Revised: October 13, 2023.
Q: Copyrights and Trademarks - what are they?
A: Our intellectual property - our text and images - are legally protected by copyright, giving Chaosium/Moon Design Publications exclusive rights for its use and distribution. Our logos, titles and certain content are trademarks, which uniquely identify our products. For example, ‘Call of Cthulhu’ and ‘RuneQuest’, and 'Glorantha', among others, are officially registered as Chaosium/Moon Design Publications trademarks, whereas the written text and artwork in these works are protected by copyright. How others (fans, small publishers, commercial licensees) get to use our copyrights and trademarks is through our Fan-Use and Licensing policies. If our copyrights are violated or trademarks are infringed - for example, someone producing an unauthorised Masks of Nyarlathotep graphic novel - and it comes to our attention, the law requires us to police the violation, otherwise we may lose the right to claim them.
Q: Isn’t H.P. Lovecraft/Cthulhu Mythos in the public domain?
A: Because H.P.Lovecraft died over 70 years ago, his individual writings are now in the public domain. However, the Mythos was/is a shared creation—even in HPL's lifetime ("the Lovecraft Circle"). Many of the writers HPL collaborated with lived on much later into the 20th century, e.g. Clarke Ashton Smith (d.1961), August Derleth (d.1971), Robert Bloch (d.1994), etc. Certain elements of the Mythos are theirs, or have been created by other still-living authors including Brian Lumley, Ramsey Campbell, Sandy Petersen, and others. What these writers created in the Mythos won't enter the public domain until they have been dead for 70 years.
Q: So you're not trying to claim you "own" the Mythos?
A: We make no claim that we "own" the Mythos, never have. We don't claim to own the Mythos in general, although certain elements of it including storylines, names, creatures, characters, descriptions, and depictions are Chaosium IP. We do own the Call of Cthulhu RPG, and and are obliged to protect it. We also have agreements in place with living authors such as Ramsey Campbell and Brian Lumley, as well as the estates representing Lin Carter, August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith, and other important Mythos creators.
Q: Can you advise me on what is and what isn't considered to be in the public domain for H.P. Lovecraft and the Mythos in general?
A: We can't assist with general enquiries about which elements of the Cthulhu Mythos reside in the public domain and which remain in copyright. The matter is complicated by a number of factors, including the incomplete or contradictory records connected to the copyrights of the original Mythos stories, the divergent and contradictory copyright laws of the various countries in which Mythos works are or have been published, and the sharing of content that went on between the authors in Lovecraft's original circle and some Mythos authors today.
There are a number of sites online that discuss the status of Lovecraft's copyrights. We cannot vouch for the accuracy of these sites, but this is where you might begin your research: search for H.P. Lovecraft + copyright.
On the other Mythos authors, the works of living writers such as Ramsey Campbell and Brian Lumley clearly remain in copyright, while the status of works by authors who have passed away can vary wildly. You would have to research each author and each individual work from which you would like to draw content. The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin is one good place to begin your research about copyright.
Q: Wasn't H.P. Lovecraft a terrible racist?
A: Yes, he was. Lovecraft was a complex and troubled person in life. He was a wonderful writer with a wondrous imagination, a friend to many, and part of a corresponding group of writers (that included Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and others) that created the genres of horror and heroic fantasy as we know it. He also wrote things that were racist, and anti-Semitic, and probably misogynistic as well. His fear of the "Other", "infecting" the body of "old stock" definitely influenced his writing, and can be seen in things like Shadows Over Innsmouth, The Horror at Red Hook, and The Thing on the Doorstep. But these were also major anxieties of his time, shared by many others—Lovecraft's horror is many of the deep fears of the modern world (and includes the fear that not only is there no benevolent God but that the "gods" are outright malevolent and hate us). Lovecraft's cosmos is a howling abyss and none dare stare too long into it without becoming a monster.
Q: So how can we esteem or promote the works of such a terrible person?
