Ryan Dancey On The Record - Hasbro Cannot Deauthorize The OGL
1,068So apparently on January 5th, Ryan Dancey, one of the core architects of the original OGL, went on the record with Enworld to state that "Hasbro does not have the power to deauthorize a version of the OGL. You can read his full statement here: https://www.enworld.org/threads/ryan-dancey-hasbro-cannot-deauthorize-ogl.694196/
To quote him, "Yeah my public opinion is that Hasbro does not have the power to deauthorize a version of the OGL. If that had been a power that we wanted to reserve for Hasbro, we would have enumerated it in the license. I am on record numerous places in email and blogs and interviews saying that the license could never be revoked."
You can also go back to the original Open Game Definitions from February 9th, 2001 on Wizard of the Coast's site (https://web.archive.org/web/20010429033432/http://www.wizards.com/D20/article.asp?x=dt20010417e) and read the first paragraph: A: An Open Game is a game that can be freely copied, modified, and distributed, and a system for ensuring that material, once distributed as an Open Game will remain permanently Open.
Clearly, the OGL was always designed to permanently remain an open system for users to create fantastical worlds within. The fact that Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast and their legal team think that they can go back on that is mind blowing to say the least. But as in any case like this, based on what I know, generally the consensus is that the original intent is the most important, no matter what legal speak they might try to use and intimidate people with.
When you've got the architect of the original OGL out there saying nope, you can't revoke it...I tend to think that's a powerful case for Hasbro and WOTC being in the wrong here. \
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