My thoughts on the D20 License change

[stevenehrbar]

Quality Standards have been added to the d20 System License because we want to enhance the value of the d20 Logo for all publishers in addition to maintaining it as a symbol of rules compatibility. Furthermore, products bearing the d20 Logo are associated with, refer to, and reflect upon the quality of our own d20 System games and brands. By ensuring that d20 products adhere to certain standards we improve and protect the quality of the d20 brand, for us and for everyone who uses it. These standards are not specific to the d20 System License. All our other licensees are held to similar or tighter standards. However, users of the d20 license are not subject to the same review process faced by direct licensees and the implementation of these standards does not change that. -- Andrew Smith, Wizards of the Coast

back when Ryan Dancey left WotC, there was concern that his strategy, which resulted in the Open Game License and the d20 license, would founder without his guidance. And here we have the proof.

See, the d20 license was not a product license. The product, the real IP, is licensed under the OGL. The d20 license was an advertising program. OGC products could use the logo to advertise their compatibility with WotC products in exchange for restrictions that would drive the sales of WotC product; WotC would use it on their products as a way to make sure people understood the compatibility.

What this change means is that WotC no longer understands what Ryan Dancey set up; it believes that d20 is its brand, not a cooperative advertising brand. And it's that loss of understanding, not the terms of the d20 license 5.0, that makes using the d20 license risky.

I do not believe that WotC is currently malicious, or currently trying to kill d20, or currently intends to use the new terms as punitively as they would allow. The problem of the new terms is that they show that WotC corporate culture is not sufficiently stable to trust that that won't change in the future. That isn't the fault of the people there today, and it isn't a slur against them; but it also means it's something they can't easily fix by changing the language back or issuing reassurances.

In fact, there's only one fix possible. WotC first has to come up with license language that doesn't contain any of the same "judgement call of future staffers" pitfalls this one does. And then, like the OGL, they have to make that licesense permanent, with the promise you can use that version even if a revised version is released.

Anything else, and anyone who uses the d20 license has to bet on the WotC staff being reasonable in the future, even after massive personnel changes. And that's not a reasonable risk to take.