D&D INSIDER CLARIFICATION...e-books/extras

[Vrecknidj]

Solution 8. When you purchase the book, the retailer's receipt contains a code that is part of the process by which activation takes place. I know this would be a problem for some purchasers and some retailers, but it could be mollified by the old "...or send in your receipt to this address for a confirmation code by mail."

Dave

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Solution 1: Code is not visible by simply flipping to back of book, rather it is under a "tear off". This would require you to actually "damage" a book you haven't paid for to get it. You get caught, that's destruction of property.

Solution 2: Code is on a mini-CD, so unless you either steal the disc, or brought a lap-top, you're not going to be able to get the code without buying the book and taking it home.

Solution 3: each book has an identifiable scan code so that WotC knows when it has _actually_ been purchased. You write down the code and attempt to use it and it won't work unless book has been scanned by retailer.

Solution 4: unlocking book with code also requires input of code or information from the receipt. No receipt, no working code.

Solution 5: Explosive Runes

Very creative list you have here.

There are two easier methods which come to mind:

1) Put all books in shrink wrap and burden the shops with the task of protecting it. They are sure to be delighted by the prospect of looking after every potential customer that he does not open it. Or they just donate one copy of each book for their browsing customers.

2) WotC has learned from the software company's and music industry's doomed fight against piracy and does ... nothing. Use the method Scott has described to us and ignore it when a book is unlocked a second time. Getting 1$-2$ for each "pirated" copy of a book surely beats investing large amounts of money in a protection scheme which will be broken into anyway.

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Huldvoll winkend

Jan van Leyden

 

[Keefe the Thief]

I bet my money on method nr. 2 by Jan van Leyden

 

[Paraxis]

WotC has learned from the software company's and music industry's doomed fight against piracy and does ... nothing. Use the method Scott has described to us and ignore it when a book is unlocked a second time. Getting 1$-2$ for each "pirated" copy of a book surely beats investing large amounts of money in a protection scheme which will be broken into anyway

Thirded.

I worked for a company that tried to prevent alot of theft and slimy schemes people came up with but in the end the cost of such measures outweighed the actual loss.

With pdf files it does seem like a waste of resources and capital to invest heavly into something that in the end won't stop people.

One of the members of my group is a big time torrent user (I am not and give him lectures all the time about his activities but it doesn't change anything, he has a twisted entitlement attitiude) who can get any WoTC product by going to torrent sites whenever he wants.

If its by stealing someones code from a book on a shelf or some torrent user scanning the whole book and putting it online, the scumbags will still get the pdf copies. So might as well charge some of them the 1-2$'s for the better looking verison and not worry about them, will end up saving WoTC money in the long run...all those ideas that are good above like numbers on the recipt and activated cards ect all cost tons of money.

One other thing, the whole shrink wrap idea is a good one aswell. The cost probably is not on the scale of some of the others but the FLGS will support it or should. In an info packet that comes with a display copy of each book (that doesn't hava a unluck code or is blacked out) just remind them that any pirated copies that people will get by getting into the shrink wrap and looking at the number is atleast one less copy they will not sell maybe more.
Those FLGS will take more precauctions when the possible loss is demonstrated to effect them and their profits, by this piracy.

 

[Warbringer]

[Sarcasm]The key is random: you key in the letters from a random page, paragraph and line, remaining active for the encounter only.[/Sarcasm]

I'm guessing the books will now be sealed. Something I surprised WoTC hasn't done in the past

 

[Hussar]

Oh, I really, really hope that shrink wrapping doesn't come back. I will never buy another shrink wrapped RPG product again. If I can't thumb through it first, check the editing and see if I actually like the book, I'm not going to buy it.

 

[Kunimatyu]

2) WotC has learned from the software company's and music industry's doomed fight against piracy and does ... nothing. Use the method Scott has described to us and ignore it when a book is unlocked a second time. Getting 1$-2$ for each "pirated" copy of a book surely beats investing large amounts of money in a protection scheme which will be broken into anyway.

Having gamed with a lot of college students, piracy is fairly common, even after I instituted a "at least one person must have a physical copy of whatever feat/PrC/spell you're using at the table" rule.

However, the upside is that every single one of them was motivated to go out and buy books(in some cases, really ridiculous numbers of them), and they wouldn't have been motivated without the "free" PDF stuff to get them started.

It's a tricky situation, but the approach WotC is going for sounds like the right way to me.