MERP Downloads and Copyright

[jhkimrpg]

Because of my Middle Earth game, I have downloaded a fair number of the old Iron Crown MERP (Middle Earth Role Playing) modules for maps, background, and adventure ideas. Now, this is a bit of a controversial point - that has also generated some recent controversy on Story Games

Comments

[bruceb]

I can't find it in me to get worked up at all about people "pirating' things that simply aren't available in any way that puts some jingle in the creators' pockets. (I'm also not worried about it with regard to things that are, since my experience is that it boosts sales, but that's a separate poin.) So I agree with you a lot.

[zigguratbuilder]

Pretty much my deal on it too. I'd go as far as to say that I'd help people get their hands on a copy of totally unavailable products if they asked me, again if there is no way to send money back to the author.

-Andy

[bruceb]

Likewise. Heck, I've done that with things I wrote, a few times now.

Of course, the older I get, the more inclined I am to take a "why not now?" stance on just about anything good, from reliable secure health care to easy access to work whose commercial life is over. And I believe in the value of a strong healthy commons and in the idea of copyright and patent as gifts from the commonwealth to the creator, useful only insofar as they do promote the overall health and creativity of the surrounding society.

[kuma_pageworks]

It's incomprehensible to me not to have your IP out there in some electronic form (PDF, natch), for sale or otherwise, as long as it's not licensed. It requires absolutely no effort on your part, and your creation will see a steady trickle of interest just due to the nature of the Intarweb.

Yanking it completely like Matt did is about control, and control is about ego, when it comes down to it.

[zdashamber]

It has brightened my morning to read a bit of the thread and watch Snyder being his usual tin-eared ass-hatted drama-queen self. He's soooo devastated that people might be misusing his stuff that he's forgotten about all the threads he deleted on his blog, full of other people's comments disagreeing with him. Why, they should have saved those comments to their own hard drives! They have no right to expect that they could refer back to those discussions!

So this relates to copyright in the following manner: yeah, the wishes, health, and wealth of the authors should be considered. Copyright does protect their future prospects. This consideration may well lead to the conclusion "this guy will never see money from this again, and he doesn't mind it being out there".

In Sndyer's case, after consideration, I'm tempted to download all his stuff, add in some typoes and wordoes, and seed it. But I'm happier to just see it rot into nothingness.

[marcochacon]

LOLMattSnyder.

-Marco

[ext_88278]

Agreed. If it's not available, don't expect me to cry myself to sleep after I torrent it.

Link exchange

[anonymous]

Hello there