IF a PDFs of the 3 core books were leaked, would you:

[Li Shenron]

Noted we're all saints here.

But I have to say after reading all these comments, if I see a kid in a basement playing with a photocopied PHB, that in the worst case would make me sigh and laugh, but I certainly wouldn't consider he a bad human being. There's so many chances of doing harm to other people every day, that this one pales in comparison.

 

[Ghaerdon Fain]

I piratebay, but I also buy, in the case of DnD I will always support the books. With Planes and stuff I rarely use, I might d/l just to check out whats in. If I like it I will buy it.

 

[Xorn]

I'm not going to try and talk around any justification or lessening of what I would do.

I would download the books, and I wouldn't mention a word about what's in them till my pre-order is in my hands. It's illegal, and each person can decide if it's immoral--but typically, breaking a society's laws is immoral.

But the question is would I download them, and will I buy the books still?

Yes, to both. For all anyone knows, I already have. But I wouldn't TELL anyone.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I would download and then decide whether to buy them. Not any different than what I plan to do anyway, just a little sooner. Right now I plan to look over the books in the store, read what people say about the books and then decide. I'm 80% sure I will buy them, but I'm willing to wait to be more certain that I won't end up hating 4e.

 

[abeattie]

I piratebay, but I also buy, in the case of DnD I will always support the books. With Planes and stuff I rarely use, I might d/l just to check out whats in. If I like it I will buy it.

You know -- I've seen that comment alot recently. Why not open a copy of the book the next time you happen to be in a brick and mortar.

I think I would rather run out to the closest boarders, snag the latest set of dnd books off the shelf, grab a coffee and make an afternoon of perusing free books -- then make a purchasing decision -- and actually get to leave the store with my purchases.

----

I still went with download and play, then buy.

Because I'm impatient, and I want them RIGHT NOW

 

[Ghaerdon Fain]

You know -- I've seen that comment alot recently. Why not open a copy of the book the next time you happen to be in a brick and mortar.

I think I would rather run out to the closest boarders, snag the latest set of dnd books off the shelf, grab a coffee and make an afternoon of perusing free books -- then make a purchasing decision -- and actually get to leave the store with my purchases.

----

I still went with download and play, then buy.

Because I'm impatient, and I want them RIGHT NOW

Would it help if I said I lived 75 miles away from a game/book store? Probably not. I also speed on the highway to get to said game/book store: so one way or another I'll be doing something illegal. At least I should get a C+ for honesty.

Additional comment: None of us want to see D&D go the way of the Dodo, the only way to ensure this is to support the game and buy the books. If we don't buy the 4E then D&D will cease to exist and we just end up living in the past with our 1-2-3 E versions. I for one want to see 5E and 10E etc. I may not like all the changes in 4E (alignment and 1sq move) but that's not going to stop me from supporting the game I have loved for 30 years. Should I feel guilty I can't wait for Verys Arkon's latest update? Am I cheating Wizards with that?

Back in the day, I d/l "Chicago" all 24 disks of it. Many went to BBS' just to get their hands of the free copy... and then 3.1. What was the result of all this illegal hype? Microsoft! What I did then was wrong yet there was a benefit to the company in the long run. Hype is good, downloading illegal stuff is... well... naughty, but if you have a conscience at least in this case you'll buy the books. Funny, I bought Vista last year out of guilt = didn't I get what I deserved?

The only moral dilemma I have is if I scanned a book and uploaded it... for me that would be wrong. Also if I just d/l the books and never spent a dime to support the game. Let's face it, how many DM's wouldn't love a sneak peek to help plan summer campaigns?

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

2. pdfs are supposed to be portable - if you consider a PC portable. Even if you have a laptop you either have to have it plugged in or read really quickly before your battery runs out.

This is the big issue for me. PDFs are inconvenient. They're almost never formatted for screen reading, and to be portable and useful I'd need to have a full-colour virtual paper ebook reader that was big enough to read the sized-down text on, had effortless browsing controls, and a 10,000-page-turn battery life. I don't see owning one of those any time soon, given the quality (or lack thereof) of the current e-reader offerings.

I may be wrong but in law I think you are allowed to have a copy of a product for personal use as long as you have bought and own the product - so as long as you own it downloading a pdf version is not illegal. This may be a myth or they might have changed the law, but I have heard verdicts to this effect.

IANAL, and I'm Canadian, but so far as I'm aware, this is correct, but is also a legal grey-area, covered by "fair use". If, however, you redistribute the PDF, it's an infraction.

 

[interwyrm]

IANAL, and I'm Canadian, but so far as I'm aware, this is correct, but is also a legal grey-area, covered by "fair use". If, however, you redistribute the PDF, it's an infraction.

I think the issue is that in most cases fo downloading, you are also redistributing at the same time. (Peer to peer filesharing, at least).

As for PDF's being portable.. I think the word is a bit misleading. If I remember correctly, pdf stands for portable document format, meaning it can be opened on any computer system - pc, mac, etc. It can be 'ported'.

As for me, I'm gonna go out on a limb and risk the rotten fruit. I pirated all of 3e. If 4e is leaked, I will pirate it, but I will also buy the books. Why the change? I have a job now. While I was in college, the only thing I ever bought was food. Not even clothes.

I don't see a problem with a person who could not otherwise afford material downloading so they can enjoy it. I realize some people do, and I respect that opinion. I intended no slight to the developers. I just *really* wanted to play their game.

 

[HP Dreadnought]

I'd download it just so I could satisfy my curiosity with the "ultimate scoop source." I doubt I'd actually start playing with them until the actual books came out. Nothing beats a nice shiny hardback at the gaming table.

 

[Conjurer]

To me, a digital copy is no substitute for a real book. I just won't take my laptop to the bathroom, for example, nor am I comfortable reading a digital document in bed before sleeping.

Still, if given the chance to peek at a leaked version, I'd definetly take a look and even start playing if I like it, until I get my physical copies.

Oh, and dog can be a fine meal.