license to the Mythos; Sandy Petersen also has (or had until recently) a license to the greater Mythos as a whole. However, it seems that when they were bailed by Quimbley Games, the license passed to them for the duration of the deal. SP produced a Mythos rulebook for DnD 5E and Pathfinder 2E along with multiple adventure books.
Myself bought the translated Sandy Peterson's book. Now I am not so interested in the crunch after buying a lot of sourcebooks during 3.5 ed but the PC species were original. I would like a sanity/madness game system like the one from Unknown Armies. Maybe I published here a house-rule version.
The only time D&D got in trouble for using Cthulhu stuff ever was in the 70s before the Mythos entered public domain.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
It appears to have actually been significantly messier (and legally less clear) than that.
So the answer to all this is: "Because they decided to and the business cases aligned.
According to Mike Mearls interview with Treantmonk, he pitched the idea to Chaosium when he started working with them and they agreed-ed. That seems to be the genesis of this product.
I will concede the point that my post was perhaps overly simplistic. Also, Deities and Demigods came out in 1980, not 76 like i originally thought ( thus the 70s ) so i was plain wrong on that count.
But i must confess, it was simplistic because i have...opinions. Ones best not got into.
ok, i will get into them a little. The whole copyright situation between LoveCraft's writings being public domain, but his contemperaies who he shared ideas and sometimes mythos with not being, and thus an avenue for legal action is so stupid i want to scream.
It is like GW going after the term "Spacemarine" which first appeared in the 1930s well before they existed and claiming it is their trademark etc.
Now i will stop before the mods have to put me in the naughty Gnoll cage.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World