Where Does BG Stand on the NDA?

[Cairthenn]

This is clearly an issue that should be addressed sooner rather than later. It seems as there if no defined line as to appropriate conduct of posting of materials in regards to the Alpha and Beta testing. Until today, I don't believe any information from the Beta Website has been withheld. That is, people have been allowed to openly quote and relay, word for word, literally everything Square Enix has publicized on that website.

However, today's case seemed to be a different one - the contents of the Alpha Game Play Manual were obviously not allowed here, and subsequently deleted. I can't say I honestly care that they're no longer here since, though I don't have Alpha or Beta access myself, I easily have the sources available to attain all new information within five minutes of it coming out. However, I feel there needs to be a definitive line - you should either allow stuff here, or not allow it, no foggy areas.

If something is already set in place in regards to what's allowed here, it has not been made known very well, and it probably should be a priority to do so. The Alpha test will be beginning very shortly, and with that a large number of people with a surplus of secret information will be anxious to post and share it (while others will uphold their agreement and keep to themselves entirely, I'm sure). So, this is a simple request to BG Admins to openly state where you stand on the NDA and what is and isn't allowed here, just for the sake of maintaining order. Both Admin and moderator replies will be appreciated; discussion is fine too.

[Falcon]

You're assuming it was deleted.

I assumed it was moved..

Recall what they originally said on the matter of beta? How they'd handle it?

[Cairthenn]

Most all BG topics that are "deleted" are simply moved to another section. In fact, theres an entire section simply for deleted threads. If there's a hidden FFXIV section, that's fine too. This post is in regards to what's allowed here.

[Dantrag]

/wants access to super secret deleted FFXIV stuff threads D;

[Olo401]

Unless there's a legal downside for the owner/admins of the website and forums here, I don't see any reason why leaked info should not be posted.

However, posters should realize that if they leak something they bear ALL responsibility for their actions and the consequences, including the loss of their own alpha/beta access.

[Cairthenn]

Unless there's a legal downside for the owner/admins of the website and forums here, I don't see any reason why leaked info should not be posted.

However, posters should realize that if they leak something they bear ALL responsibility for their actions and the consequences, including the loss of their own alpha/beta access.

This is exactly how I'd go about it, were it up to me.

[Khamsin]

I'm not the one removing the threads, as I personally am leaving that call to SilverBreeze and Vandole since this is their subforum. However, maybe something like allowing speculation and vague announcements from the main page of the beta site, but not allowing screenshots, videos or discussions of our findings while exploring the alpha?

Really depends on what the admins have to say, and how Vandole and SilverBreeze decide to enforce it. Although I might recall Sonomaa saying something about leaving it up to SE to decide when it's worth their while to tell us to take it down.

[Ziero]

There is a legal downside as SE can and very well would take action against big name sites posting NDA based content. There's also the fact that any complaints about what's wrong with the alpha build will just serve to weaken the hype for the game since many people are too dense to realize just how much will change between the Alpha build and the full game. Hell, in that FFXIV youtube topic there were already complaints about how smooth the game looked despite being one of the earliest views of the game's Alpha phase.

I'm sure NDA leaks will happen all over then net, but for a big name site like this one it's best not to risk it.

[vrumpt]

regardless of what BG does or does not allow, a simple google search can lead you to what you are looking for.

[McGoonagle]

regardless of what BG does or does not allow, a simple google search can lead you to what you are looking for.

Whatever you find on a non-BG site is not BGs problem.

A site always has to be careful about its content, regardless of how freewheeling discussion may be. You can always get caught up with libel, slander, liability, infringement of intellectual property rights and so on. BG has a right to exercise circumspection about content that may be covered by legal restrictions such as an NDA.

I had to deal with the National Counterterrorism Task Force about activity on my website at one point. The doofus was clumsy, got arrested on unrelated charges, and was never going to find what he wanted from us, because we were very, very, careful about content.

[Not Kuno]

Sono has gotten calls from SE before so it's better to play it safe, in my opinion.

[Sonomaa]

its been stated before but Ill state it again for the billionth time.

People can post what people post, SE has already let me know that they will be watching all boards and will give us a heads up if anything is posted that they dont want posting. As far as deleting the posts that were made I have no idea, I wasnt the one who did it and I didnt get a message from SE to move it, so it was done without my knowledge or permission.

Basically what people do they do, if SE asks me to remove it, I will.

[Katlan]

Basically what people do they do, if SE asks me to remove it, I will.

Now can the NDA nubs stand the fuck down?

Im a NDA preacher bitch

now you can shut up

[Destinye]

Now can the NDA nubs stand the fuck down?

Though...he just said he's still going to respect their wishes basically..so the "NDA Nubs" still have a point, it's all up to SE (as it's always been.)

[Katlan]

Though...he just said he's still going to respect their wishes basically..so the "NDA Nubs" still have a point, it's all up to SE (as it's always been.)

been talking about all the wanna be NDA backseat modders who try and tell everyone "omgzz guys its NDA how dares you post that and i11 wunt allow it." Sonomaa and other mod's having to delete NDA material is obvious, that's nothing new and has been obvious since before FFXIV was announced...

