Are fakes in a sale OK?

[mezrabad]

Is it okay to include a copy of an instruction manual with a game if the original is not available as long as the buyer is made aware of the fact?

Should I watermark the hell out of it with "reproduction not original" warnings so the person who buys it from me doesn't pass it off as the real thing to someone else down the road?

Interested in everyone's opinion on this.

[stuffedmonkey]

I don't see any problem in xeroxing the instructions. As long as you don't claim they are the origionals - you are just helping the new owner out.

[Darth Sensei]

I wouldn't think there would be a problem tho it is technically illegal.

[swlovinist]

If you are selling something that is a copy whether or not it is no longer available in stores it is against the law. If you are not the person in charge of the copyright of the product you are selling a "copy" of, then you are breaking the law.

On the other side, it is just instuctions. If this is an auction online, I would use the wording "bonus item to assisst with gameplay!" Be careful, it is one thing if you are just making someone a duplicate, but if you are selling the duplicate, that is different

[Videogamerdaryll]

Is it okay to include a copy of an instruction manual with a game if the original is not available as long as the buyer is made aware of the fact?

Should I watermark the hell out of it with "reproduction not original" warnings so the person who buys it from me doesn't pass it off as the real thing to someone else down the road?

Interested in everyone's opinion on this.


Just make SURE the "buyer" is made aware of the fact..

[WanganRunner]

Well, hm....

It IS ok if you're just including them to be a nice guy.

It is NOT ok if you told the guy it came with instructions, and then include a copy. If the auction says "comes with instructions", that means ORIGINALS.

[Vectorman0]

I wouldn't mention it except for maybe at the bottom, where you can say that you will include a xerox copy by request of the buyer.

[goatdan]

Technically, it is illegal to Xerox a copy of the instructions and include them. That's why places like Blockbuster had certain little cards about how to play the games that were basically summaries.

That having been said, Nintendo isn't going to come after you if you said that you could for free include a Xerox copy of the instuctrion manual for the original game. Although I don't see too many people that would take advantage of that. If you are selling online, people can figure out how to play or find scans of the instructions online, and it isn't worth your trouble in my opinion.

[TeddyRuxpin]

I remember when a video rental store here would actually have the REAL instructions that they'd include with the rental. That was short lived though.

[§ Gideon §]

Personally, it would please me if a seller went the extra mile to responsibly include manuals with carts that would otherwise be bare. However, you must understand the psychology of the normal buyer: The fake instructions represent more something missing than something added. Know what I mean?

[mezrabad]

Personally, it would please me if a seller went the extra mile to responsibly include manuals with carts that would otherwise be bare. However, you must understand the psychology of the normal buyer: The fake instructions represent more something missing than something added. Know what I mean?

That's a good point. If I were to include the instructions and make a point of saying "instructions included, but they're not the originals" then that might devalue the item more than if I were to say "only selling what is pictured"

I guess my main concern is: I'm talking about some rarity rating R8 games. If I were to include a good copy of the instructions and other missing accessories (cards, gameboard, etc) the buyer, regardless of being made aware that they were not the originals, might try to pass them off to whomever they try to sell in the future, as the originals. At that point I will have become resonsible for introducing forgeries into the collector community when all I wanted to do was be sure the buyer could play the dang game. Anything I sold in the future might be considered suspect by collectors especially if the buyer said something like "well, the guy that sold 'dese to me didn't say nothin' about dem bein' phony".

Paranoid? Me? I'm sure you ALL think so! @_@

I think I'll just sell my completes and keep the incompletes (with their forged replacement parts) for myself.

[§ Gideon §]

Hey, you've got the right kind of attitude! There's a site I found (http://www.hqscansorg.org/) that might interest you. Apparently, there's a group of people doing their best to preserve all sorts of game documents before they become extinct.

[Poofta!]

i agree with mostly whats been said, technically its illegal, but youre not selling the xeroxed manual, youre selling the game and included the copy as an convienence to the buyer.

dont say its complete, just post somewhere its missing the manual but youre including a copy.

nothing worse than opening an ebay link thinking its MIB and finding out that its not after you read it all


when i sell manual-less stuff i just send them a pdf, kinda as a bonus.