Update: Malhavoc PDFs no longer available at RPGnow (merged)

[Tsyr]

Necromancer Games rocks. I love their products, but I'll not buy a product print or otherwise from anyone pushing that DRM crap on me. Sometimes you have to take a stand.

Ironicly, I think several people have said:Remove the DRM protection and I'll buy a lot of stuff. With it, you don't get one cent.

I'm in the same boat. But, in the meantime, the small guys can use my money. And some not so small guys, I just picked up the HARP book .pdf from ICE, and I'm really enjoying what I'm seeing.

 

[BryonD]

Please keep your politics to yourself. This claim is weak, but to address would break the rules that you shouldn't have broken.

Even though his claim is backed by vast amounts of data, you are correct. We should avoid these type comments.

 

[undeaddan]

Please keep your politics to yourself. This claim is weak, but to address would break the rules that you shouldn't have broken.

I'm not sure how the only remotely valid analogy I've heard on this subject is political.

If you outlaw .pdfs, only outlaws will have .pdfs.

 

[undeaddan]

I suggest everyone stops whining about it.

And I suggest that you tell me how to get this damn file open on my home computer (I downloaded it at work). As soon as I am sitting in front of my iMac reading about a wingless dragon I'll stop whining.

 

[undeaddan]

I am really curious about this comment. On one hand you say you have to have the portability of the pdf, i.e. the main tool that allows the thief to freely and widely disseminate someone else's labor, and on the other you do not want to be treated like a thief.

Believe it or not portability doesn't equal theft. If it did then ripping a CD I owned to my iPod and walking out the front door of my house would be theft.

 

[Sir Elton]

I'm not sure how the only remotely valid analogy I've heard on this subject is political. But hey, feel free to disregard opinions that don't support your world view. Or you can go over to Monte's site and talk about how a .pdf = a car with Sean K. Reynolds.

If you outlaw .pdfs, only outlaws will have .pdfs.

I don't like Copy Protection, but there seems to be another solution. I totally agree that Copy Protection causes piracy. By getting rid of it, we can get rid of the Copy Protection. Some people hate Copyright in the first place.

I studied it, and it's become a hassle. Copyright Law has to be redefined in the Era of the Internet, tho. Its too easy for people to violate. So therefore, U.S. Copyright Law needs to be redefined. Vigorous Copy Protection only breeds violation. Without Copy Protection, violation can be lessened. What we need to do is create a loyal *customer* base. we need to treat our customers as Customers and not as potential pirates.
We writers and publishers need to find an alternative method to create loyal customers, and Copy Protection won't work.

Most of those who pirate will buy the print edition anyway (I buy print editions exclusively). So, most of those who do pirate do respect the Art and Entertainment we are creating for them. Others plainly do not respect what we have created for them. Using DRM will cause an ulcer to become a cancer. Lets heal the rift and find ways of providing a way for our customers to be happy with us and to protect our copyrights.

And I am an RPG writer.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

It's nice to know that the president of the RIAA reads the boards.

Believe it or not portability doesn't equal theft. If it did then ripping a CD I owned to my iPod and walking out the front door of my house would be theft.

Go back to pimping Britney Spears Mr. Record executive, your flawed logic isn't necessary here.

Undeaddan, you're a community supporter, so I have to assume you know the rules of the forum. No personal attacks. Period. If you disagree with someone's position, you're free to post a rebuttal - to their position. Attacking the poster isn't called for.

 

[d20Dwarf]

Please keep your politics to yourself. This claim is weak, but to address would break the rules that you shouldn't have broken.

He's not being political, he's being correct. But I do understand that some people only like political when it comes with correctness.

 

[ukgpublishing]

We will be sticking with RPGNow.com

As a publisher on RPGNow.com, UKG Publishing has no choice but to stick with RPGNow.

All of our products use a combination of HTML interfaces and PDF documents so the move to DRM at DriveThruRPG.com means that I cannot even consider it.

As it happens I wouldn't move, as the services I have recieved from RPGNow has been sterling.

As for copy protection, why bother. Anyone who publishes any work be it software, interlectual or printed media has to expect some copying, and we jus hope that someone with a copy of our work will like it enough to either buy it or other products we sell.

John Milner
UKG Publishing
http://www.ukg-publishing.co.uk/

 

[undeaddan]

Mea Culpa

Undeaddan, you're a community supporter, so I have to assume you know the rules of the forum. No personal attacks. Period. If you disagree with someone's position, you're free to post a rebuttal - to their position. Attacking the poster isn't called for.

You are totally and completely right. I will now remove the offending attacks.

I apologise to the poster and everyone else for any offense taken.

The only explanation I can offer is that it was late, I was tired and I had spent the whole night fighting with adobe DRM trying to open my "free" product.

Still that doesn't excuse my utter lack of protocol