Rules

I am new to this, but i have vassal installed and I have Afrika Corps module all set up and ready.
Do you have rules for this game somewhere, and for other modules too? :confused:

I am new to this, but i have vassal installed and I have Afrika Corps
module all set up and ready.
Do you have rules for this game somewhere, and for other modules too?
:?

Yes, they came in the box when you purchased your copy of the game. VASSAL respects the copyrights of the original board game owners. It is assumed that either you or your opponent own a copy of the game and have access to the rules.

Okay, I don’t own this game. If my opponent does, and if he has to respect copyright of the owner, then he cannot give me a copy of the rules, which means, i won’t have a rules.
What happens if you want to try a game that neither of you own?
Also, if you are talking about respecting the copyright of the owners, and if they have given permission to have their games made into modules, then surely it is not much to ask for the rules to be made available.

I do presume Vassal have the consent of all the copyright holders to produce these games in modules?

Thus spake nemesisuk:

Okay, I don’t own this game. If my opponent does, and if he has to
respect copyright of the owner, then he cannot give me a copy of the
rules, which means, i won’t have a rules.

Whether that’s the case depends on the law where you and your opponent
are. We can’t answer without knowing that, and we can’t answer with
legal advice anyway because we are not your lawyer.

–
J.

So does Vassal have the right to reproduce games into modules? And if so, have you the proof of this, because if not, Vassal is definitely infringing international copyright laws.

Thus spake nemesisuk:

So does Vassal have the right to reproduce games into modules? And if
so, have you the proof of this, because if not, Vassal is definitely
infringing international copyright laws.

We’re not reproducing games as modules. Module developers are.

–
J.

Then why can you not have SPI games as modules?

Thus spake nemesisuk:

Then why can you not have SPI games as modules?

SPI has asked us not to distribute them. If you want to create a module
for an SPI game for personal use, you’re free to do so.

–
J.

Okay.
I understand a little more of what vassal is about.
I just thought there were rules available as there are links on BGG for the rules of various games, and the links come back to Vassal. maybe they should not have done, but there are frequent referrals to Vassal as a source of finding rules to games.

Thus spake nemesisuk:

Okay.
I understand a little more of what vassal is about.
I just thought there were rules available as there are links on BGG for
the rules of various games, and the links come back to Vassal. maybe
they should not have done, but there are frequent referrals to Vassal as
a source of finding rules to games.

I don’t know why there would be such references—modules don’t generally
provide copies of game rules.

–
J.

On 28 July 2010 17:25, Joel Uckelman uckelman@nomic.net wrote:

Thus spake nemesisuk:

Then why can you not have SPI games as modules?

SPI has asked us not to distribute them. If you want to create a module
for an SPI game for personal use, you’re free to do so.

SPI no longer exists. How is it that they can ask us not to distribute
them?

  • M.



On 28 July 2010 17:25, Joel Uckelman <uckelman@nomic.net> wrote:

Thus spake nemesisuk:

> Then why can you not have SPI games as modules?
>

SPI has asked us not to distribute them. If you want to create a module
for an SPI game for personal use, you're free to do so.


SPI no longer exists. �How is it that they can ask us not to distribute them?

- M.�

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

SPI no longer exists. How is it that they can ask us not to distribute
them?

In this case, somebody purportedly owns the rights to some SPI games (one?
all?), and once asked Rodney to remove them. I don’t know the exact details.
I wish I did.

–
J.

That’s probably something that needs to be checked out. That sounds like
abuse. I believe that in Canada that if something is out of print, it’s
fair game to copy. That’s likely different in different countries, but I
suspect it would fall under fair use.

  • M.

On 29 July 2010 10:58, Joel Uckelman uckelman@nomic.net wrote:

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

SPI no longer exists. How is it that they can ask us not to distribute
them?

In this case, somebody purportedly owns the rights to some SPI games (one?
all?), and once asked Rodney to remove them. I don’t know the exact
details.
I wish I did.

That’s probably something that needs to be checked out.� That sounds like abuse.� I believe that in Canada that if something is out of print, it’s fair game to copy.� That’s likely different in different countries, but I suspect it would fall under fair use.


- M.

On 29 July 2010 10:58, Joel Uckelman <uckelman@nomic.net> wrote:

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

>
> SPI no longer exists. �How is it that they can ask us not to distribute
> them?
>

In this case, somebody purportedly owns the rights to some SPI games (one?
all?), and once asked Rodney to remove them. I don't know the exact details.
I wish I did.

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

That’s probably something that needs to be checked out. That sounds like
abuse. I believe that in Canada that if something is out of print, it’s
fair game to copy. That’s likely different in different countries, but I
suspect it would fall under fair use.