We don't think it is possible to formulate answer to this more eloquently than the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has already done:
It is true that Lovecraft wrote some offensively racist things and held some very regrettably racist views. It is also true that his opinions changed over the course of his life, and the ugly things he said in his youth were somewhat mellowed by age and experience. But he's been dead a long time, and there's nothing we can do to change him. We can only recognize his flaws, and enjoy those parts of his work that do appeal to us: his fantastical imagination and worlds of ancient mystery. The HPLHS does not subscribe to Lovecraft's racial, political or sociological views, and does not support or promote them in any way.
http://www.hplhs.org/faq.php
We are in full agreement with the HPLHS (who are great folk and do amazing work—check them out!: http://www.hplhs.org). To reiterate, Chaosium and the Call of Cthulhu RPG does not subscribe to Lovecraft's racial, political or sociological views, and does not support or promote them in any way.
Q: What is the Sanity ('SAN') mechanic in Call of Cthulhu?
Sanity (abbreviated as 'SAN') is the game mechanic in Call of Cthulhu that models the behavior of protagonists in Mythos fiction when confronted with incomprehensible physics and monstrous entities from beyond space and time. The cosmic horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos defy safe or easy comprehension. When faced with such terrors, the human mind attempts to rationalize them but may be corrupted by the experience. The acquisition of Cthulhu Mythos skill points in the game reflects an investigator developing a human-centric understanding of the Mythos, while the loss of SAN points balances this acquisition with the cost associated with this new, but terrible knowledge. In this sense, SAN is a corruption of human morals, behavior, and personality.
"Sanity" is the game’s register of the investigator’s mental resilience. It is not designed to model or make light of real-world mental health conditions, in the same way that hit points (and the loss of them) in most RPGs do not make light of real-world physical trauma and injury.
Q: Can I use material from a Chaosium release in my own game/story/film?
A: Note that even where the original Mythos works have entered the public domain, Chaosium's roleplaying game books constitute original expressions protected by copyright. In other words, if you want to create a Cthulhu Mythos game, story, or film, you cannot just copy our published text or use our material without permission. If you wish to quote from or license material from any Chaosium title, refer to our Fan Use and Licensing pages for more information. In any licensing application you will need to outline the specific Chaosium material sought, as well as information on projected formats, territories, and print runs of the intended licensed work, among other details.
Q: Can I do an actual play video on Twitch TV, YouTube, podcast etc of one of your published scenarios?
A: You are most welcome to do so, and are permitted to use our handouts, maps and props in your stream.
Q: Can I make my own version of one of your stories, or scenarios or campaigns?
A: No, those are our intellectual property, and you’d need our permission first. You would be welcome to do a campaign log though, or create your own props or handouts for use in play. An unauthorised web comic or computer game of one of our scenarios (for example) would infringe our copyright.
Q. I am writing my own novel/comic/script and want to use certain elements from your IP (e.g. a character/setting/artefact etc) Is this allowed?
A: For the protection of our copyrights and trademarks, and to adhere to the terms of licenses we have signed with third parties, we cannot authorise this kind of casual use. We can only grant those kinds of permission as part of a formal license.
Q: I want to use the image of an Elder Sign or the Yellow Sign in my work. Is this allowed?
A: Chaosium's Star Elder Sign and Yellow Sign designs are copyright to Chaosium, and cannot be used without permission.
The "Star" Elder Sign is the Chaosium Arcane Symbol, created in 1983 for the second edition of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game and is © copyright 1983 Chaosium Inc. The Chaosium Yellow Sign was created by Kevin Ross and is © copyright 1989 Chaosium Inc.
Q: Are there some creative activities that don’t come under the Fan Materials policy or licensing guidelines?
A: Such things as product reviews, commentary, criticism and news reporting about our products are already covered under the general provisions of Fair Use. A license is not necessary to make and broadcast Live/Recorded Play sessions (e.g. Twitch TV, Youtube, podcasts).
Q: How much of a book can I show in a review?
A: In a review, you are welcome to show the covers and several internal pages of the work. Please not reveal more and be careful about revealing spoilers! While you are free to show whichever pages you want, we will provide images from our new releases for use in reviews on Chaosium.com.
Q: Can I create my own character sheets, or a character generator as an app or website?
A: Under our Fan Material Policy you may create your own versions of our character sheets, including web-based character sheets that autofill or calculate numerical values. If you wish to monetise this, or produce an app that creates characters, you will require a Commercial License.
Q: Can I create props and handouts from your scenarios?
