"I don't think the loss of electronic PDFs is an unreasonable fear."
It is.
Take backups, or retain control of the email account or whereever you got the receipt, or learn to use bittorrent, and you will never lose the file.
Use open formats (PDF is open enough for this), and you will always be able to access the file.
"The technological problem is that electronic files can be easily and losslessly copied."
This is not a problem, but the solution to all the problems of "you can't find this at a garage sale".
I am sorry if this is "making the topic about piracy" - but when you call one of the fundamental characteristics of knowledge (it can be copied without cost, without loss to the original owner) a problem, you have entered the debate on piracy. On one side. The side that brought us DRM (where we, incidently, agree).
Only in a world where knowledge is owned will the problem of "out of print" occur...
If the discussion is only about disappearing PDFs, then I don't see the problem. "Don't delete them" would be one solution - files do not disappear on their own and are more resilient (because they can be copied) than any acid-etched titanium plate. And there's always the backup plan of "downloading them again" if you failed the first one.
Well, I think one useful development would be for electronic publishing to copy some ideas from paper publishing. In paper publishing there are public libraries that collect and store books (and other stuff printed in paper); allow people to access them, but not to copy it; and allow people to copy it when the said stuff goes public, even for the purposes of republishing it in paper format.
It would be very interesting to see a sort of digital public library that would:
Collect pdfs and other electronic media, so that it does not disapear if the original publisher disapears from the digital world.
Allow people to read (but not copy or print) the stuff, maybe in a low quality version.
Make it public after the rights became public.
On the later issue, yes, this means 70 years by current laws. I think this makes no sense. Digital media should have a much shorter window before it becomes public, say 10 or 20 years. IMO that's protection enough for the author's economic interests.
The "problem" with PDFs is that they are digital files - infinitely reproducible at zero or negligible marginal cost - and thus they break the traditional economic models dependent on scarcity. Adding DRM for any purpose - whether it be decried as heavy-handed like the examples given, or simply to impose restrictions inherent in the non-digital world - reduces the value of the file.
There have been dozens of suggested routes to shoe-horn the genie back into its bottle, but ultimately, we will almost certainly need to change our expectations of how things "should" work.
In the short term, I expect we'll see many of these implementations:
DRM to control license transfers - as suggested in the article, opening the potential for legitimate secondary markets - drawbacks: the limited file will be less useful than an unencumbered version, and will encourage piracy
Access-controlled online libraries - as suggested by smascrns - the primary drawback being that files are not "owned" and merely licensed, and that all such files are subject to the repository going offline
Emphasis on eliminating the digital option in favor of the dead-tree version - appears to be WotC's strategy - key drawback being that at least some consumers prefer a digital version for whatever reason, limiting the size of the market
...but I expect most will fail in the long run.
In the long run, I expect that we'll see more revolutionary publishing techniques, along the lines of Monte Cook's Dungeon-A-Day project or Wolfgang Bauer's OpenDesign projects, or more openly collaborative efforts (via wikis/forums/waves or other new media) - and less of the traditional model. We should see models that allow designers and developers to get paid for their efforts by capitalizing on scarce resources, rather than attempting to force infinite resources into a scarcity market.
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You're just jealous because the voices are talking to me...
Even though you can't find PDFs at garage sales and eBay, PDFs have made it possible to purchase out of print and hard to find games and supplements. It's much easier buy the entire Traveller 2300 line (to use one example) from DriveThruRPG than scrounging at flea markets, buy/sell forums, and the like. Granted, the quality of these PDFs may be poor (usually when scanned from a hard copy and not OCRed), but it is better than nothing.
On a different point, I've had very bad luck with backups lately. I've had 2 external backup hard drives crash on me in the last 3 years. One was even a RAID-1 drive. Naturally, PDFs (and downloaded music) have become less attractive to me during this time. I really like how PDFs don't take up shelf space (which is even more precious at my home than disc space), are searchable, and allow copying-and-pasting (though publishers can disable this function). I will continue to buy PDFs, but not at the rate I had been.
"Trying to make digital files not copyable is like trying to make water not wet" - Bruce Schneier.
Here's why the discussion isn't about piracy, despite your trying to make it so against my request:
You're talking about a philosophy: information wants to be free.
I'm talking about a reality: when a PDF goes out of print, it can no longer be found by the average browser on the internet, and that same average browser who doesn't want to break the law (or is afraid to, or whatever) no longer has access to it. Likewise, no professional site is going to make it available without permission from the creator.
Someone recently asked why I bothered to review an out-of-print PDF, and I think that underlines the point. Without making a judgment about bittorrenting, accept that it's not a mainstream method of distribution.
