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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 6:44:22 GMT -6
This thread revealed that many of our regulars are often outright confused about what rights are granted to them with their PDF purchases.Below, I have collected all hard info we have, so far, obtained on the matter, as of January 22nd, 2017.
In order to purposefully use this information, you need to understand that this collection of generally unrelated info does NOT equal qualified legal counsel, and that, for whatever reason we do not know about, these answer may not apply to a particular situation or case you may be trying to resolve. If in doubt, the best thing to do is to do your own, hard research. ...And, preferrably, to let us know what you find out.
All discussion in regards to the topic, please redirect to the thread linked above.
Yours,
Rafe
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 7:02:27 GMT -6
Official responses on customer inquiries about the terms of use by the customer support of DriveThruRPGDTRPG responded almost immediately. They basically said the same exact thing I said in my first post on page 1---It is OK to print for personal use unless printing is disabled, which it is not in either CM or the 3LBBs. Here is their exact reply, so you can show your friendly local print shop employee when you go to get it printed and bound:
After seeking further clarification [of why DTRPG's answer seemed to differ from an earlier reply by Wizards of the Coast], DTRPG just sent me this email: So, in other words, if you try to get your PDF printed at FedEx/Kinkos or Lulu.com, and they ask for written permission, then you can email DTRPG customer service and get a Permission to Print letter from them. Their email address is custserv@onebookshelf.comand you should include your order number(s) and product title(s) for the PDFs you want to print. (Still not sure why WotC's customer service script differs from DriveThru's. No updates on that front yet.)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 7:08:59 GMT -6
Official responses on customer inquiries about the terms of use by the customer support of Wizards of the CoastI am looking to get Chainmail soon, and already purchased the three LBB's and supplements (all in PDF). May those be legally printed through a commercial org (lulu, Staples or Office Depot)? May they be legally printed from my home printer? My initial thought was yes since it is a printable document format and I bought a copy, but I didn't want to start uploading files to lulu or Staples if I am in the wrong. OK, here is the authoritative answer that I got via email from Wizards of the Coast customer service: So, in sum, they're saying: Some of the PDFs they sell online already contain permission to print a personal copy. But if the PDF doesn't contain explicit permission, then you must request permission, using a form. Clicking on the link in the email got me to a page titled Wizards: Use of Wizards' Intellectual Property. The relevant part is at the bottom of the screen, quoted below. It describes the form to use when making a request for permission, how to submit the form, and how long to expect to wait for a reply: OK, here is my main peeve with this reply: It conflicts with DTRPG's policy that says it's OK to print a PDF for personal use, unless the print function is disabled. These guys really need to get on the same page. WotC should ask DTRPG to disable the print function in any PDF they don't want printed! So here are the steps I plan to take next: - Re-open my customer service issues with both DTRPG and WotC, and explain that their policies appear to conflict with each other.
- Check CM and the 3LBBs for permission to print personal copies.
- And assuming there is no explicit permission in these PDFs: Request permission to print CM and 3LBBs using Wizard's IP request form (above), wait, and see if I receive a response within 6 weeks.
Earlier, in 2013, another user posed a similar question, and got the following answer:
Here is a quote from WOTC's customer service on the issue of printing PDF's for personal use in 2013 (with source link below): Hello, Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, your purchase does legally allow you to print a copy of the product for your own use or that of your immediate family. There are some print facilities that will require a some proof of your right to print your purchases, if that is the case please let us know the titles of the products that you would like to have printed and we can send you a note that explains your legal right to have a copy made. Thank you for your business and please let us know if we can be of any further assistance. Jeff Montgomery Customer Service DNDClassics.com connect.lulu.com/t5/General-Discussions/Bought-this-PDF-I-want-to-make-a-hardcopy/td-p/248287 Following his earlier inquiry in January 2017, our member krusader74 received the following, and likely final answer from WotC:After seeking clarification from WotC, I just received this: So, in sum: If you bought a WotC PDF from DTRPG and it is not print disabled, then you have WotC permission to print a copy for your own personal use. You may take it to FedEx/Kinkos or send it to Lulu.com to print and bind for you, and if they demand to see a Permission to Print letter, then you may get one from either DTRPG or WotC by contacting their customer support, as described in my previous posts.
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