Wizards of the Coast sue over pirated D&D Player’s Handbook

So here’s a tough one. Some kids posted a copy of the Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook 2 on Scribd.com and it was viewed more than 4,000 times and potentially downloaded about 2,600 times. They also found that a nice Polish boy, Krysztof, who posted copies of some modules. The defendants are based in Florida, the Philipines, and Polska.

Here’s the rub: if I were WotC, I’d be happy someone was actually reading my books. Role playing is popular, obviously, but this would open up the pastime to millions of proto-nerds. Obviously the company needs the cash to stay alive but perhaps something a bit less drastic is in order? Maybe a “lite” version for the kids and an easy way to get the books in stores around the world?

Interestingly, 4,200 downloads is a pittance. Six million people around the world play D&D at present and 20 million have played it in the past. Clearly someone is buying the Monster Manual out there and the 20-sided-die industry isn’t failing. Why get litigious? What think you?