"Piracy on eBay - TimeCast models being copied illegally" Topic

DELETED …. Thought I'd get mine in quick before the Ed does!

Some of you need to get off your high horse, have you never watched a copied DVD or listened to a copied CD?

There are people I know who never buy a rule book but download it from the internet (not bought PDF's) or photocopy someone else's rule book, I don't agree with it but it happens.

Should I report all of them?

I accept totally the argument of not pinching someone elses property, but I do take issue with the financial rationale that is put forward, even (especially) by the Big Boys in
medialand.

It is incorrect to assume that every pirate sale robs the owner of the IP of a sale on every occasion of piracy. A pirated video game, for example, is most likely to be bought by someone who has never paid £40.00 GBP for a game in his life, nor is likely to. For the price he wants to pay the game company has already discounted him as a sought after customer. His view is that if they charged a sensible price for it he wouldnt have to buy inadequate pirate copies. How often do you see "designer" bags or sunglasses toted by hawkers near holiday coaches in Med package holiday resorts? Do you think these people on £200.00 GBP packaqe holidays were REALLY going to be buying Gucci when they got home?

I dont begrudge Timecast their money. Im just saying….

I also understand with the high price of some rules that folks want to try them out before investing in them (or new rules for a period involving new figures/models, significant rebasing etc). There are rules out there I wont try out because I dont want to throw £40.00 GBP or £60.00 GBP away if I dont like them. So yes, you do see the occasional set of photocopies floating about the hobby, but its my experience that once a rule system is adopted players like to own the proper set of the rules so go and buy them,…. and probably numerous supplements too.

There is 'leakage' in all industries, I think. Not all of it represents lost money, and in fact it can help to promote further sales just as effectively as sending out review items.

The argument is generally put forward as the moral issue is generally ignored. It clearly cannot be condoned (because that would lead you into a different world of trouble) and if people can't understand that it is morally wrong to copy someone else's work without permission, then you are kind of stuck with the loss of revenue argument.

Im not condoning theft, Im putting forward a financial rationale regarding intelligent appraisal of the actual cost/losses to the IP owner.

Clever publishers of rules such as Impetus or Grande Armee put out reduced sets of rules for people to download and try free. And yes, they then sell the main set and any supplements they want to produce.

For theft to have occured, there has to be loss somewhere, surely?

Yep, which is why it is never prosecuted as theft, but as infringement of copyright. Same as joyriding, which is a separate charge (taking vehicle without consent) as theft requires an intention to permanently deprive.

Note that loss can be projected.

Copying a book or DVD for someone own use is not the problem here. It is illegal too, but it's certainly not as bad as making MANY copies and SELLING them.

It doesn't technically make it any less illegal, it's more a case of the size of the claim.

Morally it is wrong. Period.