General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
I own hardcovers and I own PDFs legally. Can I print my PDFs to use at the gametable?
From what I understand, legally purchased copies of 4E have been disseminated to other gamers online and have resulted in a civil suit. Fair enough, I completely understand this.
Can I print and share my legally-purchased PDFs for usage at the gametable? I own a hardcover and a PDF. If so, how many copies can I print without infracting on WotC's IP?
It depends, but if it's not specifically mentioned in the agreement, I would think (IANAL), printing a few copies, passing them around your table, and collecting them when the night's over would be fine. Certainly printing one copy for use at the table would be OK.
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As I understand it, as long as you own the pdf, you're allowed to make copies or print it for your own personal use freely. If you're allowed to sell it (this may or may not be the case), you have to delete/destroy all copies once you no longer own it.
Now, printing multiple copies to distribute at your gaming table would probably be stretching it. AFAIK, strictly speaking you're not even allowed to let others read your pdf. I definitely would be careful if you're playing in a public place (like a game store).
Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer, this is just my personal understanding.
The answer to almost every copyright question is "it depends."
Some of the activities mentioned in this thread including copying, public display, and public distribution are some of the infringing actions under US law. Unless they're not. :P
In order to not be an infringement, that particular action needs to fall under one of the limitations on the author's exclusive rights, fall under a different use (i.e., private rather than public usage, which is not well theorized under US copyright law- see Jessica Litman's article on Lawful Personal Use, freely available through SSRN), or somehow affected by something else. (I'm being vague here, but there are other circumstances and can make a particular action illegal- such the circumventing a technological protection measure).
The limitations on copyright are mostly covered in 17 USC sections 107-112, and include things like certain educational uses, uses by libraries and archives, the doctrine of first sale, and probably the one most relevant to this discussion, fair use.
So in this situation, you've got two main threads: personal use (not well theorized, and in court cases generally argued as a fair use), or fair use itself. Fair use is vague and requires an evaluation on the totality of four factors (listed in 17 USC 107). Furthermore, additional actions you take would affect your fair use argument. Are you copying shorter excerpts of materials for others to use? Are you copying it only for your own use? What happens to the copies at the end of the game? How many people are you distributing to? All of those can factor into an evaluation- and ultimately, it has to come to a suit to determine whether or not you were correct. Fair use serves an important purpose in copyright law, but it's kind of hard for the average person to knowingly assert it without some familiarity with doing so.
I would argue that printing something you own- absent a technological protection measure or license/contract that disallows it- is a legal use. In fact, I would further argue that private distribution- say, for example, making a copy for your child- is also legal. I think that you had to ask about it (and it's a perfectly legitimate question in current circumstances) is kind of sad. ^^; That is my personal opinion, though. This is not legal advice. Make your own evaluation related to whether or not your given use is fair. Ultimately, fair use can be asserted as an affirmative defense in a court of law, but there's always at least some small amount of risk involved.
You can print as many as you like but they have to be for your personal use only. So at the game table everyone can borrow them but not take them home (although that is fuzzy cos you can lend our books but this does leave you open to accusations of giving them away).
Quote:
Originally Posted by RPGnow.com
Can I put my eBooks on more than one computer/device?
Yes, most of our products are either unencrypted or watermarked and can be used on any computer that has an updated Adobe Reader program installed
What can I do with my eBooks?
First, the one thing you should not do is make a copy of the eBook for another person. Contrary to what many file-sharing sites would have us believe, doing that is a copyright violation and more importantly, it seriously erodes the ability of publishers to continue to offer the best gaming products possible. It's not like our publishers are minting millions as it is, so your support against copyright piracy is always appreciated.
Watermarked eBooks
You may print your eBooks, and copy as many selections to the clipboard as you wish
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Last edited by mach1.9pants; 11th April 2009 at 10:26 AM..
You can print as many as you like but they have to be for your personal use only. So at the game table everyone can borrow them but not take them home (although that is fuzzy cos you can lend our books but this does leave you open to accusations of giving them away).
I don't think that you can. If I buy one hardcover only one person can look at it at a time (unless they're looking over someones shoulder). Therefore if I buy one pdf only one person can look at it at a time. If the DM has a copy on his computer he can't have the file open and be letting someone look at the paper copy he's printed. Otherwise one pdf is substituting for two copies at the same time, which the hardcover can't do.
[At least in the USA, and IANAL]
If I buy one hardcover only one person can look at it at a time (unless they're looking over someones shoulder).
Edit: ah sorry I misread your post. I am afraid just because with a print version only one person (or several over the shoulder) can read it at a time that has nothing to do with what you can do with a file. You are within your rights to photocopy that book 1,000 times as long as you do not give one of those copies away. What you can practically do with a physical copy has nothing to do with what you can legally do with an electronic one. So it is your property to do what you like with as long as you don't violate copyright, i.e. reproduce it for others. Now this is something that has been debated long and hard with music. And in my country (and AFAIK it has become case law in the US as well) you can copy your own music/books/whatever. To make backups or whatever. The RIAA would have you believe that ripping a CD to your laptop is piracy, but it is not. So same for your PDF.
p.s. The fact you own hardcovers has nothing to do with what you can do with your PDF.
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Last edited by mach1.9pants; 11th April 2009 at 01:34 PM..
Oh wow, how did our copyright laws get so silly in the first place?
Can I print a copy of The Player's Handbook pdf for my dog? He can't read, so I don't see how this would infringe on any rights.
I'd hate to have to buy him a hard copy; he might pee on it.
LOL omg thats funny!
Just because the world is copyright crazy, doesn't mean you have to walk around checking EULAs before you do anything. I'm sure many of us photocopied pages back in the day without paying for the books twice, or even once.
Just use your own judgment. Sharing a few pages with friends is fine, I don't care what the laws say.
Last edited by tmatk; 11th April 2009 at 09:04 PM..
Its covered under the "Fair Use" clause in the US Copyright law. Basically, if you are using it, either for yourself, or for games in your home, your OK. IF you ever give a copy to another person (give means they keep it), then you get into trouble.
However if your copying full rule books, hundreds of pages long, multiple times, then you are entering into questionable territory.
To sum up, if you do not distribute/give it away, do not sell it, keep the copies in your custody at all times, your safe. If others are found with copies that can be proven to originate from you, outside of your possession/control, you can be in trouble.
Clear enough?
If you want better clarification go see your head librarian at a school, college, or public library. They have been to many seminars about this very topic.
__________________ It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters give in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.
I guess its technically illegal, thats why character sheets and stuff say "permission granted to copy for personal use"
No, you can, by law, make at least one "copy" of any book you own. Now that one copy can only be another physical copy, or a digital copy, not both. Now if you bought multiple copies, physical, and/or digital, you are able to have one additional copy of each purchased version.
So what that "permission" really means is that you can make more than one copy, as long as its for personal use, for either your own characters, or characters played by others in your game. Without that permission you could only have one copy made at any given time and remain within the law.
See?
__________________ It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters give in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.
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