Ea makes statement March 2 making paysites ok?

[minionsRmine]

Also, subscription fees are to be a member of the site itself. Membership allows you to fully use the site, but you are not paying for the items themselves, simply the use of the site.

If that were the case, then no one would be able to access any part of the site. Wrongo, EA guy. Locked downloads specifically say to subscribe to unlock that asset.

[dietofworms]

That "clarification" actually says something very different from what EA wants to say.  If membership fees are just to gain admission and not to pay for downloads, what's wrong, according that logic, with sharing the downloads? Put the way the EA rep said it, it's getting onto the website that's valuable, not the cc. So according to them, we're in the clear. It's not as if pirates have found a back door into TSR and are delighting themselves with oogling the pr0ny screenshots. 

[SoggyFox]

Why in the hell is EA lying to cover the asses of paysites?  Are they really that clueless?  Or have they been getting a cut all along to hide their noses in the sand?

Because there are plenty of paysites that charge per download anymore.  I think it was figured out that for value, at least TSR was low cost, comparitively.  I don't think that included the donation set type paysites, but the actual 'businesses', but still...

[Eskimo Pie]

righty O then!

If I am not mistaken if you want something from rose you pay her and she emails it to you? So you do not even use the site at all really....just to look at pictures and click on the paypal button.

[Sigmund]

Food for thought... if this really is the legal loophole that EA games is going to jump through to be able to protect and worship TSR's and other paysites asses, the booty might end up making paysites legal.  Follow me on this one, I know that sounds strange, but, techically, someone charging for content could say, "I'm only charging you for the convenience of downloading my stuff from my website.  If you want my stuff for free, go to the booty." 

Edit for: Clarification.

This is actually a valid point, not that I'm advocating we yank down the booty.

Does the fact that many (I say many because I'm thinking especially of Ren Sim when I say this, since she is fine with her stuff being in the booty) paysites don't want their stuff in the booty matter at all, though? This is a pretty convoluted loophole if EA is actually relying on it, and I'm trying to wrap my head around it. I guess it's possible that this is why EA hasn't come out against filesharing, although I would argue that if that is their stance on the thing, linking to PMBD should be perfectly legit at the "official" site.

ETA: Also, doesn't that mean that in order to continue charging for their downloads, sites like TSR would have to provide their downloads to the booty as well? I'd certainly love to see Thomass's expression during that conversation.

[eternal_darkness]

Go to T$R, find a pay item, and mouse over the key icon in the top right hand corner. It says "this content is for subscribers only." Nuff said.

[Anouk]

Can't they just get it over with and tell people "Stop sharing payfiles or we'll cut you, bitches." At least THAT would be clear. 

[SoggyFox]

Ah, but then they piss off all the free folks and lose customers - thing is, if they said paysites were bad, they'd lose fewer than if they said paysites were wrong.

If only they'd realize that little bit.  I am more and more thinking EA is getting a cut somewhere, or bribes or cutbacks or whatever.

[Eskimo Pie]

Considering the Exchange is the original "booty" were anyone can share anything at any time  ( including store items..because I have down loaded those in lots, and yes they do work) I will always assume they think file sharing is ok. They confirmed that fact when meshes started being packaged with the uploads some time ago. The only time something does not work is when you get a slave object without its master.

So EA states "NO sharing files! but check out our exchange for the newest downloads! "

[JFederated]

I'm starting to see it as:  don't patronize these paysites if it bugs you so much.  Community - police thyself.

What I haven't seen is:  sharing user-made content is wrong, quit it.  See officially provided user made content Exchange for endorsement even.

What EA can address with authority:  violation of their copyright or trademark.  See Securom, see All Rights Reserved statements required on fansites.

What EA won't address with authority:  paysites complaining about people sharing their payfiles.  Not EA's problem, fansites aren't affiliated w/EA.