A: Yes, we know game masters love to make their own versions of in-game handouts (especially for Call of Cthulhu) and share them online. Under the Fan Materials policy you are welcome to do so—as long as you don’t charge for it. If you want to sell your work or charge for access, that’s fine too, but you’ll need a Commercial License first. Handouts from Chaosium scenarios bear our copyrighted text, so ensure you properly credit Chaosium.
Q: Can I create a Call of Cthulhu computer game?
A: Chaosium currently has an exclusive license agreement for Call of Cthulhu computer games with Focus Home Interactive. Consequently, while this agreement is in place, new licenses of any kind for “Call of Cthulhu” computer/video games (PC, Mac, Xbox, PS, mobiles etc) are not available.
Q: Can I create a RuneQuest computer game?
A: Chaosium currently has an exclusive license agreement for RuneQuest computer games with Black Shamrock. Consequently, while this agreement is in place, new licenses of any kind for “RuneQuest” computer/video games (PC, Mac, Xbox, PS, mobiles etc) are not available.
Q: I would like a license to produce stuff for an earlier edition of one of your games, e.g. Call of Cthulhu editions 1-6, or one of the previous editions of RuneQuest.
A: Commercial licensees must use the most current edition of the rules. For Call of Cthulhu that is 7th Edition. For RuneQuest that is RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha. Note, for RuneQuest we do not grant licenses for products that use the former Design Mechanism or Mongoose versions of the rules.
Q: Does Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Magic World, Pendragon, or 7th Sea come under the provisions of an Open Game License (OGL)?
A: No. However, we have created an Open Game License for the BRP Rules system, which underlies most of our RPGs. The BRP - System Reference Document page has more information, including what is permitted and what is not under the BRP OGL.
Q: Can I rely on the Mongoose RQ SRD to publish material?
A: No. Mongoose’s license for RuneQuest was terminated in April 2011. At that point, Mongoose lost all rights to continue using the RuneQuest trademark, or to create and publish material derivative from the previous copywritten material, or to issue any sublicenses based on that agreement. Since Mongoose no longer had any rights to RuneQuest, it has no ability to issue a third-party license to that material (which is all an OGL is).
Q: I would like a license to produce stuff for the Magic World RPG.
A: While Chaosium won’t be publishing anything further for Magic World ourselves, we will continue to sell the Magic World core rulebooks for the foreseeable future. License requests should only be for supplements, sourcebooks and accessories.
Q: I would like a license to produce stuff for Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion/ Larry Niven’s Ringworld/ Wendy & Richard Pini’s ElfQuest.
A: Chaosium does not currently have the rights to produce new materials in these settings; consequently, we do not offer licenses either.
Q: What does YGWV (“Your Glorantha Will Vary”) mean? How does this apply to fan and licensed products?
A: “Your Glorantha Will Vary” is long-established principle in Gloranthan fandom. First espoused by the creator of the setting himself, Greg Stafford, in a nutshell what it means is you are free and welcome to take what you want from the incredibly rich tapestry of myth, magic, history and wonder of Glorantha for use in your own games. We work closely with our Commercial licensees to ensure what they publish is in alignment with our published products, but Fan content creators have no such obligation. The “official” canon for the world is found in material published by Chaosium/Moon Design Publications, with what is presented in The Guide to Glorantha and The Glorantha Sourcebook as definitive.
Q: Can I pay my royalties in product instead of cash?
A: Chaosium once commonly asked to receive royalties in the form of product. We no longer do that. Your license will stipulate how many samples of your finished product you need to send us, but all royalties and license fees are strictly paid in cash.
Q: Will you sell my licensee products on chaosium.com and at your booth at conventions?
A: While we are happy to support and promote our licensees, unfortunately due to the complexities of such situations from a warehousing, inventory, tax and accounting point of view we do not sell licensee products.
Q: I am planning a fund-raiser for a worthy cause (e.g. a charity, a convention, a campaign) - can I get Chaosium support of that, and under what terms?
A: We receive requests from charitable causes frequently, and we cannot support them all. We review all such requests carefully, and would want to see that the charitable activity you are undertaking is properly registered where it is taking place, and that we are broadly simpatico with its aims.
