ATTN JMS: B5 background details (newbie alert!)

[b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu]

Subject: ATTN JMS: B5 background details (newbie alert!)
+  1: Nov 18, 1995: solomon at iinet.net.au (deacon)
   2: Nov 21, 1995: fadmwalker at aol.com (FAdmWalker)
+  3: Nov 21, 1995: ctate at world.std.com (Christopher L Tate)
*  4: Nov 22, 1995: straczynski at genie.geis.com

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From: solomon at iinet.net.au (deacon)
Lines: 22

I apologise if I am rehashing old ground - I'm new to newsgroups. I also 
apologise if I commit a breach of protocol.

I am currently constructing a B5 RPG for my friends - we are all big B5 fans 
and dedicated gamers - and I was wondering if there are any plans at this 
stage to publish anything about the B5 universe, with details such as the 
locations of the homeworlds of the major races (I understand that you have 
based the homeworlds in real star-systems), travel times/distances through 
hyperspace or where the gates are OR if there is anywhere that this 
information can be obtained.

I have been taking notes from the episodes but I am still making guesses with 
a lot of my data. I feel that if I could obtain more accurate info, I might 
be able to give the game a feel that would be more like the series.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,
Deacon
"Armed, dangerous and off the medication!!" - Anon
solomon at iinet.net.au


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From: ctate at world.std.com (Christopher L Tate)
Lines: 29

FAdmWalker (fadmwalker at aol.com) wrote:
:
: I already run a Babylon 5 RPG on another Network, the ImagiNation Network
: (a part of Sierra company ;-) ), and the FAdm in my name stand for Fleet
: Admiral.
:
: And if anyone is wondering about the violation of Copyright Laws, it is
: ablsolutely legal to run an RPG like this AS LONG AS YOU DON'T make any
: profit or money off of it and as long as it stays member run without the
: support of a major organization.

I suggest you go read the Copyright FAQ, *now*.  What you just said is
false; copyright infringement has *NOTHING* to do with monetary
considerations.  Even nonprofit causes or organizations can be held
liable for copyright violations.  Towards the end of the '80s the USA
finally adopted the Berne conventions on copyright, which made the
protections *much* stronger.

My guess is that if you don't have written (yes, written) permission to
use the characters and situations created by... (&c.) the you're in
violation of the copyright code already, for running such an RPG.  If
they choose not to litigate, that's up to them, but on first glance you
don't have a leg to stand on should they choose to shut you down.

It's *COPY*-right.  Not "sales-right."

-- 
  Christopher Tate  *  ctate at world.std.com  *  http://world.std.com/~ctate/
               Never mind the torpedoes; make the boat go fast!

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From: straczynski at genie.geis.com
Lines: 4

      Yeah, that info will probably become available eventually, but I
don't currently know when or in what form.

                                                                  jms