Petition Letter

[Lewin]

Hello Everybody,
Today I finished the first draft of the petition letter. Please read it and make suggestions/correct mistakes. After all, you have signed this letter! Once enough people have said it's good then I'll send it.

  Code:

Dear ZuXXeZ, I am writing on behalf of the online fan community for the game "Knights and Merchants". These fans come from all around the world, including Germany, Holland, Poland, Russia, USA and Australia. The purpose of this letter is to ask for the release of the source code of "Knights and Merchants - The Peasants Rebellion" to the fan community. This is the eleventh year since the first release of Knights and Merchants - The Shattered Kingdom in 1998, and we fans feel that enough time has passed for the source code to be freely available. With the source code in the hands of the fan community, we will be able to improve the game and release unofficial patches and mods. We have already developed tools to make new maps and missions, as well as releasing unofficial patches to fix bugs in the campaigns and translations. However, the large number of bugs which exist in the engine make it impossible for us to ever really patch the game properly. That is, unless we have access to the source code. So we have made a petition, asking for you, ZuXXeZ, to release this source code. The petition is attached to this email message. A total of 368 people have signed this petition, from 30 different countries. We are willing to co-operate fully with you on this, and will be happy to discuss any terms with you. We look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Lewin Hodgman. [email]lewin@namsys.com.au[/email] On behalf of the fan community.[/quote] A question: Are ZuXXeZ the correct people to address it to? Do they own the IP rights? I will be updating the letter on this page as you make suggestions. Lewin.

[Jeakle]

thx

[The Dark Lord]

  Code:

I look forward to hearing from you.[/quote] --> I look forward to [b]hear[/b] from you. Although "We" would make sense too. :wink: Still, I think 368 wouldn't impress them at all. Maybe you shouldn't say the number, so they will take a look at it. Maybe it seems more than it is.

[Nick]

I agree with "We".
As it takes more impression when it comes from a group instead of a single person no?

[The Dark Lord]

I agree with "We".
As it takes more impression when it comes from a group instead of a single person no?

Plus we look forward to it as well! ^^

[merchant_992]

I believe TK once sent an e-mail to Joymania. In the answer he got they mentioned they hadn't got any copyright anymore but that ZuxxeZ owned it.
And maybe 368 isn't that much, but 11 years after release they are maybe even surprised to get an e-mail about the game at all.

[Nick]

btw i see u don't mention the shattered kingdom or the peasant rebellion. I guess we better include that in the letter so no additional emails have to be sent regarding the version.

[edit[ Also "The purpose of this letter is to request that you release the source code". This sounds like an obligation to me.

[The Knight]

My knowledge says... zxz don't have tpr source code, but mr. ohlmann must it have. But.... however...years ago, he said to us, that he havn't it.....(lost?).


AND ....I give no guaranty.

[Krom]

I guess you need to address this letter to ones who hold the rights of that source code. And thats usually publisher. I don't know however it's with KaM, but usually publisher obtains full rights on code when development/publishing contract is signed. Still I would send it to all possible contacts (changing intro/outro of course).

[Lewin]

Thanks for the comments everybody!

I've changed a few things, let me know what you think.
I'm still not completely happy with the line "The purpose of this letter...". Does anybody have a better suggestion?

--> I look forward to hear from you.

Actually you are wrong. It must be hearing, not hear.

But good suggestion to change it to we.
Lewin.

[The Dark Lord]

--> I look forward to hear from you.

Actually you are wrong. It must be hearing, not hear.

Once again is proven that English is a hopeless language. It doesn't make sense!

Maybe you could just leave that whole sentence out. The purpose of the letter becomes clear as you read it, so perhaps it's not needed to point that out.

[Quelle]

"Hearing" was right !

[merchant_992]

November 2006
Subject: Knights and Merchants 2
From: Peter Ohlmann
"Unfortunately, we don't own the intellectual property rights for "Knights and Merchants". These rights rest within ZuxxeZ.

[The Knight]

"intellectual property rights" is another description for "if you want to develope KaM2 you must work for zxz"!? Buy the KaM licence? Mh...

[merchant_992]

Ok, sorry. Not that good in copyrights and stuff:P :oops: