I went to a guy's house the other night to talk about setting up a game. I have a fairly massive collection of AD&D items. Multiple copies of books, modules and stuff like that. Over the years I have purchased the stuff from various used book and game stores. This practice goes back to 1985 when I graduated from high school and went into the USAF and finally had my own money to spend. Plus, I have had two different people give me their (mostly old school) game collections. So I have one wall of my garage devoted to books and games. Plus I have a storage space that has one wall devoted to more storage of games. I have a lot of stuff. (My wife keeps bothering me about this.) Anywho, out of all of this collection I only have ONE photocopied item. It is a photocopy of Palace of the Vampire Queen that I purchased off eBay for ten bucks. (Yes I know it's wrong, bad me for buying it.)

I am at this guy's house and he is meticulous about caring for his gaming items. I know this from gaming with him over the past 20+ years. I have never been to his house before because he lives with his parents. So I go into his room and he has a massive collection of photocopied AD&D modules. I'm actually shocked because I have heard of people photocopying stuff like this, but I have never actually seen it. I am taken back by this a bit. It actually disturbs me somehow that this guy has all these illegal copies.

I am so disturbed by this I am thinking of offering to replace all his photocopies with real copies from my collection. On one hand it's not hurting anybody that he has all these photocopies. It's not as if TSR is even around anymore. I won't be righting any wrong. On the other hand it will stop bugging me, but then it might start bugging me that I gave away a big chunk of stuff I could have auctioned on eBay if I ever needed a little extra money.

What do you guys think?

I don't think there's much you can do. The odds are high that most of the stuff is downloaded from the internet and printed out on a home printer. The problem is that practically every single product ever published is available for download for free if you want it that way.

As far as the economic of it goes, the author and IP holder lose nothing at all. WotC get nothing when someone buys a module from someone else on eBay. So the ONLY person who could actually be losing revenue here is eBay, and I for one couldn't give a F if eBay don't get their cut of people exchanging modules.

The only time there is an economic impact on the author or the IP holder is whenthe product is still in print, or when someone decides they are going to publish themselves, something ownsed by someone else.

Otherwise, as Frank says, all you have done is identify where your moral boundary ends and his begins.

Offering to replace his collection will only justify his actions and moral stance in the first place. Do not do anything to place value or money in this guy's pocket.

...he has a massive collection of photocopied AD&D modules.

Begs several questions.
Is he selling any of those photocopies, or just using them for playing?
If he aint selling them, then (at least for me) the rest is irrelevent.

Where did he get access to the originals to make those copies?
Does he have the originals and use the copies for play?
Did he borrow originals from folks to burn his playing copies?
Did he make the copies then sell his own originals?
Or were they all from existing PDFs he also has on his computer?

If he does not sell the photocopies, then what really is all the concern over?
If the copies he has are for his personal use and not for sale, then I would not be bothered in the least.

I have a few copies of Game items.
Most of them were purchased in lots that included some items I wanted, and also copies of various things, but a few items I made copies of...
Such as Dark Chateau.
So I could run the grandkids through it without risking the original.
Have you tried to buy one of those recently?
Heck, have any of you even seen one for sale in like forever?

My advice: ask him if hes got a copy or scan of Brotherhood Of The Bolt and if he does send me a one.

"I know this from gaming with him over the past 20+ years. I have never been to his house before because he lives with his parents."

Tharizdun wrote:"I know this from gaming with him over the past 20+ years. I have never been to his house before because he lives with his parents."

I agree. It's odd/pathetic.

Yea you gents are right. There is no need to do anything on my part because the window of opportunity has passed long ago. They are actual copies of modules dating back to the 80's. I mean the copies were made in the 80's. They are not printouts. This guy does not post to any forums and does not use his computer for anything but email and writing.

I just started playing in a game of AD&D/OSRIC (he is running) using a modified version of B1 In Search of the Unknown. I let borrow my copy of Hackmaster B1.

Now here is the crux of the matter. Before I knew he had all these photocopies, I asked him a simple question that started all of this. If I buy two copies of Legacy of the Unknown, would he take me through it. I would give him both copies. After he finished running the module, he could keep one copy and I get a copy back. His reply was back in the old days we use to just buy one copy of a module and photocopy it. I'm sad to say I actually thought about this for a moment before I told him I'd just buy two copies. I don't want to do any photocopying.

I want to keep gaming with this guy but I have to remind myself not to facilitate any photocopying on his part.

Badmike wrote:Just to make myself clear, photocopying B1 and using it isn't hurting anyone. Photocopying a Swords & Wizardry rulebook and passing out copies at a game is extremely dickish (IMO).

Mike B.

No need. Download it for free, http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/swords-wizardry-core-rules-%28pdf%29/15718826.

Not that I would. But it's out there, for free.

clangador wrote:Yea you gents are right. There is no need to do anything on my part because the window of opportunity has passed long ago. They are actual copies of modules dating back to the 80's. I mean the copies were made in the 80's. They are not printouts. This guy does not post to any forums and does not use his computer for anything but email and writing.

I just started playing in a game of AD&D/OSRIC (he is running) using a modified version of B1 In Search of the Unknown. I let borrow my copy of Hackmaster B1.

Now here is the crux of the matter. Before I knew he had all these photocopies, I asked him a simple question that started all of this. If I buy two copies of Legacy of the Unknown, would he take me through it. I would give him both copies. After he finished running the module, he could keep one copy and I get a copy back. His reply was back in the old days we use to just buy one copy of a module and photocopy it. I'm sad to say I actually thought about this for a moment before I told him I'd just buy two copies. I don't want to do any photocopying.

I want to keep gaming with this guy but I have to remind myself not to facilitate any photocopying on his part.

Good post, good choices on your part.

As I stated above, I have VERY few photocopies and most of them I got from other people.
The main reason I made a photocopy of Dark Chateau is because it is VERY hard to find and I did not want something spilled on it by one of the grandkids, or myself.

There are several Acaeum members who run small press publishing companies.
Any of them could confirm that if I buy an adventure from them, I buy two (or more) copies of them.
One to read/play, and one (or more) to place on the shelf.

That was not a choice for Dark Chateau, since by the time I knew about it, it was sold out from the original publisher and was already a tough find.
Kinda like the first printing of Insidous...