piracy is a problem

[Irda Ranger]

What are the pirates *producing*?

For the book-reader? Access and convenience. The only business models more convenient than PirateBay are Amazon and iTunes (two very profitable companies), but even Amazon isn't selling the books yet (no access).

Don't get me wrong, I think the guys who scan and bundle dozens of books just because they can are jerks, but it's equally unfair to bundle in everyone in the same bucket. As someone pointed out up-thread, the Swordmage will probably be pirated a lot if WotC insists on only selling it bundled with the FRCS. The most common form of piracy is a market-failure signal, and one Wizards should look for and say: Ah! We could be making money here!

 

[FunkBGR]

I like that my money goes to support cool people like Mike Mearls.

 

[Obryn]

You obviously never played in a group where over half of the players were playing with a laptop with a pirated version of the 3.5 Player's Handbook.

Have you?

No, seriously. I've never heard of such a thing and wonder if it exists.

I've used the SRD as a DM aid, but that's about it.

-O

 

[Zimri]

And you're correct, though, "pirates" is the wrong term. Real pirates risked their lives for their booty. They at least had some courage. They looked their enemies in the eye and fought them face to face.

So Lennox Lewis (for example) facing Bill Gates (for example) and pummeling him into the ground and taking his stuff is the model of life risking courage in your eyes ?

Pirates largely attacked unprotected merchant ships on the open seas. They out numbered and out skilled the people they faced. I think you may have watched one too many Jack Sparrow movies.

 

[The_Warlock]

*I* am being robbed.

So, I just want to apply this to another situation to make sure I understand.

I buy a novel.

I read a novel.

I recommend and offer the novel to my friend.

Who reads the novel.

If he gives it back, I recommend it to others.

The friend may either have not liked it, and will likely never buy anything by that author.

The friend may have really enjoyed it, and in my experience, does not go out and immediately buy a copy of said novel, but may consider buying future novels by said author.

Having recommended the novel to my circle of friends, and done with it, I offer to swap it with co-workers, etc, or in fact give it to the local public library who does not in fact charge for any number of people to take the book out and read it, so long as it's back in time for more people to read it.

At which point I have robbed you.

I am neither supporting nor decrying modern, wide distribution data sharing. But I am having a hard time following the logic in your statement.

No offense, but the flow of information among human beings, regardless of it's distribution method, does not so clearly translate into theft and parasitism as you make it.

 

[Transit]

People keep claiming that piracy won't hurt 4E, because the people who want to play 4E have already decided to buy the books anyway.

Where it will hurt is with the people who are on the fence about switching to 4E, who are preordering out of curiosity but may cancel their preorders once they get to actually read the 4E rules.

Or someone may read the rules and decide that they will buy 4E in the future, but not feel the need to rush out and buy it anytime soon.

Even if it's just a 5% drop in sales, or a 10% drop in sales. Anything that causes less books to be sold is bad for 4E. Anything that causes fewer people to play 4E is bad for 4E.

And I did notice that the core gift set has dropped to #8 on the Amazon bestseller list since the torrents started circulating.

Coincidence?

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Who's to say WoTC didn't leak this themselves to generate more interest?

And... Stopping piracy has nothing to do with limiting the technology and everything to do with changing the behavior.

The technology can't be limited, and people's behavior isn't going to change. Companies will adapt, or they will die.

Modern technology has changed the landscape of commerce. You can't apply the same generalizations to software piracy as you do to shop lifting.

Whether people want to admit it or not, they are not the same thing. The world has changed. Morals have changed. And the laws will have to change.

And all the inflamatory labels like "thief" and "parasite" isn't enough to make it stop.

 

[Farkadenear]

I will be getting the pdf's for sure and also the hardcopy, Once I found out the pdf's were not scans and had selectable text etc I was definately stoked to get them.

The search function is your friend.

FKN

 

[Counterspin]

I'd say pirating is more like symbiosis actually. There are upsides, in that a leaked copy can lead to more interest, increasing sales. People who would never have made the initial investment sight unseen get hold of the pdfs and decide to pony up. There are a great many neutrals. People who were never going to buy the books. People who downloaded the pdfs but are going to go on and purchase the books as well. And there are of course downsides, people who represent business lost to torrents. The question of course, is where the balance is. All this cry and hue about pirates is all well and good, but every pdf download does not translate into a lost sale, and some produce more sales. Since we have little idea what the breakdown is it seems silly to get wrapped up in an argument about it.

 

[Aus_Snow]

No offense, but the flow of information among human beings, regardless of it's distribution method, does not so clearly translate into theft and parasitism as you make it.

I agree with a lot of what you said in your post, essentially, but it isn't usually just 'information', of course. It's a product. Likewise, music (generally) isn't just a bunch of 1s and 0s (for example). It's produced (generally speaking) by individuals who mightn't be able to do it at all if it weren't for the profits in selling the product. Same goes for books, et al.

I know that, on the other hand, a lot of the money doesn't go to the creators, much of the time. But that's not their fault. They still need there to be a viable industry, whatever it might be, so they can keep making stuff for people to enjoy.

Admittedly, I do make some money from creative pursuits, and I also buy PDFs, and have bought some mp3s. So, I guess that could be bias. . .?