Suggestion for compromise on Wizard's PDFs

[Obryn]

Um.....We are suggesting that referring to downloading (illegal or not) as "piracy" is a nasty semantics game, intended to introduce moral ambiguity, that we do not feel like playing along with.

Like I said, you can refer to it however you want. I'm not going to play along with the semantics game this go-round. I'm not introducing a novel or unfamiliar usage of the term, so any hypothetical moral weighting of it isn't my concern, and I'm not going to stop using a common term for fear of offending your sensibilities. (Besides, last I checked pirates are cool nowadays.)

-O

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Refering to pdf downloading as piracy isn't really that much of a gunshot. Like Obryn said, nobody is going to think they're sailing the seas and kidnapping people.

Hell, most people when the heard of the Somalian pirates went "Wait, real pirates still exist...?"

Calling it piracy isn't a loaded turn, because that assumes there's someone doing the loading. I don't think most people hear about .pdf piracy and immidaitely thinks of Blackbeard. I don't think anyone does, at that.

Complaints about the word of it just seems kinda...pointless. It's a non-issue.

That said, I would love to see a piracy case where the defendant actually did walk in wearing a full pirate costume.

 

[UniversalMonster]

Not everything in 4e is a stat-block. PHB, DMG and PHB2 & DMG2 have lots of text worth reading which isn't found in the Compendium.

Well, I agree with you on this. However, I see the functionality of PDFs being chiefly related to portability (ie, having it as a reference during the game without having to physically carry the book).

So I guess I concede on that point.

 

[Mark]

The term piracy is contextually charged both in a positive way (romantically) and negative way (in regard to legality) but it has become common parlance.

 

[jaerdaph]

"Bootleg" would probably be more accurate than "piracy".

Although I still don't really care.

 

[Mistwell]

In the US, at least, you are always entitled to a backup copy of any work you own, whether it be a physical copy or a digital medium. As a lawyer, you should know this. Downloading a copy of a book I paid hard earned cash for is neither illegal, nor immoral.

As a lawyer, I absolutely know that downloading a pirated copy is illegal.

Keeping a copy for yourself is not the same as downloading an illegal copy.

 

[jaerdaph]

The term piracy is contextually charged both in a positive way (romantically) and negative way (in regard to legality) but it has become common parlance.

Exactly. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who distribute PDFs through torrent sites that see themselves as a modern-day Robin Hood. Or maybe even Karl Marx getting even with "The Man". I'm not saying they are that, it's just that's how they romantically perceive themselves.

Connotation can be a two-way street.

 

[Nifft]

As a lawyer, I absolutely know that downloading a pirated copy is illegal.

Keeping a copy for yourself is not the same as downloading an illegal copy.

Hmm, I always thought the distribution was illegal, but acquisition wasn't.

For example, if dude X put a PDF up on his web site and allowed dude Y to download it, it would be dude X who got in trouble, rather than dude Y. Dude X has a legal copy which he bought, dude Y has an unauthorized copy which he got for free, but dude X was the one who broke copyright law via distribution of the PDF.


(BitTorrent clouds this issue, because people call it "downloading" when really it is "a bunch of simultaneous uploading and downloading".)

Cheers, -- N

 

[Garthanos]

As a lawyer, I absolutely know that downloading a pirated copy is illegal.

Keeping a copy for yourself is not the same as downloading an illegal copy.

Ethically I think they are different too, as in one case even if you may be reasonably entitled to have a copy you are encouraging somebody who is not being careful of other peoples property.

 

[El Mahdi]

...(Besides, last I checked pirates are cool nowadays.)

-O

I personally know some Ninjas who'd disagree with you!