mbassoc2003 wrote:Ok. Who actually cares?

Is there anyone here who has a problem with WoTC lisencing companies to sell PDFs?

Breach of copyright is a different matter. That is not what was discussed here, and that belongs on another thread.

Who honestly cares whether WoTC decide to sell PDFs or not?

It is their property. They are free to do with it as they will.

Something I've said???  :?:

killjoy32 wrote:Ps> Giorgio: yes it is something you said. Italians always cause trouble

Ahhhh. OK. Now I understand.  :D  :wink:  :D

mbassoc2003 wrote:Ok. Who actually cares?

Is there anyone here who has a problem with WoTC lisencing companies to sell PDFs?

I do, but I think I already made that point.  Moving on...

Who honestly cares whether WoTC decide to sell PDFs or not?

It is their property. They are free to do with it as they will.

I suppose legally they are allowed to do with it as they will.  Big deal.  That doesn't mean I have to like it, or buy it.  That doesn't make it any less of a money grab.  Being a copyright holder doesn't make you somehow infallible.  Successful companies are responsible to their customers and their fanbase.

deimos3428 wrote:I suppose legally they are allowed to do with it as they will. Big deal. That doesn't mean I have to like it, or buy it. That doesn't make it any less of a money grab. Being a copyright holder doesn't make you somehow infallible. Successful companies are responsible to their customers and their fanbase.

I think Loraine McWilliams successfully separated Dungeons & Dragons from it's fanbase.

Aside...

I know this guy who sells cars. He gets real pissed off that people buy and sell second hand cars 'cos it reduces demand for his cars, and it drives down prices.

If you have a rare D&D product, does it not really piss you off when someone else sells one on eBay. Because that reduces its perceived rarity and will impact on the price you get for yours when you sell it?

Badmike wrote:
Wow, then you
missed the piece of gum I stuck between pages 4 and 5!



Mike B.

mike that is truly evil!

Deadlord36 wrote:I think the OB3 was the one that accidentally fell in the toilet when I opened it. Don't worry, I dried it off well before I reshrinked it!
I understand Giorgio's point though. A shrinked OB3 will stay that way, because you can view all the art for free. So the OB3 PDF does indeed hurt the value, otherwise a shrinky would be worth twice as much.

but does it hurt the value? if i had one (yeah right i wish), i would never open it, but would get something like a PDF so i could see what the fuss was all about. as for buying one, i would still want the actual item, rather than the PDF and would still pay whatever the worth was (ie. how far the rush of blood takes you )

i had PDFs of R1 to R4, before i had them. didnt stop me getting them and paying whatever i had to to get them.

Al

Xaxaxe wrote:

Xaxaxe wrote:I just bought my first PDF from Paizo ... and, coincidentally I just bought my final PDF from them, too.

Thanks for all the ideas, guys, but I just trashed it — the way I look at it, I shouldn't have to have a computer science degree to enjoy a PDF.

The old cliche really applies here: "it's not the money, it's the principle of the thing." Paizo's watermarking is way, way too intrusive, and until they decide to change their methods, I'll take my PDF business to RPGnow (not that I buy a lot of them in the first place, but, again, it's the principle).

Thanks for the heads up...I might buy ONE from Paizo just to see if I have the same problems, and if so, that will be it from them.

Mike B.

I realize that I'm dredging up old arguments here but it's something I think should be re-evaluated after so many years. I think we should add to the Misc collectibles section the actual free giveaways for the 2e Gold promotion and the Dragonlance Legends of the Lance newsletter.

Even though pdf's do exist of some of these items or were offered for download way back by WotC, those pdf's were seriously not anywhere useable to make even good quality forgeries (If someone even wanted to go through all that trouble). A few people had made those comments previously and I completely agree. The quality of the pdf's is just not even close to what's required when you look at the actual giveaways, not to mention you'd have to get the same glossy paper stock, etc.

I remember several years ago when Shelley was selling off lots of gold promotional items, many of them were selling for collectible amounts too. So obviously they do have a collectible value to them.

TSR Gold and other promo items

Legends of the Lance newsletter

The issue that needs to be tackled in today's society is one of one of personal moral boundaries. We live in a world with such free access to the most powerful of tools, and all have the opportunities to share or distribute whatever information becomes available to us, at the click of a mouse, with virtually no tracability, no possibility of prosecution, and no accountability to anyone other than our own moral compass and our maker.

To my mind, piracy per se is no real topic for arguement/discussion, as there remains no bastion or barrier to push against, no fence upon which to sit, no side to take. The world around us has chosen that all creative content be freely availabel to all, and that we are trusted to recognise and compensate the talent that created it.

And maybe today's talent does not command such kudos it may once have done, a few decades ago, and maybe new talent is dilutes somewhat by the alsorans. Welcome to the new world we have created. Sooner or later, no-one will even care if you post links to other people's work on forums like this (except those who own the forum and have the right to set it's moral character). There will come a time when Copyright Law will have no teeth left.