White Wolf copyright issues

[Arthur]

I certainly could read their EULA and find out by myself, but it it so much easier and time saving if you helped me instead...


If I translated and published freely introductory texts for the 1e book chapters, would I be breaking any laws? Do you think WW would mind?

 

[The zombie cat]

Yes you would be breaking the law some wear.


The question you should be asking is would you be breaking the law in your jurisdiction.


In Australia you can copy up to 20% or one chapter for the purpose of education or writing a review (including a review of a different work interestingly)


As to weather they would mind, I have no idea, depending on exactly what your coppying and how your presenting it (and how anal they are) they could view it as anything from free advertising to an attack on there ideology, the shorest way to find out would be to send them a description of what you want to do and why and ask there permission (although it dose make it harder to beg forgiveness latter). You could also send this to a copywriter lawyer in your home jurisdiction but unless you enclose a significant sum of money he wont send a reply.


Edward

 

[Arthur]

To make it more specific:


I would like to translate and then publish about 1-2% of some 1e books in a blog.


Aren't these laws international? Because I have no idea how that works in Brazil.

 

[Flagg]

Ultimately, no matter what anyone says here, you shouldn't accept it as legal advice. As far as I know, nobody here is an expert in international copyright law, and thus none of us really know what we're talking about.


I think your best course of action is to email WW and ask them if it's OK.

 

[Arthur]

[/disclaimer]


I won't take this for sure, but I wanted to know what you think.

 

[strawberryleaves]

From some personal experience, if you ask WW before doing anything, they're more likely than not to deny you permission. It doesn't mean that they actually think you'll be hurting their bottom line in the end, but:


1) Someone else might--after all, you're posting the text on a blog,


2) Someone in a position of authority has to take the time to review your request and decide its merits. Since there are often a high number of such requests, it's often easier to circular-file all such requests, and save themselves time.


So, what if you go ahead with your project?


First, someone would have to let WW know that a sample of their old works is being translated and being made available online. Second, someone in a position of authority would have to decide that what you're doing is bad, and send you a cease-and-desist letter. In your case, I'd think that the chance of them doing so is rather low, but you'd be the one out the time and effort if WW decides otherwise.


What's a good solution? Use their reviews copyright loophole. If you're willing to write a review of the material you're translating and posting online, they'd be hard-pressed to deny you then. You may as well write to WW, letting them know that you're interested in doing so. Enclose a sample of your work. If they find your translation and review acceptable, so much the better. It may even lead to something unexpected; a college friend of mine got a freelance job as a translator at a publishing house starting out like this.

 

[Arthur]

Thank you very, very much. I will probably do just that.


I highly doubt that it would cause me any trouble to publish the things anyway. I've seen people doing much, much worse and none of them ever had legal problems. This is Brazil, after all. But it would be way better if I could do that things -- which I would like to do more for practice than for anything else -- with their permission. I don't mind writing the reviews.