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cavebear
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of the Pleistocene
Oct 1999
time: 00:14
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Here's a draft. Comments welcome.
(date)
Professor Jared Diamond
c/o W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110
Dear Professor Diamond,
I am writing on behalf of a group of people who are designing a computer game based on your book 'Guns, Germs, and Steel'. Desiring a computer game both interesting and challenging, yet different from both arcade action-games and turn-based warfare games, we have decided to focus on the basic principles of ultimate causes for civilization-development expressed in your book. We wish to advise you of our intent and also to request your qualified permission to proceed with "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as our working title.
I am not a lawyer, nor am I in any business arrangement concerning the game. I am merely an interested computer gamesplayer participating in discussions with other interested parties concerning the kind of game I would personally enjoy playing. This idea is based on a reasonably complex game called "Civilization2" wherein players start with a single settler in 4000 BC on an unknown map. Players assign resources, (food, gold, and technology research) to slowly build functioning civilizations (culminating in space flight to Alpha Centuri if all goes well).
However, some of us have found that Civilization2 is too much a war game and affords less strategic freedom for more constructive and realistic efforts. Hence, our interest in your book. My own interest came from reading your book (several times so far) and only finding the game programmer group later. So, my desire in all of this is to help create a game that I myself would enjoy playing. I don't mind adding that, if it teaches people a bit more about how civilizations rise and fall, I will consider that a positive (if sly) bit of player-education.
The group specifically requests that I mention that their programming is to be "open-source", meaning that everybody interested can contribute to it, and the game will remain completely free for everybody. Considering that this appears to be one of those internet "labors of love", I have agreed to write to you on their behalf.
Will you give us your qualified permission to use "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as the working title for the game? Would you be interested in knowing more about our progress? May we (very) occasionally ask you some questions concerning the ideas in your book?
GGS game website: http://civ3.sourceforge.net/contact.html
(name and address)
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cavebear
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of the Pleistocene
Oct 1999
time: 00:14
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OK, I've made some changes, based on your suggestions. Ignore the indentations and formatting, I will fix that in the final letter.
I am reluctant to outright request permission to use the title, since that is probably a legal and financial matter. I think it better to invite his interest first.
How does this sound?
(date)
Professor Jared Diamond
c/o W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110
Dear Professor Diamond,
I am writing on behalf of a group of people who are designing a computer game based on
your book 'Guns, Germs, and Steel'. Desiring a computer game both interesting and
challenging, yet different from both arcade action-games and turn-based warfare games,
we have decided to focus on the basic principles of ultimate causes for
civilization-development expressed in your book. We wish to advise you of our intent and
also to request your qualified permission to proceed with "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as our
working title.
I am not a lawyer, nor am I in any business arrangement concerning the game. I am
merely an interested computer gamesplayer participating in discussions with other
interested parties concerning the kind of game I would personally enjoy playing. This idea
is based on a reasonably complex game called "Civilization2" wherein players start with a
single settler in 4000 BC on an unknown map. Players assign resources, (food, gold, and
technology research) to slowly build functioning civilizations (culminating in space flight
to Alpha Centuri if all goes well).
However, some of us have found that Civilization2 is too much a war game and affords
less strategic freedom for more constructive and realistic efforts. Hence, our interest in
your book. My own interest came from reading your book (several times so far) and only
finding the game programmer group later. So, my desire in all of this is to help create a
game that I myself would enjoy playing. I don't mind adding that, if it teaches people a
bit more about the mechanisms of how civilizations thrived or failed relative to others, I
will consider that a positive (if sly) bit of player-education.
The group specifically requests that I mention that their programming is to be
"open-source", meaning that everybody interested can contribute to it, and the game will
remain completely free for everybody. Considering that this appears to be one of those
internet "labors of love", I have agreed to write to you on their behalf.
Will you give us your qualified permission to use "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as the working
title for the game? Would you be interested in knowing more about our progress? The project website is:
GGS game website: http://civ3.sourceforge.net/contact.html
(name and address)
[This message has been edited by cavebear (edited December 26, 2000).]
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The Joker
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Copenhagen, Denmark
Aug 1999
time: 06:14
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Hmm.
Maybe we should wait with telling him that we have that website, untill we actually have the permission to use the title.
That way we would seem like we were just waiting for him to give us the permission. I am not saying this is a big thing, but from a tactical viewpoint it might be best to give our "other" website adress: civ3.sourceforge.net.
