Hell has frozen over..DriveThruRPG selling non-DRM books

[micromaximum]

This is cool news, but I have a question. Suppose my computer is hacked (because, you know, there is a huge hacker demand for RPG PDFs). Now my PDF with my name watermarked in it is out there, through no fault of my own.

The likelyhood of something like that occuring is pretty low. However, a more likely alternative scenario would be someone purchasing watermarked PDFs using illegally obtained credit card information and then distributing PDFs bearing the victim's name. Still unlikely, but I can imagine a teenager using their parents' credit card and then distributing the PDF. I think embedding financial information in an easily distributed file is a pretty bad idea. At least online ordering systems use SSL, but PDFs are delivered via FTP which is unsecure.

Embedding the name is more about trying to shame a person into not distributing the file or to discourage a person from making copies for friends who might redistribute the file later. The RIAA lawsuits are about intimidation and are pretty expensive, the RIAA is definitely losing money on the off chance they can curb future behavior. I don't think many RPG publishers could afford to spend that kind of money, especially when there really isn't any data on just how much or how little they lose to piracy.

 

[jmucchiello]

This is cool news, but I have a question. Suppose my computer is hacked (because, you know, there is a huge hacker demand for RPG PDFs). Now my PDF with my name watermarked in it is out there, through no fault of my own.

Why aren't you responsible for the security of your computer?

 

[Voadam]

Why aren't you responsible for the security of your computer?

Because its the act not the ownership that infringes the copywrite. If someone steals your car and gets in an accident are you responsible for the damage they cause to others? If someone steals your laptop and causes damage to the publisher by copying the files should you be held responsible? Both cases you could trace the ownership.

 

[jmucchiello]

Because its the act not the ownership that infringes the copywrite. If someone steals your car and gets in an accident are you responsible for the damage they cause to others? If someone steals your laptop and causes damage to the publisher by copying the files should you be held responsible? Both cases you could trace the ownership.

If you leave your car running and unattended on a city street and someone takes the car and runs down a pedestrian, are you at fault? I'm not saying the person taking the car or breaking into the computer is not breaking the law, I'm saying you are also responsible. A computer with a security hole is the same as the running, unattended car in my book.

 

[Dimwhit]

If you leave your car running and unattended on a city street and someone takes the car and runs down a pedestrian, are you at fault? I'm not saying the person taking the car or breaking into the computer is not breaking the law, I'm saying you are also responsible. A computer with a security hole is the same as the running, unattended car in my book.

Are you seriously suggesting that if people have a security hole in their OS, it's their fault? That pretty much hoses hundreds of millions of people using Windows (not me, fortunately), given it's riddled with security holes.

That's not at all a reasonable thing to assume, IMO.

 

[jmucchiello]

Are you seriously suggesting that if people have a security hole in their OS, it's their fault? That pretty much hoses hundreds of millions of people using Windows (not me, fortunately), given it's riddled with security holes.

I was actually talking about failing to patch known holes in the system. Though looking at my prior post I can see I wasn't clear about that. You should be responsible if you allow your computer to become owned if there was something you could have done about it ahead of time. (And to beat my car analogy to death, just because a trained thief can hotwire your car is no reason to just leave the keys in it and make it easy to do so.)

 

[DaveStebbins]

Seriously, glad to hear it. When they start getting it implemented, they may gain a customer in me - especially when Green Ronin starts doing its PDF releases for this year, and when Monte's Arcana Evolved gets going...

Poor example, Green Ronin is already a publisher with product available at RPGNow. When they get their big load of PDFs together, they will be available there.

As with others, this change is likely to see me become a customer at DTRPG, and I am happy to see them responding in a positive way to some of the 'discussions' their opening caused.

-Dave

 

[Crothian]

However, not all the DTRPG vendors are selling it for that much. A bunch are selling PDF's for more realistic levels, especially where those products are PDF-only. Even if it were 50% of the price, it might be worth it to me. I'd prefer lower, of course, but I could take up to that.

The problem though isn't what they are selling it at compaired to the suggested retail price. Its when you compaire them to what else I can buy it for. If I'm buyng PDFs on line, more then likely I am also buying or at least looking at on line orders of print books. Is it really worth it to get 50% off a PDf version when I can get the print version for 40% off?

 

[Castellan]

Go on a file sharing program and search for any WotC product (and some of the bigger D20 studios, like S&SS, Malhavoc, or Green Ronin) and chances are pretty good that you'll not only find it, but you won't have to wait in much of a queue to download it. Now search for something like Elements of Magic Revised (excellent product, by the way) and you probably won't even get a single hit for it.

You make a good point, though it might not be a very valid one. My search on P2P networks for your suggestion (Elements, Revised) yielded a hit in less than a second (I don't know if it's actually the document in question, but it is named as such). When you have a couple million (or more) people logged into a P2P network, even a small percentage chance of something appearing will yield a hit.

Ultimately, I really think that RPGNow is less likely to lose business simply because they're charging less per product download.

Back on topic, though, I hope DTRPG experiences a commensurate increase in business with this good move.

 

[Asmor]

Wow.

I am impressed.

Good job, Drive Thru.