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I am working on a guide containing many Pathfinder tactics and rules commonly overlooked by new players, such as delaying until you get buffed. I am using this thread as one of the important sources. Because it's a forum, the best I can get from most posts is some good idea to reword and include as a phrase that can't infringe anyone's copyright because there isn't any way to trace it back to any exact posts. However, some forum messages are of high quality and include very good wording that I'd like to copy and paste into the guide.

The StackExchange Network has rather clear attribution guidelines, but I couldn't find any similar policy on Paizo forums.

I am mainly writing this guide to structurize my own understanding of the system and some tactics, and I don't believe I will actually be prosecuted for using someone's posts in a guide even if I give no attribution at all. Hell, I believe that few people will even bother to read it. However, I think that those people deserve proper attribution of the work they shared even if just one other viewer sees my guide.

  1. What is the proper way of redistributing Paizo forum posts to other websites?
  2. What are the established practices of attributing some ideas borrowed from other places when writing RPG guides?
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    \$\begingroup\$ I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it belongs more on law.stackexchange.com instead of rpg.stackexchange.com \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented Aug 16, 2019 at 20:41
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    \$\begingroup\$ @illustro I believe we accept questions about copyright and other legal things that pertain specifically to RPGs. This meta discussion covers the most up to date policy AFAIK. For what it's worth that meta is quite old and a lot about the site has changed since 2015; So, if you feel that policy is worth revisiting, you should ask if we are happy with the current policy in a new meta. \$\endgroup\$
    – David Coffron
    Commented Aug 16, 2019 at 20:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yes, copyright/IP-related questions are allowed here as long as they are related to RPGs. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented Aug 16, 2019 at 22:39
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    \$\begingroup\$ Be aware that delaying for buffs is often a losing tactic if it allows enemies to go before you when otherwise they would go after you. Certainly, if you are referring to situations where you go after some ally but without letting any enemies go, that’s usually a good move, and well worth pointing out. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Commented Aug 17, 2019 at 1:25

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You do not have permission to use this content

Surprisingly, the only terms and conditions that you agree to when signing up is the Privacy Policy which doesn’t deal with copyright.

Therefore, everything posted on Paizo.com is unlicensed to anyone (including Paizo) by the original copyright holder - presumably but not necessarily the OP. If push came to shove, Paizo could argue (probably successfully) that by posting the OP granted an implicit licence for the content of the forum post to be used in the way that forum posts are commonly used. However, that’s them, not you - you have no licence to use the material at all.

Therefore, if you choose to use it it must fall within the fair use (USA), fair dealing (non-USA common law), or the specific provisions of copyright law in other jurisdictions. This does not require attribution.

Attribution may help in supporting a fair use/dealing defence or it may just call the author’s attention to the breach and prompt them to sue.

Its probably best if you ask for explicit permission from the author to do what you want.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Funny enough, while fair use exists in the USA and hence on many websites I frequent, it does not officially exist in my country (Russian Federation). \$\endgroup\$
    – R.I.P.30.12.21Baskakov_Dmitriy
    Commented Aug 16, 2019 at 21:38
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Baskakov_Dmitriy correct, yours is (I think) a civil law system - therefore what you can do with copyright material is explicitly enumerated in your country’s copyright law. However, you are planning to post this, therefore you need to consider copyright in every country where it may be read. If I were (hypothetically) sue you for copyright breach, I’d do it here in Australia, not in Russia. \$\endgroup\$
    – Dale M
    Commented Aug 16, 2019 at 21:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ It is not true that you have to worry about every country where it may be read. For example, the UK is life+70, meaning Agatha Christie's first works are still under copyright in the UK, but not in the US. On the other hand, 1984 is in copyright in the US but not in the UK. If you sell in a country, you need to follow the law. If you post online, complex questions of jurisdiction come up, and even if Australia does deem that you have the right to sue him there, if he has no assets in Australia, it will likely be impossible to enforce an Australian judgment on a Russian. \$\endgroup\$
    – prosfilaes
    Commented Aug 1, 2021 at 1:32
  • \$\begingroup\$ @prosfilaes and how is what you’re doing not considering other jurisdictions? \$\endgroup\$
    – Dale M
    Commented Aug 1, 2021 at 5:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ @DaleM I'm posting Agatha Christie's works online despite them not being out of copyright in the EU? \$\endgroup\$
    – prosfilaes
    Commented Aug 6, 2021 at 22:13

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