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Message: <blockquote data-quote="baphomet68" data-source="post: 5028478" data-attributes="member: 83462">I took advantage of the leaked core books, and was pleasantly surprised-thought I wouldnt like it. I changed over to 4e, and brought my group with me. While I admit that the prerelease-download of an not-owned book is infringement on copyright, I do not care. Every pirated PDF I DL'd led to a purchase, or was deleted as junk.  I think my behavior benefited the producer of the product, though my motivation was to fully evaluate the game before paying for it. Our group uses 10 of these 4e D&D books, and each of my players owns most of the selection we use(they skipped the FRCS and DMG 1&2).      If I preview a book, then purchase it, I keep the PDf I previewed, and consider that fair use - as I could have made the PDF myself for my own use. My willingness to explore a PDF torrent is not substantially different from browsing a bookstore, and is damaging only to a flawed or poor product. I see this opportunity to preview a potential purchase through a pirated PDF as a way to offset a system that usually holds consumers by the short hairs. Of course the companies dont like it - they are used to having it all their way.     As for technology someday changing the amount of piracy, and how common it is for the general public, I think that they will keep pace with each other. Tech advances seldom close a security hole without opening another one (or more). I got online in the early 90's, and I do not recall a time when the availability of pirated material was notably interfered with for more than a few weeks. As soon as technology allows the blocking of an established file distribution process, the motivated parties shift to another workable process, and the game goes on.</blockquote>

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