Official Fair Use Policy for Far Future Enterprise
Far Future Enterprises Policy on use of Traveller Role Playing Titles and Trademarks.
There have been a lot of questions lately about what we can allow and what we can't allow in order to protect our trademarks and copyrights. Here are some answers to FAQs (June 22, 2001).1. May I create my own, original works and put them on a web or ftp site or share them with my friends?
Yes, however the Copyright/Trademark holder, Far Future Enterprises requires the following.
a) You don't charge for it.
b) You include the following site-wide disclaimer in the text of a story or article, on a web site, or in the about box and/or splash screen of any software:
The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright 1977 - 1998 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises's copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.
c) You notify Far Future Enterprises (it is sufficient to e-mail FarFuture@AOL.com) saying "I have a Traveller Web site at this URL: http://www.somehere.org/some.html" or other similar message.
2) May I post the contents of a Challenge Magazine Article online or on a web site?
Yes, as long as you have the permission of the original author and our disclaimer is present. The following message about this from our licensing department:
Far Future Enterprises will give permission to post Challenge articles on Traveller to web sites provided the author of the article has also granted permission. In observance of the magazine article's author's rights, we cannot give permission without the author's permission. Regrettably, Far Future Enterprises is not able to locate authors for you. The site must carry the proper Far Future Enterprises copyright/trademark acknowledgment.
If the article was authored by Marc Miller, you have his permission.
3) May I rewrite the game in my own words, scan parts of the book, or create any other derivative works.
No. Our reasoning is this:
If Far Future Enterprises does not establish standards for fair use, and does not police any use that is made, then Far Future Enterprises runs the risk of losing an enforceable ownership right. I can't use your car, even if you aren't using it. I need your permission. I can look at it, admire it, even write about it, but I can't take it or re-paint it without permission. Intellectual property is a special case, but the idea is much the same.
You can write about the Traveller universe, and put it on your web site... but you can't reproduce the rules (or re-writes of the rules, etc.) except for about a page (because we give permission to do that, provided you post the proper acknowledgment).
Some publishers just say "You can't post anything." We are trying to have a kinder, gentler approach. "Far Future Enterprises wants to be a player friendly company. We understand that you love the game and want to see it foster. We believe in supporting you the best way we can. Right now, we encourage you to create your own original works and have them follow our policies, which are the most fair in the industry.
But you can't just go rewrite the books in your own words.
4) What is considered Fair Use of your material?
About a page at a time.
The site must carry the proper Far Future Enterprises copyright/trademark acknowledgment. For posting of text or material from printed books and modules, Far Future Enterprises permits inclusion of some material and mention of trademark names (Traveller, and other titles). Our permission does not extend to wholesale or complete republication of our texts on-line (for obvious reasons). Limit your republication of texts to short passages (essentially a page or less of text). Our policy is to not be burdensome in our requirements, while still protecting our ownership of the text to these games. We appreciate game player support of our titles and we work to make involvement in these games interesting and fun.
This permission allows you to cite a portion of the book without copying the entire book. For instance, for an adventure about the Spinward Marches where you need to repeat a section about Regina, you could cull it from various texts and reproduce it. You could use a quote or two, or if need be extend that to about a page. However you cannot say "Here is page one of the T4 book." "Here is page two of the T4 book.", etc.
4a) Can I make a PDF of Traveller Stuff? Can I make scans of Traveller pages?
Yes. Subject to Fair Use, you can make scans or PDFs of pages from books you own. If you are making scans or PDFs for some project you are doing, there should be no problem. If you are PDFing a whole book, you've gone too far.
5) May I scan in a piece of artwork or a map for use?
Some artwork is created by the artist under a "work for hire" contract where the ownership of said art becomes the property of the publisher. Some artwork is provided on a limited use contract, in particularly photographs. If the artist created the works as work for hire for GDW (usually staff artists at GDW), then Far Future Enterprises has the rights to say "Yes" or "No" to the question. If it was done by the artists on their own time, in particular for photographs, it may have been done on a limited use base, and that artist may own the copyright. So here is what we can allow:
Artwork such as items, vehicles, charts, maps and logos were created for GDW and we have the full rights to them. Atmosphere pieces, other illustrations and cover art, you need permission from the artists. Far Future Enterprises regrets that we cannot contact the artist for you. As a special case, you may reproduce covers credited to Steve Venters.
Far Future Enterprises will allow you to use those items which we have the rights to, but in limited terms. You must include a Copyright for each piece used similar to:
This map is Copyright © 1977 - 2001, Far Future Enterprises All Rights Reserved. Licensed for individual use.
[or current date, as time goes by]
You cannot scan entire sections of art in an attempt to reproduce a book, but if you want a to display a map on your web page to annotate an adventure you are righting, or you need to display a tank for an article that you have composed about it, then its OK to use it. You also must still have the site-wide copyright/trademark acknowledgment/disclaimer.
6) What if I have a Special Case?
Contact Far Future Enterprises for a specific ruling.