Action Pack and Journal reprints?

klasmalmstrom

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...I know they’re copyrighted but MMP wouldn’t lose anything by this for those of us who would really like to read the articles written in these publications.
It might not be up to MMP to allow that, as it is Hasbro that owns the ASL brand.
 

Will Fleming

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MMP seems to put some of them (out of print scenarios) in module reprints (with some adjustments). There is a little hope in that direction.
 

robh91

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It seems that since the journals have all been sold and MMP is not planning to reissue them, hence no loss of money to MMP, they should allow pdf’s of the articles to be posted online. I know they’re copyrighted but MMP wouldn’t lose anything by this for those of us who would really like to read the articles written in these publications.
Copyright doesn't work like that. Just because a "work" is out of print doesn't mean it's open season for anyone t copy it. Literally, only copyright holder has the "right" to "copy" it (which could be way of pdf). If they choose not to do this so be it. MMP would definitely lose out if "free" pdf copies were available once an item went out of print - it would discourage people from buyng the item (as opposed to waiting for it to become free).
 

djohannsen

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I think maybe reprinting magazines might not be the best idea. After all how many magazines ever get reprinted in any hobby? What might be better is a best of compilation. Maybe the HASLs and scenarios reprinted as a "Best of" series.
Isn't this pretty much current practice? I'm thinking of the "Out of the Attic" magazines, which gave us the "Best of" from the Annuals. The last printing of "Rising Sun" gave us Gavutu-Tanambogo and out of print scenarios. So, maybe we can hope for an "Out of the Attic 3."
 

boylermaker

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Copyright doesn't work like that. Just because a "work" is out of print doesn't mean it's open season for anyone t copy it. Literally, only copyright holder has the "right" to "copy" it (which could be way of pdf). If they choose not to do this so be it. MMP would definitely lose out if "free" pdf copies were available once an item went out of print - it would discourage people from buyng the item (as opposed to waiting for it to become free).
I'd be interested to see a mathematical model of that, because it isn't intuitive to me. After all, if the people-don't-buy-waiting-for-free-pdf's phenomenon is real, and it's big enough that it effects MMP rather than ebay-resellers, then MMP isn't going to sell out, meaning that people aren't going get their free pdfs, meaning that they will likely give up on the strategy and just buy it. That would be my intuition.
 

von Marwitz

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I believe what happens is that those seriously into ASL will eventually get hold of electronic copies of all sort of OoP stuff (breaching copyright) and pretty much buy everything else that is available (at least with regard to MMP stuff and a selection of TPP products) - regardless if they might already own electronic copies or not.

von Marwitz
 

larrymarak

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Just keep in mind that ASL is only one of MMP's licensed products. While I'm sure they want to create and maintain a good ASL line, they also have the license to produce quite a few other lines under the Avalon Hill and Gamers labels. Good business practice demands that you print new material, rather than reprint old. Assuming they have 8,000 customers who play ASL exclusively, they will sell 8,000 copies of Journal #17, but only 2,000 copies of Journal #3. And dollars spent on #3 might reduce total sales of #17.
POD requires a higher unit pricing too. MMP usually gives you more for your money because they are able to sell larger press runs. If they start doing short order press runs at higher unit prices they will be competing with themselves.
 

Honvik

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We sell many ASL Journals including out of print and try hard to keep prices as low as possible. I think we have Journal 2.

Cheers

Phil
 

peterd1973

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Copyright doesn't work like that. Just because a "work" is out of print doesn't mean it's open season for anyone t copy it. Literally, only copyright holder has the "right" to "copy" it (which could be way of pdf). If they choose not to do this so be it. MMP would definitely lose out if "free" pdf copies were available once an item went out of print - it would discourage people from buyng the item (as opposed to waiting for it to become free).
How?
If it doesn't sell out, don't offer it for free.
 

TopT

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I don't see how offering this as a lower cost electronic download could not work. If the person that purchased the e-file then they would have to print what they wanted if inclined.
 

larrymarak

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Copyright exists for 2 reasons. 1. Compensation of creators...not just MMP but possibly individuals that submitted articles and scenarios to MMP. 2. Protection of the ownership of the product.
Best solution, if MMP owns the complete contents of each journal, ( and not article submitters or Hasbro Toy Co.) Is to sell the rights to the leading purchaser of previously published ASL materials.
The secondary publisher would not be competing against his own ASLComp product.

I realize I'm gonna be lynched in a moment, but this IS the solution IF MMP won't reprint. Selling pdfs inevitably results in black market shareware.
 
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Nineteen Kilo

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I apologize for the OT question but my question hardly seemed worth starting a new thread, and this thread is on journals, so....

...Is there a new Journal expected to be released in 2019?

Kurious Kev
 

Aaron Cleavin

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Assuming they have 8,000 customers who play ASL exclusively, they will sell 8,000 copies of Journal #17, but only 2,000 copies of Journal #3. And dollars spent on #3 might reduce total sales of #17.
This seems extraordinarily unlikely
 

Aaron Cleavin

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POD requires a higher unit pricing too. MMP usually gives you more for your money because they are able to sell larger press runs. If they start doing short order press runs at higher unit prices they will be competing with themselves.
This is surely true, the biggest problem is that to do POD well and at a reasonable price one needs to buy printing plant, and this is not in MMP's core competency, or likely capital budget.
 

hongkongwargamer

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Depends if the holder of the intellectual asset (eg an ASL journal) consider the asset part of the company's asset - I am sure they do.

I am sure you need a justification before you start giving assets away from your balance sheet ("er .. boss, let's give away the goods for free").

Retaining it with the company allows for future possibilities of monetizing it .. just because I don't want to sell new copies of it today doesn't mean I don't want the ability to do so in the future. Plus even if I don't do anything with it, I can sell the entire asset to another company so they can monetize it in a way they choose.

Eitherway, just because a company ain't monetizing an asset today doesn't automatically mean it should freely given away or that it should be pirated.
 
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Aaron Cleavin

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Depends if the holder of the intellectual asset (eg an ASL journal) consider the asset part of the company's asset - I am sure they do.

I am sure you need a justification before you start giving assets away from your balance sheet ("er .. boss, let's give away the goods for free").

Retaining it with the company allows for future possibilities of monetizing it .. just because I don't want to sell new copies of it today doesn't mean I don't want the ability to do so in the future. Plus even if I don't do anything with it, I can sell the entire asset to another company so they can monetize it in a way they choose.

Eitherway, just because a company ain't monetizing an asset today doesn't automatically mean it should freely given away or that it should be pirated.

I posit that if one were to make a full copy of say a Journal and Scenarios, then remit MMP the funds as per the original RRP inflation indexed up until today, then one might be still legally in violation, though ethically one might be whole.
 
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