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<blockquote data-quote="mlund" data-source="post: 6018580" data-attributes="member: 50304"><p>If the expectation is that IP Security / DRM will eliminate all piracy then people have the wrong expectations. Arguments based around those ideas are pointless tangents. Pirating / bootlegging D&D books has been happening since the 70s. Likewise, the idea that each player is going to have their own D&DInsider account or whatever is a read herring. If an executive is doing math based on those premises he deserves to lose his job.</p><p></p><p>Combating losses due to piracy is about managing cost and value. The main threat of electronic piracy is that without DRM or value-add functionality it marries the full value of your electronic product with a cost that is approaching 0. That's a terrible ratio to compete with.</p><p></p><p>One part of the solution is adding value. Access to Errata, integration between purchases, supporting utilities, etc. - these are all things you can provide and update regularly. But without security there's nothing stopping people from stealing those features too. </p><p></p><p>Security is the crucial second part. Even just starting with passwords and accounts to download things like initial purchases and updates. Every update can eventually be cracked or ripped and redistributed, but if it takes significantly longer to wait around for someone to hack the DRM and then obtain the pirated copy of what you want then the opportunity cost of pirating something no longer approaches 0. Now you have a ratio you can compete with.</p><p></p><p>The trick is just making sure the impediments to pirates don't come at the cost of seriously inconveniencing the paying customer by doing silly things like forcing them to only use iOS products, MSWindows, or only being able to access their information while connected to the Internet.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Early (or even prior to release) high-quality pirated documents of game books are almost never scans. They are usually production PDFs that are leaked.</p><p></p><p>If you can't download a top-quality copy of a game book during the week of its release that's <strong>huge</strong>. Hobby-gaming book releases from well-established lines do the bulk of their living or dying by way of their initial release sales (include pre-orders). It's the same issue with simul-cast anime streaming and whatnot. When fan-subs are lagging the company release by a week or more they are practical obsolete. Immediate gratification is a HUGE driver of initial full-retail market sales of video games, anime, and gaming books.</p><p></p><p>I mean, you could basically get the product for free by borrowing your friend's release-day analog copy and scanning it yourself, right? Pretty much <strong>nobody</strong> does this. The opportunity cost is way too high compared to casual point-and-click piracy.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>That's the reason why you can't be married to a platform. The reader software needs to be platform agnostic.</p><p></p><p>- Marty Lund</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="mlund, post: 6018580, member: 50304"] If the expectation is that IP Security / DRM will eliminate all piracy then people have the wrong expectations. Arguments based around those ideas are pointless tangents. Pirating / bootlegging D&D books has been happening since the 70s. Likewise, the idea that each player is going to have their own D&DInsider account or whatever is a read herring. If an executive is doing math based on those premises he deserves to lose his job. Combating losses due to piracy is about managing cost and value. The main threat of electronic piracy is that without DRM or value-add functionality it marries the full value of your electronic product with a cost that is approaching 0. That's a terrible ratio to compete with. One part of the solution is adding value. Access to Errata, integration between purchases, supporting utilities, etc. - these are all things you can provide and update regularly. But without security there's nothing stopping people from stealing those features too. Security is the crucial second part. Even just starting with passwords and accounts to download things like initial purchases and updates. Every update can eventually be cracked or ripped and redistributed, but if it takes significantly longer to wait around for someone to hack the DRM and then obtain the pirated copy of what you want then the opportunity cost of pirating something no longer approaches 0. Now you have a ratio you can compete with. The trick is just making sure the impediments to pirates don't come at the cost of seriously inconveniencing the paying customer by doing silly things like forcing them to only use iOS products, MSWindows, or only being able to access their information while connected to the Internet. Early (or even prior to release) high-quality pirated documents of game books are almost never scans. They are usually production PDFs that are leaked. If you can't download a top-quality copy of a game book during the week of its release that's [b]huge[/b]. Hobby-gaming book releases from well-established lines do the bulk of their living or dying by way of their initial release sales (include pre-orders). It's the same issue with simul-cast anime streaming and whatnot. When fan-subs are lagging the company release by a week or more they are practical obsolete. Immediate gratification is a HUGE driver of initial full-retail market sales of video games, anime, and gaming books. I mean, you could basically get the product for free by borrowing your friend's release-day analog copy and scanning it yourself, right? Pretty much [b]nobody[/b] does this. The opportunity cost is way too high compared to casual point-and-click piracy. That's the reason why you can't be married to a platform. The reader software needs to be platform agnostic. - Marty Lund [/QUOTE]
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