The core model of information distribution may or may not change. I'm not going to argue that. The fact is that under the current model of information distribution out-of-print PDFs become unavailable for all practical purposes, and I don't *think* that changing the model of information distribution is the easiest or most likely path for resolving that issue. Not with big financial interest who will spend billions of dollars to keep it from happening.
So, I'm looking for solutions in the reality of the present, not the philosophy of the future.
Even though you can't find PDFs at garage sales and eBay, PDFs have made it possible to purchase out of print and hard to find games and supplements. It's much easier buy the entire Traveller 2300 line (to use one example) from DriveThruRPG than scrounging at flea markets, buy/sell forums, and the like. Granted, the quality of these PDFs may be poor (usually when scanned from a hard copy and not OCRed), but it is better than nothing.
That is certainly another huge win for PDFs. I've been considering the 2300 line myself and GDQ1-7 was on my list to buy from DriveThru before WotC stuck their collective head in the ground and waited for digital media to go away.
Of course my experience with WotC points out that these nice PDFs of out-of-print books can become suddenly as unavailable as the PDF-only books; a secondary market would be nice for them too (but not as critical, as I can still find GDQ1-7 in print for whatever god-awful price it's eBaying for right now).
Assuming the old sales model even deserves to exist is fraught with peril.
That model assumed you actually had to input scare materials and ideas into a physical format that could be controlled and distributed for a profit. Think factory to store .
The new media is closer if you'll forgive a Star Trek thing, a replicator. Put in energy and time and viola stuff. Even better the energy cost is very low on new copies.
Because of that the Internet basically sucked the value added out of media.
Not only is there a much lower cost of entry (practically anyone with a good idea and a modicum of skills can publish now) but material scarcity (a strong driver for profit) is a non issue.
As for an artificial barrier, DRM or something, well it might be possible to DRM stuff . Maybe, till someone cracks it or scans a print copy .
Even assuming no one cracks or scans it and you can somehow protect your future customers, whats the point?
With such a low cost of entry, there is enough free stuff to go all around. In just OGL stuff I have lifetimes of free/legal material
All DRM does is encumber your legit customers.
The only way around this is more concerned with ethics and economics.
Getting people to feel "its rude to steal peoples time" which is what piracy really does and increasing household incomes while keeping prices stable should increase sales.
This is of course problematic as on a macro economic front US incomes have declined roughly 30% since the introduction of the RPG (1974 to 2009 or so) and they are likely to continue to decline. And no there is no correlation -- don't be silly
As we (speaking only for the US) live in a society where few people have real ethics its very hard to make an ethical argument that will stick. I'll spare the political rant but US culture is very cash and carry
Piracy here (and I am not justifying it) puts wealth (and in a limited way power) back in peoples hands as an afternoon of downloading say MP3's/RPG's/Movies can be the equal to hundreds of dollars in media --
Lets say a person pirates 6 RPG books, 4 "albums"-- thats at least $100 worth of media -- for a couple of hours effort (if that) -- say $50 per hour, when most people in the US earn half this is a very good deal. Usually search effort takes less than this and as the download goes on you can do something else -- its even better.
Increasing household income lowers the cost burden of purchases, say wages rise back to 70's levels -- $25 an hour goes back to $35 plus benefits, this has the effect of making your goods cheaper without making you poorer. That $10 PDF is only $6.50 in burden and this will increase sales
Technical fixes are simply not practical with such a large cadre of people who live to break your security and are roughlyas effective as wage controls passed after the Black Death.
As someone with a strong interest in a media career (I write and yes am looking for work ) I really can't tell you how this can be fixed other than that
I suspect what will work is the long-tail approach with support coming from legit buyers *(there will always be some) plenty of new material and simply patronage (say customers send you tips) -- its a lousy approach but seeing as RPG work only pays pennies anyway, well it won't hurt that much.
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Zombiepack Watcher for the Rise
1 laugh point courtesy of Turloigh
When you are an extradimensional creature made of knives, job opportunities that aren't explicitly murder-related are thin on the ground. Front Toward Everybody on Bladelings
The "there's plenty of free material" argument always misses the fact that the vast, vast majority of free material is utter crap. It's also a totally orthogonal argument, because if it were valid it would suggest that people don't actually want that other stuff--the stuff that isn't crap, that isn't free, and that probably wouldn't get produced if "free" was the only choice. If free media were as great as you suggest, paid media would de facto disappear.
It hasn't.
In any case, talking about a DRM system for secondary markets isn't about whether it can be cracked and uploaded for free or not. It's a way of saying "this is a trusted copy of the work that (probably) wasn't stolen" and thus introducing trust into an electronic exchange where it can't really exist right now.
