Waller
Legend
DriveThruRPG updated its 'publisher conduct guidelines' this week. While they are free to do business with who they want, as a near-monopoly --- well...
That's not a condition I've ever seen a store insist on, and it's one that only a monopoly could impose.
The DTRPG link is pretty obscure. I've never seen it, and had to hunt for it while writing this. Yeah, it's there. No, I'm sure it doesn't drive any traffic to anywhere. I guess publishers can bury a link in the cellar too.
This is the 'don't criticize us' clause. 'Hostile Marketing' is a term they made up. Not only can you not suggest any impropriety on the part of DTRPG, you can't support it either (what does that mean?)
Look, sure, they can do busniess with who they want, and I'm personally happy when the racists and stuff get booted. But when you're a near-monopoly threatening anybody who dares even talk about that with near industry-wide expulsion it's really problematic.
Boot the racists. Good! But if you're a near-monoply and banning people from even talking about that? That's a different thing. Let's not do that, please.
Release Schedule: We expect that if you create a title that you wish to sell at our store, you will release that title on our store within 24 hours of releasing it elsewhere.
That's not a condition I've ever seen a store insist on, and it's one that only a monopoly could impose.
Links: We ask that you put a link to our store on your website. In turn, we offer consumers a link to your website from each of your titles’ product description pages.
The DTRPG link is pretty obscure. I've never seen it, and had to hunt for it while writing this. Yeah, it's there. No, I'm sure it doesn't drive any traffic to anywhere. I guess publishers can bury a link in the cellar too.
Hostile Marketing: Our policy regarding potentially offensive content (see Product Standards Guidelines) reported by customers is to deactivate such titles while they are being reviewed. Publishers who deliberately court controversy by making public declarations or accusations of censorship resulting from this process in order to draw attention to their products will be considered to use hostile marketing.
Publishers who direct or support public accusations of impropriety or censorship toward OneBookShelf when their controversial titles are rejected or removed from our marketplace will also be considered to use hostile marketing.
This behavior will not be tolerated. We have adopted a strict one-warning policy for those who engage in hostile marketing: The first incident will prompt a warning, and after a second incident, their accounts will be removed from our site permanently and immediately.
This is the 'don't criticize us' clause. 'Hostile Marketing' is a term they made up. Not only can you not suggest any impropriety on the part of DTRPG, you can't support it either (what does that mean?)
Look, sure, they can do busniess with who they want, and I'm personally happy when the racists and stuff get booted. But when you're a near-monopoly threatening anybody who dares even talk about that with near industry-wide expulsion it's really problematic.
Boot the racists. Good! But if you're a near-monoply and banning people from even talking about that? That's a different thing. Let's not do that, please.