------------------
"The future is that mountain."
- Bret Easton Ellis
GGS Website
[This message has been edited by The Joker (edited December 27, 2000).]
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RonHiler
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California, USA
May 2000
time: 21:14
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You guys do realize (don't you?) that you don't need professor Diamond's permission to use the title, right? (Unless he's actually trademarked the name, a very unlikely possibility).
While it is certainly nice of you to ask, it would put you in an awkward position if he says "no". You would then either have to ignore his denial (which you legally could do, though it would make you look bad) or be nice about it and change the name (which, while it wouldn't be devistating at this point in development, wouldn't be good, since you'd lose the name recognition you have developed so far).
Worse, if he says no, and you use the name anyway, you've alerted him to the fact that you exist and are using his work to derive another work. While this is perfectly legal to do, there *is* an off chance lawyers could become involved (a tragic development in any undertaking  ). If he *really* wanted to be mean, he could use your letter as grounds that any work you produce, even with a different name, is derivative of his work, and you could find yourself in a legal battle anyway (though he'd be on pretty shaky ground at that point, AIUI).
If he says "yes", then none of this is a problem, of course. But keep in mind you are taking a risk. I don't know that I wouldn't do exactly the same thing in your position, but I'd certainly be a little bit nervous about it. Maybe y'all ought to be fully *sure* you want to talk to professor D before you shoot off a letter?
Of course, I am not a lawyer. But I have had a couple of legal dealings regarding MD (one being a "battle" over the use of the name) for which I've had to get legal advice (fortunately, I've not had to actually go to court, thank god!). So I'm just passing along what I have learned, as I understand it. Just be careful, and maybe if you have a friend or family member who understands copyright law better than I do, ask them what they think before you plunge into what could turn into a mess. The last thing you want is for your hobby to turn into a legal nightmare!
Ron
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The Joker
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Copenhagen, Denmark
Aug 1999
time: 06:14
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Damn.
You have a point there.
What about Clash? They are called the same as a book about history. Did they ask permission or anything?
Then maybe writing that GGS was in fact based on the book would not be a good thing from a legal perspective. Also since the game had been in development for some time before I found, read and introduced the book to the group.
Is there any way to see if names are copyrighted? A database of some sort?
On the other hand I think writing him and telling him about the project really would be a nice gesture to give to the guy. And who knows, maybe he would be interested in hearing more about the project and development. But is this worth risking legal problems?
I think we should discuss this before sending the letter. That's all I can say at this point.
------------------
"The future is that mountain."
- Bret Easton Ellis
GGS Website
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Nath
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Was the letter sent?
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Nath
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Cavebear's letter, while excellent, is perhaps a bit too long to email. I suggest we either post a shortened version of his letter or something of this sort:
code:
Dear Professor Diamond
A couple of years ago a few of us decided to make a non-commercial, open-source computer game, loosely based
on the popular Civilization series, but more accurately reflecting the factors behind the rise and fall of
civilizations. When we came across your book Guns, Germs and Steel, we found that it was exactly what
we were trying to convey, and an excellent source of information for the game (which is still mainly in the
planning stage). We were wondering whether we could call the game 'Guns, Germs and Steel: Tools of Conquest',
or would you prefer we thought of something else?
Thank you
- list of (real) names of developers -
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chrispie
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Manchester UK
Oct 2000
time: 05:14
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Hmm, I recall you asking for a volunteer nath lol 
Anyway, I volun.. offer my um err oh here...
Dear Professor Diamond
A little while ago several of us decided to make a non-profit, open-source (code availible to everyone) computer game. It is to be loosely based on the popular Civilization series, but more accurately reflecting the factors behind the rise and fall of
civilizations. When we came across your book Guns, Germs and Steel, we found that it was exactly what
we were trying to convey, and an excellent source of information for the game (which is still mainly in the
planning stage). If you have no objections, we'd like to call the game 'Guns, Germs and Steel: Tools of Conquest' if this is acceptable with you? We will of course give due credit to you and the book on the credits list for the game.
Thank you for your time, and a great book!
- list of (real) names of developers -
Our Homepage:
http://ggstoc.sourceforge.net/
Where our homepage is whatever everyone deems suitable, here maybe? I dunno.
Chrispie
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Nath
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We probably oughtn't mention the website - as Joker said earlier in this thread, we haven't yet asked for permission.
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24-12-2000 01:22
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