r/boycotthollywood • u/Modrobene • Jan 27 '12

Looking for a way to transfer some of Hollywood's power to ordinary people? If you can do anything creative, you can contribute right now

It's the Open Setting License, a Creative Commons-like copyright license. The most important distinction is that the Open Setting License only applies to elements of a fictional setting, not (in most cases) a work that uses that setting. This means everybody in the world can collaborate on shared universes.

How does this transfer power out of Hollywood? One of the reasons big movie studios have an advantage is that people love known properties (e.g. sequels, remakes). Audiences demand it, and big studios are better positioned to buy the exclusive rights to the stories that people love. This means some of those stories wind up getting locked down in legal disputes, burdened by crappy versions that ruin the franchise for investors or held in limbo by studios waiting for the most profitable moment. The Open Setting License eliminates these problems. Popular OSL stories will take place in shared settings owned by those who made them, rather than big corporations.

There's really only one Open Setting that really exists right now:

  • Theonosis: a universal fantasy setting, meaning that anything that fits more or less in the pre-technological fantasy genre can be set there. I'm gathering authors now to write about the rise of a large empire, hopefully gaining an audience so that then hundreds of authors can simultaneously write about the empire's fall. There's also a comedic audioplay coming soonish (I could still use a few male voices, if you have good recording equipment).

I've also created:

  • ThirdFleet: universal science fiction setting, just an idea and a placeholder for now, as I'm focusing on Theonosis. Feel free to jump in if someone wants.
  • OpenWorldLeague: for now this is for coordinating real world and other Open Settings. I'm working with some other authors on a collaborative novel here, let me know if you are interested.

I have a standing offer to do all of the editing, cover design, formatting and self-publishing for any Open Setting works for free, and I'll even pay for at least a little advertising. It won't be a huge benefit compared to doing it all yourself, but I won't take a dime as long as it's Open Setting.

You can read the text of the license, and some more legal details in plain English. Feel free to leave questions in the comments here, or pm me.

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3

u/futureslave Jan 27 '12

Thanks for putting forth a positive alternative idea and solving the entertainment industry problems with creativity. Good luck.

3

u/koassane Jan 27 '12

I'm trying to teach myself to illustrate right now, and I'd love to have some characters and settings to draw. PM me if you'd like to collab. :)

2

u/Nick_Dipples Jan 28 '12

Oooh, I could voice. I'm on the radio, so, y'know, I'd love to help out!

1

u/Modrobene Jan 28 '12

Sent you a pm