[McGoonagle]

Now can the NDA nubs stand the fuck down?



now you can shut up

Maybe you can try growing up.

[Cairthenn]

its been stated before but Ill state it again for the billionth time.

People can post what people post, SE has already let me know that they will be watching all boards and will give us a heads up if anything is posted that they dont want posting. As far as deleting the posts that were made I have no idea, I wasnt the one who did it and I didnt get a message from SE to move it, so it was done without my knowledge or permission.

Basically what people do they do, if SE asks me to remove it, I will.

Thanks for the clarification. In this case, is the Alpha Manual allowed here unless otherwise specified? It contains some fairly good information.

[Sonomaa]

any game with an NDA has a right to protect their IP and we dont operate in a country that can ignore those requests.

There are 2 ways to follow the wishes of companies that have their NDAs violated. One is they send us a nice request, detailing what needs to go and what can stay and we cooperate. These companies generally are quite cool about it and usually end up letting extra stuff stay, even if it technically does violate the NDA. They smile and give us cool stuff and thank us for being such good partners in their launch.

The other is they send us a nice request, then they send us a terse request, then a lawyer sends a formal request, then a terse request, then a last request or face penalty. Then when people attempt to log into the site they find that a takedown notice was served to the host provider or the domain provider. The host or domain has to be contacted, things explained, and items removed or the website cannot be returned to active status. At that point an actual letter of intent to sue arrives at the domain owners doorstep, via certified letter. The intent is, for all purposes, just a promise that says if you keep doing this, we will seek monetary damages for our game.

SE and BG dont have this wonderful relationship but were cool. They live in the normal dorms on the MMO campus with the curfew and pretty strict RAs. We live in the co-ed dorms, hot chicks flash us their tits, hot dudes show the wang, we have a different floors for different types of people and games, including one floor made up entirely of canned meat and LSD. SE comes to hang out at our dorms occasionally, passing on the kind offers of booze or boobs. We chill, play some PStriple or Xbawx, watch a movie and have some pizza. Everyone waves when they leave and talk about how they arent as bad as they come off sometimes, just a little slow in the head about their development. Regardless we still worship them on one pedestal and crucify them on the other, but they know we <3. When we visit their dorms we realize how slow the bulk of the people who live specifically there are, and while they might have some good info, its nothing we havent seen before. We thank them for a good but bland experience, and return to our dorm halls and yell at numbers to turn down the spam radio while hall monitor Ryko keeps having sex with the white women.

Our RAs are less strict than SEs are, made up of Morgan Freeman, a crazy lady with a giant axe, some chick who is a dude or whatever, some furry, and some guy afraid of spiders who has giant tits. Were a little bit of a melting pot here, if that melting pot was mixed mostly with meth and speed.

[Lucavi]

Just where do you work, anyway, to have that much time to post that?

On second thought, its better not to ask.

[Shuichi]

any game with an NDA has a right to protect their IP and we dont operate in a country that can ignore those requests.

There are 2 ways to follow the wishes of companies that have their NDAs violated. One is they send us a nice request, detailing what needs to go and what can stay and we cooperate. These companies generally are quite cool about it and usually end up letting extra stuff stay, even if it technically does violate the NDA. They smile and give us cool stuff and thank us for being such good partners in their launch.

The other is they send us a nice request, then they send us a terse request, then a lawyer sends a formal request, then a terse request, then a last request or face penalty. Then when people attempt to log into the site they find that a takedown notice was served to the host provider or the domain provider. The host or domain has to be contacted, things explained, and items removed or the website cannot be returned to active status. At that point an actual letter of intent to sue arrives at the domain owners doorstep, via certified letter. The intent is, for all purposes, just a promise that says if you keep doing this, we will seek monetary damages for our game.

SE and BG dont have this wonderful relationship but were cool. They live in the normal dorms on the MMO campus with the curfew and pretty strict RAs. We live in the co-ed dorms, hot chicks flash us their tits, hot dudes show the wang, we have a different floors for different types of people and games, including one floor made up entirely of canned meat and LSD. SE comes to hang out at our dorms occasionally, passing on the kind offers of booze or boobs. We chill, play some PStriple or Xbawx, watch a movie and have some pizza. Everyone waves when they leave and talk about how they arent as bad as they come off sometimes, just a little slow in the head about their development. Regardless we still worship them on one pedestal and crucify them on the other, but they know we <3. When we visit their dorms we realize how slow the bulk of the people who live specifically there are, and while they might have some good info, its nothing we havent seen before. We thank them for a good but bland experience, and return to our dorm halls and yell at numbers to turn down the spam radio while hall monitor Ryko keeps having sex with the white women.

Our RAs are less strict than SEs are, made up of Morgan Freeman, a crazy lady with a giant axe, some chick who is a dude or whatever, some furry, and some guy afraid of spiders who has giant tits. Were a little bit of a melting pot here, if that melting pot was mixed mostly with meth and speed.

Sounds about right. /sipscoffee