Web Site About Omok/Ninuki/Pente
Phillip Criswell
Ninuki-Renju ...
http://users.abac.com/MeriBird/Omok/
It has a short history of the game, a description of the rules and a
notational system, some common handicaps, a glossary of terms, a list
of available software and links to other sites that are related to the
game. Someday, it'll have a short tutorial too.
I saw a thread asking about "good, quick two-player games without a
lot of rules" a couple of days ago. This game qualifies.
Let me know what you think about the site.
Michael Ward
news:F69s7.5213$ev2....@www.newsranger.com...
Your website looks very nice.
I was unaware that this game was not invented by Gary Gabrel of Stillwater,
Oklahoma. To quote from the instruction booklet of my 1979 edition of Pente,
"The idea for Pente was conceived while I was a student at Oklahoma State
University in 1973." He goes on to say its a variation based on several
oriental games, among them are Go, Niniku-Rinju and Go-Moku.
If, as your website suggests, that Ninuki-Renju Sha (which I assume is the
same thing as the Niniku-Rinju that Mr. Gabrel spoke of) and Pente are
exactly the same thing, then what pray tell did Mr. Gabrel copyright in
1977? He says its a variant. You seem to indicate that the three games
mentioned on your website are really the same game (e.g. you cite only one
rule set for all) that just have different names in different countries.
What's wrong with this picture?
It sounds like either Mr. Gabrel was able to copyright something that's
really in the public domain, or there really are some differences between
Pente and the oriental games. If so, and you know what they are, you might
want to mention them on your website.
Michael Ward
Fort Worth, Texas
Phillip Criswell
..
>
>I was unaware that this game was not invented by Gary Gabrel of Stillwater,
>Oklahoma. To quote from the instruction booklet of my 1979 edition of Pente,
>"The idea for Pente was conceived while I was a student at Oklahoma State
>University in 1973." He goes on to say its a variation based on several
>oriental games, among them are Go, Niniku-Rinju and Go-Moku.
The game that I was shown, in Korea, and the game described in the current
edition of Pente are identical. The game described by Edward Lasker as
Ninuki-Renju, in his 1945 book "Modern Chess Strategy," is also, exactly,
the same game.
The publishers of the current edition of Pente do not, as far as I can
tell, claim ownership of the game. The word Pente is owned by Parker Bros,
when it is used in this context. The design of their equipment (with the
Greek decorative motif) is copyrighted. Presumably, the specific wording
in their publications is also covered by copyright, but I saw no claims
to a patent on the game itself. This makes sense, because the game itself
is very old.
I don't have access to the 1979 edition of the game. Does it really
mention Ninuki-Renju, or just Renju? Plain Renju, and some variations
of Omok, do not allow captures. I was under the impression that Gabrel
was not aware of Ninuki-Renju and Omok when he started selling his game.
I have no idea whether or not the government awarded him a patent on it
back in the 70s, when few people would have known about the Japanese and
Korean games.
Are you sure your edition of the game says that Pente is patented? If so,
I too would find this a little puzzling, especially since a later edition
of the US Pente Association's newsletter published a transcript of a
Japanese game played in 1924.
Michael Ward
Slight correction. My game is really a June 1981 edition (not 1979). On page
2 of the rules booklet it says...
Co-authored by Gary Gabrel and Tom Braunlich (I assume this means
co-authored the rule book)
Published by PENTE GAMES, INC. P.O. Box 1546 Stillwater, OK 74074
Fourth Edition Over 300,000 copies in print
Copyright 1977, 1979, 1981 by Gary Gabrel All rights reserved
Yes, the games I quoted previously are exactly what it says in the rules
booklet. I saw no mention of a patent, just a copyright.
By the by, I also have a book called Pente Strategy by Tom Braunlich,
copyright 1984 by Pente Games, Inc. The Preface, in part says... "It
already had a long rich history having evolved originally from the ancient
Chinese game of GO (the other name for it is Wei-chi) into the Japanese form
Go-moku. In 1973 I discovered these games, and with a few simple
modifications, created Pente." ..... " Parker Brothers Games purchased the
worldwide rights to Pente on January 1, 1984." ...... "Gary Gabrel
Inventor of Pente"
Maybe you're right. Maybe Gabrel only copyrighted pasting on the Greek
board motif and his rule book. Maybe that's all his "few simple
modifications" were!
Allan Goodall
>Maybe you're right. Maybe Gabrel only copyrighted pasting on the Greek
>board motif and his rule book. Maybe that's all his "few simple
>modifications" were!
I'll add that the rule book itself can be copyrighted. While the game, and the
rules themselves, may be in the public domain, the publisher can copyright
their writing.
For instance, if you right a book on the history of chess and include a
complete set of rules, that book has your copyright. If someone takes your
book and tries to sell it, or tries to post it on a web site, then they have
infringed your copyright.
The Pente rulebook is copyrighted. That doesn't mean you can't copy the game.
You may find that "Pente" is trademarked, in which case you couldn't call your
game "Pente". You could call it something like "GoEasy" and publish the same
game, as long as you rewrote the rules into your own words.
Allan Goodall a...@sympatico.ca
Goodall's Grotto: http://www.vex.net/~agoodall
"Now, see, if you combine different colours of light,
you get white! Try that with Play-Doh and you get
brown! How come?" - Alan Moore & Kevin Nolan,
"Jack B. Quick, Boy Inventor"