  • M.

I’ll ask Rodney about it when he gets back from vacation.

–
J.

It appears that I have overstated my claim about fair use and copyright.
Shows you what I know.

However, I find it unconscionable that copyright restrictions be imposed on
out-of-print games.

That doesn’t help, though.

  • M.

On 29 July 2010 11:28, Joel Uckelman uckelman@nomic.net wrote:

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

That’s probably something that needs to be checked out. That sounds like
abuse. I believe that in Canada that if something is out of print, it’s
fair game to copy. That’s likely different in different countries, but I
suspect it would fall under fair use.

  • M.

I’ll ask Rodney about it when he gets back from vacation.

–
J.

It appears that I have overstated my claim about fair use and copyright.� Shows you what I know.

However, I find it unconscionable that copyright restrictions be imposed on out-of-print games.

That doesn’t help, though.


- M.

On 29 July 2010 11:28, Joel Uckelman <uckelman@nomic.net> wrote:

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

>
> That's probably something that needs to be checked out. �That sounds like
> abuse. �I believe that in Canada that if something is out of print, it's
> fair game to copy. �That's likely different in different countries, but I
> suspect it would fall under fair use.
>
> - M.

I'll ask Rodney about it when he gets back from vacation.

--
J.

It was my understanding that it was Hexwars / Decision Games which now have the
copyrights and asked for their removal. I think the email Rodney sent out to the
Yahoo group explaining about it should still be there in the archive. I’ll dig
it out tonight if you can’t find it


From: Joel Uckelman uckelman@nomic.net
To: messages@vassalengine.org
Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 8:58:07 AM
Subject: Re: [messages] [General Discussion] Re: Rules

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

SPI no longer exists.� How is it that they can ask us not to distribute
them?

In this case, somebody purportedly owns the rights to some SPI games (one?
all?), and once asked Rodney to remove them. I don’t know the exact details.
I wish I did.

–
J.

Ok, here is the message for Games Workshop Ltd., Nov 4 2007

games.groups.yahoo.com/group/vas … ssage/9826

and it seems that according to this post from Jul 22 2006
games.groups.yahoo.com/group/vas … ssage/6792

the info on SPI was put on the announcement board so if you have�the News
Items�archived somewhere can look around that date for the info regarding that


From: Timothy Mccarron timothy.mccarron@sbcglobal.net
To: messages@vassalengine.org
Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 10:28:39 AM
Subject: Re: [messages] [General Discussion] Re: Rules

It was my understanding that it was Hexwars / Decision Games which now have the
copyrights and asked for their removal. I think the email Rodney sent out to the
Yahoo group explaining about it should still be there in the archive. I’ll dig
it out tonight if you can’t find it


From: Joel Uckelman uckelman@nomic.net
To: messages@vassalengine.org
Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 8:58:07 AM
Subject: Re: [messages] [General Discussion] Re: Rules

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

SPI no longer exists.� How is it that they can ask us not to distribute
them?

In this case, somebody purportedly owns the rights to some SPI games (one?
all?), and once asked Rodney to remove them. I don’t know the exact details.
I wish I did.

–
J.

I’m pretty sure that is what led to the removal. Hexwar in particular is
distributing the old SPI games online through their game interface and sees
vassal as direct competition.

Decision games has been more lenient towards modules, I know some recent
games (not SPI titles though, that may be why) that have modules haven’t
been complained about at least not publicly. If you ask their permission for
a module they’ll probably grant it.

-----Original Message-----
From: messages-bounces@vassalengine.org
[mailto:messages-bounces@vassalengine.org] On Behalf Of Timothy Mccarron
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 11:29 AM
To: messages@vassalengine.org
Subject: Re: [messages] [General Discussion] Re: Rules

It was my understanding that it was Hexwars / Decision Games which now have
the copyrights and asked for their removal. I think the email Rodney sent
out to the Yahoo group explaining about it should still be there in the
archive. I’ll dig it out tonight if you can’t find it


From: Joel Uckelman uckelman@nomic.net
To: messages@vassalengine.org
Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 8:58:07 AM
Subject: Re: [messages] [General Discussion] Re: Rules

Thus spake Michael Kiefte:

SPI no longer exists. How is it that they can ask us not to
distribute them?

In this case, somebody purportedly owns the rights to some SPI games (one?
all?), and once asked Rodney to remove them. I don’t know the exact details.
I wish I did.

–
J.

FYI… Decision Games has given permission to at least one SPI Module - The Next War. I don’t know if that’s an overall change in their policy toward the issue, or maybe just a weak moment on their part. Hopefully the former.