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RPG Illegal File Sharing Hurts the Hobby

AntiStateQuixote

Enemy of the State
Jim Hague said:
Yes, I'm advocating 1 book per user/purchaser in an ideal world. Can that be enforced? Hardly. YMMV.

Wow! So, I game with 10 different people in two diferrent DnD games. Between us we have six or seven PHBs, three or four DMGs, three MMs and one or two copies each of some dozens of books. Instead, the eleven of us should have one copy each of the books we use? That's ludicrous!

Should this apply so far as to say that I should buy TWO copies of every book I own so that my wife (who also games) will have her own copy and not borrow mine? Wait a minute, my son also plays occassionally. I guess I better buy THREE copies. And when my daughter gets older and gets into gaming I'll go out and get another for her . . . one book/user.




As to the original topic at hand . . . RPG Illegal File Sharing (may) Hurt(s) the Hobby . . . very debatable. I'll resist the urge to spout my madness again.

eyebeams said:
5) I have a cogent point to share, but it's not as if anybody is actually paying attention.


That's it!
 

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Lonely Tylenol

First Post
Jim Hague said:
That's called ad absurdum, what you're doing there.

Yes, ad absurdum, as in, demonstrating that your argument leads to absurd consequences, which demonstrates a problem with your argument. And it is of course, simply an absurd premise, much less an absurd conclusion, that no one should share their game books.

Libraries are outside the commercial system - the books are checked out, then returned. A library isn't a store - you're comparing apples and oranges to support a shaky point.

I consider taking a library book, copying it on the local copy machine, then sticking it back on the shelf (likely with spine damage after the bout with the copier) as much theft as some jerk pirating off a p2p netowrk; a little worse, in fact, since you've likely damaged the book's spine, reducing its material value.

I'm outside the commercial system too. I lend a book, and it's returned. I'm not a store.

Nobody's suggested lending a book so it can be photocopied (even though if the entire book isn't copied it's legal under fair use, quantity depending on jurisdiction). Don't try to make it seem as though someone has. You have suggested that a group who share a book are somehow immoral. This photocopying line of argument seems to me to be a backpedalling manoeuvre.

There is nothing wrong with sharing your books inside a group. Everyone does it, all the time. If I buy Complete Arcane, I'll let my players use the material within, by reading it out of my copy. To suggest that I demand they buy the book in order to be allowed to use the material is not just unreasonable, it would suggest that I were a few bricks short of a load. Not only should group resource sharing be considered normal for the RPG industry as an axiom for anyone thinking about entering the business, but allow me to remind you once again: Big Bird and Mr. Rogers advocate sharing. Are you trying to tell me that Big Bird is immoral?

Copyright covers right to copy, not right to read. I have the right to allow anyone I like to read any book I own. If you're trying to take that away, you and I have some major differences in opinion over certain fundamental freedoms.
 
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Bardsandsages

First Post
Numion said:
Yeah, and sending e-mail instead of snailmail hurts the people making the envelopes, selling the stamps and carrying the mail. You should've sent your opinion via snailmail to a newspaper.

EDIT: My point is that whenever new technology makes old technology obsolete, those who work in the old technology will have to adjust. This is not what the music industry is doing - they're working tooth and nail to keep manufacturing pieces of plastic worth 10 cents and selling them for 20 dollars (or whatever CDs cost where you live).

Not the same thing. Stealing music is the equivelent of stealing the envelops and stamps, not deciding to use e-mail instead. We aren't talking about advances in technology. We are talking about using said advances to take something illegally from someone else.
 

eyebeams

Explorer
PetriWessman said:
Likewise, I have no ethical problem with someone grabbing an illegal copy of something that's only available in form that you don't ethically want to give your financial support to (nasty DRM, child labor, whatever).

Equating digital rights management with child labour is . . . hyperbole.
 
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Lonely Tylenol

First Post
philreed said:
Have you seen them buy the products? It's also possible they just steal them.

Excuse me? So now owning a product is evidence that you have stolen it? Or was this meant to be a joke? If it's a joke, it's in poor taste. If it's not, I don't suppose I'll be buying anything from Ronin Arts anytime soon, since I'm obviously a thief, as evidenced by my bookshelf of RPG materials.
 

Mallus

Legend
There's something I haven't seen mentioned before in this debate: what role do gaming websites like ENWorld in the decline of game materials sales.

Simply put, ENWorld (as one example) provides me with valuable, free d20-related content. Does anyone think that this freely-distributed, non-copyrighted material contributes to small publishers losing sales?

Why or why not?

In some cases, particularly in its gaming fiction (Wyre, anyone?), the quality of ENWorld's content exceeds that of the content I've paid for.

Certainly, if ENWorld didn't exist (like back when started in the hobby), I'd buy more gaming materials.
 

philreed

Adventurer
Supporter
Psionicist said:
Do you belive you will sell more PDF:s by calling your potential customers criminals?

Obviously that wasn't as funny as I thought it was. Of course, this is hardly the first time I've thought something was funny when others didn't. Or it's possible that you have to be personally affected by illegal downloads, and then contacted by those that have the illegal PDFs, for it to be really funny.
 

Flexor the Mighty!

18/100 Strength!
Falkus said:
That's covered by fair use laws.
For now at least. Fair Use is under constant attack by the various media industries that want perpetual control over ever aspect of how we use thier products. When you have to accept a EULA on a freakin' CD that's a sign that things are getting out of control IMO.
 

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