legally scanned PDFs

sckeener · May 30, 2006

I'm going through a divorce and this is the first time I've had to live in an apartment. I need to reduce space and I was thinking about scanning in my books and magazines. What do I need to keep to make this legal? I assume cover/backcover with the barcode. If so, my plan is to just create a file drawer for the covers/backcovers and toss the rest of the pages.

If scanning in my stuff will not allow me to toss most of my paper products, I need to know as it will not solve my problem.

Is it possible for me to scan my books and get rid of most of the paper? Is there a certain percentage of the book I need to keep?

jaerdaph · May 30, 2006

You should ask a lawyer. All you will get here is a different opinion from everyone and their brother, most of whom aren't even lawyers.

Garnfellow · May 30, 2006

This is a practical response rather than a legal one. I'm assuming you don't have access to professional high speed scanning materials.

If your physcial RPG stuff is small enough to be easily scanned in, it's probably small enough to find SOMEPLACE to stash it temporarily, maybe under a bed on in a friend's closet or whatever. If, on the other hand, your physical RPG collection is so large that you couldn't possibly find even a temporary refuge, it's probably so large that scanning would be a colossal pain in the butt and a gigantic time suck. Maybe one of those rental storage bins would be more economical for you.

sckeener · May 30, 2006

jaerdaph said:
You should ask a lawyer. All you will get here is a different opinion from everyone and their brother, most of whom aren't even lawyers.

What kind of IP lawyer would you think then? I'm not planning on living internationally (in the US), so I think I will only have to worry about federal/state IP. Has anyone else here hired an attorney and asked this question? What is proof of purchase (just the barcode?)

Garnfellow said:
This is a practical response rather than a legal one. I'm assuming you don't have access to professional high speed scanning materials.

If your physcial RPG stuff is small enough to be easily scanned in, it's probably small enough to find SOMEPLACE to stash it temporarily, maybe under a bed on in a friend's closet or whatever. If, on the other hand, your physical RPG collection is so large that you couldn't possibly find even a temporary refuge, it's probably so large that scanning would be a colossal pain in the butt and a gigantic time suck. Maybe one of those rental storage bins would be more economical for you.

I have access to a professional high speed scanner. The main problem would just be taking the pages apart. Scanning it will be trivial. My plan was to pay for storage and then work through my stack with the hope of reducing it enough to not need storage.

sckeener · May 30, 2006

One lawyer call later. Take this with a grain of salt, I talked to an IP attorney for an Oil Company. His solution would stop my continuing problem, but not reduce it. His solution is to keep the receipt with the barcode as proof of purchase.

I'll talk to some more and see. Since I do not have the receipts for past purchases [except for those I purchased online], I'm hoping I can do something else.

Twin Rose · May 31, 2006

Maybe one solution would be to find (cheap) PDF versions for sale, for those you don't have receipts for anymore? Especially 2nd edition wotc products and stuff are litterally a buck or two if I remember correctly. And other publishers may be willing to help you out in some form or another.

sckeener · May 31, 2006

Twin Rose said:
Maybe one solution would be to find (cheap) PDF versions for sale, for those you don't have receipts for anymore? Especially 2nd edition wotc products and stuff are litterally a buck or two if I remember correctly. And other publishers may be willing to help you out in some form or another.

Yeah, I'm leaning that way. I think my free time is worth more. Scanning is quick...OCRing & taking the pages apart, not so quick.

Expect to see a flood of old RPGs on ebay soon

Unless someone knows a place I can get a better price?

So...a list of RPG pdf stores?

http://shop.enworld.org/
http://paizo.com/store/downloads
http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?cPath=_1
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/index.php

Did I miss any?

I figure for current stuff 3rd/3.5 editions and other RPGs, I'll look and see if I can find them on sale or bargin bins for the receipt...plus it'll give me two chances when removing the pages from the binding

Never thought I'd miss the old bindings from 1st edition Unearthed Arcana...loose pages everywhere.

Wystan · May 31, 2006

You might still have a problem, as you are selling the original and keeping a copy. ASAIK and IANAL...You are legally allowed one backup copy of things you own, however the caveat is you must still own the original.

imajicastudio · May 31, 2006

You could sell the book on Ebay or to whomever and use that money to put toward the exact same pdf.....

Nellisir · May 31, 2006

Wystan said:
You might still have a problem, as you are selling the original and keeping a copy. ASAIK and IANAL...You are legally allowed one backup copy of things you own, however the caveat is you must still own the original.

If he rips all the pages out and scans them, I think it'll be a hard resell.

legally scanned PDFs

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