GSL and Pie

So Mike Mearls, lead developer on the D&D 4E and former OGL designer, has some well-reasoned and thoughtful comments on the earlier Open Gaming License, in part to give a sense of history as WotC moves into its Game System License (GSL) for 4E. He's pretty accurate about successes and weaknesses, and the comments pick up the parts he misses, in particular the turning potential competition into content producers.

I can only add the following - the big discussion at the start of the OGL process was between the concepts of "Keeping the Pie" and "Making the Pie Bigger by Sharing". While I can point out the various hazards of the OGL (particularly in the early years, when we were learning what worked and what didn't), in general, I have to call it a success.

More later,

Update: What's all the fuss about? Want to know without having to wade through the legalese? Morrus over at ENWorld has posted a very readable GSL for Dummies summary.