Some of the charities and charitable causes we’ve supported recently include Worldbuilders (Geeks Doing Good), the Transgender Law Center, the World Wildlife Fund of Australia Bushfire Emergency, the World Health Organisation's Covid-19 Solidarity Fund, the World Food Programme, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, National Bailout Organization, Herefordshire Mind Mental Health Charity, ZERO Prostate Cancer, among others.
Q: I want to see the Milton Bradley HeroQuest board game back in print - what is happening with that?
A: Please refer to: https://heroquest.avalonhill.com
Q: What is the Miskatonic Repository, and how does that fit with Chaosium Licensing and Fan Use?
A: The Miskatonic Repository is Chaosium's community content resource on DriveThruRPG. It is another way to publish and distribute Call of Cthulhu content you have written, including original scenarios, settings, spells and more. You create content, format it to our design template, and then upload the PDF to the site. Your work becomes part of the Miskatonic Repository content on DriveThruRPG – able to be accessed by the community and, optionally, providing a financial return to you.
The Miskatonic Repository is a separate element from our licensing structure and does not supersede any existing license – it essentially works separately in parallel, if you choose to contribute to the program.
Chaosium has created easy to use style templates (in both MS Word and Adobe InDesign) and free Art Packs specifically created for the Miskatonic Repository to help you create your own content. For more information about the Miskatonic Repository, see the Guidelines and Support Pages at DriveThruRPG.
Q: What is the Explorer's Society, and how does that fit with Chaosium Licensing and Fan Use?
A: The Explorer's Society is Chaosium's community content resource on DriveThruRPG for the 7th Sea Roleplaying Game. It operates in the same way as the Miskatonic Repository.
Q: What is the Jonstown Compendium, and how does that fit with Chaosium Licensing and Fan Use?
A: The Jonstown Compendium is Chaosium's community content resource on DriveThruRPG for the roleplaying in Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha with RuneQuest, Questworlds (formerly HeroQuest Glorantha), and 13th Age Glorantha. It operates in the same way as the Miskatonic Repository.
Q: If I'm a community content creator and have a Patreon account, can I share my creations with my patrons?
A: Under our Fan Materials Policy you can use indirect methods to monetize your content, such as website advertising/banner ads, a tip jar (e.g. Kofi) on your website, or a Patreon account. If you use Patreon, you cannot directly monetize digital products containing Chaosium IP. However, extracts from works in progress (but not completed works) can be shared as part of a free tier or a monthly subscription, or on a pay per post basis.
- Patreon can be used to share previews/extracts from community content work-in-progress, but not completed works. Aligning with the OneBookShelf Subscription Crowdfunding Policy, all final drafts/completed works must only be shared via DTRPG, because the OneBookShelf community content programme T&Cs require exclusivity.
- Creators must attach a copyright notice to any work containing Chaosium / Moon Design IP.
- Patreon creators may share DriveThruRPG “discount voucher” codes (e.g. free or discounted links to their community content publications) with their members. Note that free or very cheap sales do not count towards best-seller medals.
Q. What happens if my Fan Site or Commercial License does not comply with the terms?
A: If we become aware of an issue, we will get in touch with you to resolve the matter. If we can’t resolve the problem, we may need to take further action, which could include terminating your rights under the agreement or even legal action. Our Commercial license has clauses outlining what happens in the event of such things as nonpayment of royalties or licence fees, and other breaches or defaults.
Q: What is the relationship between Chaosium and VeVe?
A: In July 2021 Chaosium partnered with VeVe Digital Collectables, along with with some of the biggest popular culture brands in the world (including Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros, and many others). The 100% carbon neutral environmental impact of VeVe's NFTs was crucial in our decision making. With our licensee TYPE40, we built an NFT creation model that is protective and respectful of the artists involved—with the digital collectables created all entirely new and original, and the artists involved sharing fully in the proceeds of their sale.
Based on both our research and experience with them, we believe that VeVe is an ethical company, pioneering a new digital community for collectors which uses this distributed ledger technology in a legitimate, meaningful, and environmentally responsible way. But we appreciate that issues relating to NFTs are increasingly complex and controversial, and have suspended our future plans in this area while we address the concerns of the tabletop gaming community. We do not have another scheduled release on VeVe or any other NFT marketplace. We will never require anyone to own an NFT/digital collectible to enjoy any Chaosium product or game.