In many ways, it's intended as something that enhances a person's choice rather than reducing it. We all know this stuff is all going to end up cracked on the internet anyway. But if there were a trusted secondary market system, people could choose whether to get the illegal, pirated copy or the legal, unpirated copy. And, unlike you, I don't believe that very few people have real ethics. Instead, I believe that most people do. I think that people continuing to buy things from DriveThruRPG proves that, even though much of their material is doubtless available on torrents. I'd just like to see the idea extended from sale to resale.
Maybe someone doing something like this would have to use a word other than "DRM" because of the knee-jerk reaction it causes.
The "there's plenty of free material" argument always misses the fact that the vast, vast majority of free material is utter crap. It's also a totally orthogonal argument, because if it were valid it would suggest that people don't actually want that other stuff--the stuff that isn't crap, that isn't free, and that probably wouldn't get produced if "free" was the only choice. If free media were as great as you suggest, paid media would de facto disappear.
It hasn't.
In any case, talking about a DRM system for secondary markets isn't about whether it can be cracked and uploaded for free or not. It's a way of saying "this is a trusted copy of the work that (probably) wasn't stolen" and thus introducing trust into an electronic exchange where it can't really exist right now.
In many ways, it's intended as something that enhances a person's choice rather than reducing it. We all know this stuff is all going to end up cracked on the internet anyway. But if there were a trusted secondary market system, people could choose whether to get the illegal, pirated copy or the legal, unpirated copy. And, unlike you, I don't believe that very few people have real ethics. Instead, I believe that most people do. I think that people continuing to buy things from DriveThruRPG proves that, even though much of their material is doubtless available on torrents. I'd just like to see the idea extended from sale to resale.
Maybe someone doing something like this would have to use a word other than "DRM" because of the knee-jerk reaction it causes.
Free can include professional material given away (the SRD, TSOY, JAGS Reign Supplements, MSH, ZEFYRS, Witchcraft ) too. Some of it is bad but some of it is very good .We call this freegal Heck even radio and TV are free (or all you can eat for a fee)
Then of course there is pirated stuff -- also free -- this category encompasses pretty much anything you could want -- on demand. The fact that some stuff still sells is a fine thing but I am not convinced that will last. and to be clear I have no issue with trying to introduce trust into the system whatever. Its a good idea
However I am not convinced DRM is the way to go about it. Also trying a name change is at best disingenuous. It walks like a duck, quacks like a duck its still a duck ... Most DRM is justly about as popular as anthrax (not the band ) and I can't see that changing (I-Tunes exempted)
As for the market, certainly people buy -- the question is ratios. A top seller on E23 say (they post figures) is 1000 copies. The question is how many pirated downloads are there and of those how many would buy. That's your market -- law abiding people (never pirate anything at least in print) and pirates (never buy a thing) are already covered its the wobblers you need to convince
I really don't think a sale-able PDF trusted system would increase sales in any meaningful way in this group or any of the others. Trust is kind of the transhumanist/cyber age holy grail of network computing -- understandable as its the basis of all trade. I just think it runs up against the vastly reduced scarcity model. There is little point in trying for a large profit when "good enough" is free (need a supers game Marvel is free) and your product can be duplicated lossless and costless -- Of course I might be wrong.. I-Tunes has DRM and it sells well
also while I agree that most free product is indeed drek spreading the word about the good stuff is nigh effortless.
Back in the say 80's or early 90's -- finding good stuff was hard and strictly word of mouth -- read a magazine -- a friend finds it-- pre Internet good material was hard to find and didn't travel far . Now If I find a rare diamond in a pile of pony poo the same technology means everyone can find it just as easily -- The signal is easier to find in the noise so long as one party finds it
Consider how the sheer volume of material has exponentially increased. Back in the early days (say 83) you might see a couple of sets of house rules, a few games someone bought and whatever was in a Magazine. Now its all laid out, with comments and where free (or if you don't care) its costs little to try. My private stash of legal OGL material and house rules, just the good stuff is 3 CD's alone -- if you count my Freegle stuff, stuff I bought and stuff I earned for my reviews here thats many gigs
Now of course we can agree to disagree on this Shannon .No matter what I applaud your efforts at improving the hobby. Both in writing, with this board and by setting out ideas.
Thats far more than most do and it matters
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Zombiepack Watcher for the Rise
1 laugh point courtesy of Turloigh
When you are an extradimensional creature made of knives, job opportunities that aren't explicitly murder-related are thin on the ground. Front Toward Everybody on Bladelings
Heck even radio and TV are free (or all you can eat for a fee) 
) and I can't see that changing (I-Tunes exempted) 
Linear Mode
