<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>I don't entirely disagree with the CD/backup argument which I had never considered when applied to comics or books. I'll have to mull over that one.</span><span> (I have all my CDs and DVDs backed up on NAS and the actual media stored in the loft but I never download any pirate film or music).</span></div><div>But having said that, I think the "I'm not affecting anyone's revenue because the item wasn't available from them in that format anyway" argument is compromised by this statement "I will for these newer ones that I don't already have digitally". Now they are available digitally, the pirate ones are affecting the creators' revenue from you.</div><div>Does this mean I should now go through my CD/DVD collection and buy the download version from iTunes/netFlix/etc? I don't know; I'm beginning to think I
should.</div><div><br></div><div>I remember that my parents sold the digital rights to their published images separately to the physical rights. They had a lot of problems with the issue of "public domain" with digital copies. They wanted to sell the images on CD but they knew that as soon as they did, the images would be uploaded to the Web and Universities would have no more reason to buy the physical or digital versions. They never solved the problem before they sold-up.</div><div><br></div><div>As usual Copyright throws up a lot of complex issues. We're not going to solve them here. I suspect that trying to legislate is pointless and will only increase the problems. Those who didn't want to pay before, still wouldn't pay.</div><div>It may be better to leave the laws alone and provide the digital copies for sale. As you say about Phil Foglio, there are a great many people who will pay for the digital version if it is available who wouldn't buy the
physical version and while the creator's percentage (sale vs "pirate") might go down, their income will probably go up.</div><div><br></div><div>Womble</div><div>P.S. I wonder how much my opinion here differs from when we last had this discussion :-)<br><span></span></div><div><br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; margin-top: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Ryan Simmons <ryan.gsimmons@gmail.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> groop Groop <groop@groo.com> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Saturday, 31 March 2012, 3:49<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re:
[Groop] Groo Sale!<br> </font> </div> <br><div id="yiv382420270"><div>Ho boy. Ok, this is delicate ground. So I'm going to tread carefully while being completely honest.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I have every copy of groo up to the first few DH mini-series in digital format. Which I downloaded off the internet without hardly even looking for them. They were readily available to anyone with an internet connection years and years ago.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Now I know a lot of people will get ticked at that. However, let me state my moral stance on this.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>1.) I own a physical copy, if not two or more, of every single Groo that has ever been published.</div>
<div>2.) I have never provided, offered, or "seeded" any of these digital copies to anyone else, ever.</div>
<div>3.) There were zero legally available digital copies of Groo anywhere to be had when I downloaded them.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>So I did not benefit the "pirates" (what pirates?) that I downloaded the copies from in any way. Not a penny, not a single endorsement, not a review or mention to anyone anywhere, I don't even remember where I downloaded them from (It's been at least 4 years since I did.).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>So why did I download them? Because I have all the physical copies bagged, boarded, boxed, stored, etc. Really a big pain in the butt to dig them out. I couldn't give Sergio or Mark any money at the time to get them digitally because I certainly would have if they made it an option. Heck, I would now and I will for these newer ones that I don't already have digitally. This is the first I've heard of them allowing Groo to be in a digital format.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Phil Foglio hosts Girl Genius for free on his website. And he has raved, absolutely crowed about the HUGE increase in sales he's experienced by offering his art for free with the option to buy. It works. And I understand why it works.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I've got all the Pacifics, the Special, the Epic/Marvels, the Images, etc. All of them. Had them for years on my computers.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I'm thrilled to see that Groo is now legally available online for us fans to buy it legitimately instead of feeling all guilty for downloading it in some back alley.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Don't hate me. Or sue me.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ryan</div>
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