Hello, I am curently building a mush named Blade Runner based on the movie with the same name and P.K Dick's book "Do androids dream of electric sheep". I was wondering if I will have any legal issues concerning copyright.
If someone has previous experience with this sort of things please tell me what i should do.

Simple answer: Yes! The intellectual property owner could shut you down or even sue you for using his/her/its intellectual property without leave.

--matt

However if you write to the author (assuming they are still around) quite often they will give you permission for a non-profit use of their work (since the worst case scenario is a few more people buying the book).

I know of at least one mud which has done that.

You could also do a mud set in the same style/theme of world as blade runner without breaching copyright, although it's a fine line to walk.

Well no, actually the worst case scenario is that, should the author later wish to license his work to a company which wishes to produce a commercial game, the mud/s will be seen as competition for that company, and will therefore threaten the authors chances of realising a profit.

However you're quite right in that many authors are willing to give permission. Just be careful though, because many will also reserve the right to withdraw that permission at a later date (meaning you'd have to scrap your mud).

What do you do when the author is dead?

I ask because in this case the author (Phillip K Dick) is dead and has been for 11 years.

I remember something from school concerning copyrights and dying and 100 years from when the creator dies (not the copyright holder, but the actual creator/author).

If the author created the work after January 1st 1978, the protection will endure for 70 years after his death (although the expiration is always at the end of a calender year, I believe). Joint copyrights remain for 70 years after the death of the last surviving author. Anonymous and pseudonymous works and works made for hire expire 95 years from the year of first publication or 120 years from the year of creation, whichever expires first.

Teehee,
All I know is that now I feel obligated to go and play on this game.
Except I have a feeling I'm going to log on and be immediately shot or touched in inapproriate ways.
Maybe this joke is a bit obscure? Oh well, if you do get it, it's comedy gold, people.

Pris

You might want to check with Warner Brothers too since they did the movie and might have the current rights to it.
...ok, not to "Do Andriods..." but the "Blade Runner" bit they might..