http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW


and


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW


Is the buyer telling porkies? Seems doubtful that WOTC would sell the copyright.

It's total horseshit.

First of all, RPGnow already has a deal with Wizards to distribute these items as PDFs. WOTC would never grant someone else a similar license.

Second, the "one time" thing makes NO sense from a business perspective. It would cost WOTC too much in time, effort, and salaries to arrange what amounts to about a $100 deal. WOTC, love them or hate them, does not run its business "one copy at a time."

Third, it just SOUNDS like horseshit. Read the listing again and ask yourself if this sounds like a legitimate businessman. Or is a guy who wants to see how far his $4.99 purchase at RPGnow can go?

I'm reporting this clown right now.  

invincibleoverlord asked galactic emporium this question

I am very interested in this as well as you're other R3; as I am on a limited budget buying old games. My only concern is how is the auction legal? Do you really own the rights to these two modules for reproduction? I would love the chance to bid on these two items seeing I may never own the originals; however I will not take part in fraud. Please elaborate on you're rights/ownership concerning this auction.

I think it sounds formal enough.    

The same seller also sells reprints of 'talisman' cards also.

I doubt Games Workshop gave their permission either.

I think our friend whitey missed the second auction.  He's high bidder on the R3, but hasn't bid at all on the R1.

invincible wrote:

I am very interested in this as well as you're other R3; as I am on a limited budget buying old games. My only concern is how is the auction legal? Do you really own the rights to these two modules for reproduction? I would love the chance to bid on these two items seeing I may never own the originals; however I will not take part in fraud. Please elaborate on you're rights/ownership concerning this auction.

Galacitc responded:

I have purchased rights to digital copies With explicit permission to produce one copy for personal use. If the interest is high enough in these auctions, I will purchase another, as it is very expensive to do so. This auction is for my digital copy and 1 hardcopy of the module. This auction is completely legal, as I am a collector myself, and having completed my 1st edition collection of ad&d modules a while ago at incredible expense, i found that $150-$250 USD was a little much for this module, SO i WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO get this permission.

I got this response, dose it make any sense to anyone? If there is any validity to this shouldn't a/one copy for personal use be just that. Personal use doesn't include selling it dose it? And were would he buy rights to this claimed digital copy?


JMO- the Galactic Emporium is obviously a legit buyer/seller. I feel and this is just my opinion he is greatly mistaken, misinformed, or thinks he's found a loophole in the rights to a digital file of R1 and 3. My question still is where he purchased this file?  

My own question and response:

"Hi, I am curious about this item. Do you mean to say that you have personally reprinted this item? If so, how did you purchase the rights and from whom? I am just curious as I have never heard of anything like this. Thanks"

The Response:

Yes, it is very difficult. But I was able to acquire a digital copy with explicit permission to make 1 copy for personal use. This is what I am selling: 1 hardcopy, and 1 softcopy. This is the first time in 4-5 years I have been on Ebay, that I have ever seen this done LEGALLY.


My own thoughts about this:  Even if we suppose that this was an accurate interpretation of this "purchase", I can not fathom that it would be allowed to exactly DUPLICATE everything - LOGO AND ALL!

Come on. . . if you purchase the right to publish something under a specific agreement, you still wouldn't be allowed to use the previous publisher's logo and change absolutely nothing!  No new print number. . . no new ISBN. . . no new publisher information. . .

Just a really nice color photocopy?  

Uh huh. . .