So basically...EA has done nothing about this at all, except maybe some market research.  Reactions to these statements have shown EA that their fanbase has wised up and is not at all thrilled at the prospect of TSR or any paysite having a say about their relationship with EA.  Nothing good or happy has come from these statements, no 'yay!' from the customer base, only 'hell no, I'll pass'.  Paysites can't put the Coconut back in the bottle, and just the fact that Drea states in one of her posts that 'this is a touchy subject' shows that EA is aware of growing distaste for paysiting.  EA still wants it all ways and always will.  That means that EA will never give TSR or any paysite what it really wants:  fullblown endorsement, nor enforcement of any paysite's terms.  They would've changed the EULA to do so.

Drea's statements actually tread some dangerous ground for EA:  do they really want to throw their EULA, a questionable device of a one-sided, sight-unseen-at-point-of-purchase contract, under a bus in this fashion?  EULAs are already looked upon as 'wishful thinking' that very possibly would not withstand a legal challenge.  For EA to retain the EULA as-is while speaking out of the other side of a Maxiod's mouth...the very first page of this thread said it all:  the EULA means nothing, it's a free for all.  I doubt that's the end result EA or any publisher is looking for.

As of yet, EA hasn't come out and outright condemned nor mandated that the Booty be shut down.  I think it's because they can't.  They have no standing to do so.  That problem falls at the feet of the paysites who take issue with it.  EA's not part of the loop in that regard:  if paysites are going to claim 'infringement' on their payfiles, which necessarily infringe on EA's rights ever so ironically, then paysites are the ones that have to address it, not EA.  

So TSR, etc. may believe they have friends at the offical site, but those friends have hands tied.  Booty butthurt, like people deciding to pay subscriptions or per piece of CC, is not EA's problem, the end.

[Souvenirs]

It sounds like the guy who answered that e-mail did so by reading the actual EULA.  He's probably just a tech support guy and doesn't know much about the paysite thing, so he answered it by explaining what the legal document provided by the game says.  He, like Drea, doesn't speak for EA, but he does show that any person reading the EULA can see that we're right--the EULA does make paysites illegal.

But, unfortunately (or fortunately, in the case of Drea), I don't think it matters what he or Drea says.  The people running EA want to have a partnership with TSR, and that's what they're going to do.

Also, I don't think EA really supports the Exchange being a "booty," so to speak.  I think they're too lazy to moderate it correctly (and they probably started including meshes because they got sick of the 12s being confused and spamming them with e-mails when their downloads wouldn't work).  You can get a lot of adult content and read a lot of creepy stories on the Exchange too.  I doubt they want that.

[kenmtl]

Food for thought... if this really is the legal loophole that EA games is going to jump through to be able to protect and worship TSR's and other paysites asses, the booty might end up making paysites legal.  Follow me on this one, I know that sounds strange, but, techically, someone charging for content could say, "I'm only charging you for the convenience of downloading my stuff from my website.  If you want my stuff for free, go to the booty." 

The only problem with that is how do these booty shoppers know what to look for? In order for a site to fall under this protection, they would have to implement a "Pay at the Door" policy. So unless you've paid to get in, you don't know what's on the site. If you've already paid to get in, then everything on the site will be available to you. Why go somewhere else at that point. I can't imagine paying just to visit the forums or to submit creations or to see what kind of content they might have would be a particularly advantageous business practice. Unless you got some good p0rn happening it all sounds a bit restrictive to me.

[scrappysim]

Not that I think this will happen, but all of these sites will still need to advertise to get new subscribers, so these items will still be able to be seen by people who might want them and then they can go searching.  Also, I am sure that new file share sites will pop up with lots of preview picture threads to show off the items prior to downloading.  There are lots of ways around that plus sites would wither away if people had to pay in order to even see the files. Who is going to pay to get in without knowing if there is anything good inside?

[meowbark]

So, can I ask, is this why TS3 was held back? So the EULA could be changed to save paysites in the future? Not for 'marketing purposes'?

[BeautifulButtercup]

I am amazed and astounded that EA has finally cleared up this mess once and for all.

Three cheers for MaxoidDrea!