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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dvvega" data-source="post: 2989517" data-attributes="member: 524">PREAMBLE:Personally I love your spreadsheet and when I replicate things I don't post them anywhere. They are for my campaign only. And before it is asked, my players don't even have a copy of the stuff I replicate. Because if I gave it to them I would be distributing copyrighted material.This isn't an attack on you as a producer of a great piece of work. It isn't even meant to be an attack. More a clarification of what a lot of posters are trying to explain.Unfortunately you cannot hide behind the "I am not doing it - the users are doing it". You host the information after it is created, thus you are helping them pass around copyrighted material. You are 100% correct that the formulas are owned by the people who create the data. However that does not instantly make the whole equal to the sum of the parts. Why? Because those formulae are replicating information from someone's copyrighted material. The forumlae may not be infringement but the data that they generate is.Of course if it is all from the SRD or new inventions from those users then there is no problem, but if it is not then there is a problem.Now the question would be: would Wizard's really care? Probably not. However as a software developer that has had revenue stolen because of the whole pirating attitude, I do understand the plight of developers and producers of "stuff" and how copyright infringement affects them.For example: would you, Ritz21, be happy for someone to take your spreadsheet, and replicate it 100% then start handing it out for free. I would hazard that you wouldn't.However that is exactly what is being done to Wizard's (and whoever elses') work. Your users are replicating Wizards data and then giving it away for free. For example if I didn't want to buy Races of Stone I could download the races and classes for your spreadsheet and I would have most of the cruch without the fluff.The argument that if you stop them they will go do it themselves (regarding posting of material) is also not a valid one since right now you condone the distribution. If you said "no more" and they went and set up a website themselves then it is they who are solely responsibly.-- Obviously in a ranting mood today</blockquote>

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