Key Publishing no longer issue Hornby Mag as a downloadable PDF

[howardb]

One of the best features of the Key Publishing / Hornby site was the ability to save downloaded copies of the magazine. As of this month they have changed their site so it can only be read on line so when Key Publishing close their site all the access to the older magazines will be lost forever...

 

Please complain to them if you are as annoyed by this change as I am.

 

Howard

[AY Mod]

Ask yourself why that may be.

[howardb]

There is more than one way to address the problem Key Publishing have without losing this benefit to all their paid subscribers.

 

However there have been many reported cases where "on line" only access has been shutdown due to changes of policy, take overs, new technology and bankruptcy etc, so wanting to be able to still access a copy I paid for in two or twenty years time is not unreasonable. The quid pro quo is that they must to be able to make money selling their magazines otherwise they will go the way of the dodo and become extinct.

 

I have already suggested to them that every year they could issue to their subscribers a collated PDF copy which could be watermarked &/or encrypted so that the only way to read the current version would be on line, but historic copies would remain available indefinitely to subscribers. If the collated PDF copy was provided with a complete annual index it would be worth paying a small additional fee for this feature.

 

 

 

 

[RedgateModels]

Pocketmags allows you to download 2 pages at a time as a pdf file. Great for saving interesting bits (or my own articles) for posterity etc

[AY Mod]

Within 15 seconds of searching I found illegally copied pdfs of the current issue which could be downloaded (at a cost that wouldn't be going to Key).

[howardb]

17 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

Within 15 seconds of searching I found illegally copied pdfs of the current issue which could be downloaded (at a cost that wouldn't be going to Key).

The unannounced change from downloadable pdf 's took place with the May (current) issue so can you please check this is the issue you are referring to since it is not possible to directly download current the PDF copy.

 

I totally agree that piracy is unacceptable & the product must be paid for, otherwise the providers will cease to exist. What I do not agree with is that the only way to access the product I paid for is through a web site that may or may not exist in a few years time. If you purchase a paper copy, you own it in perpetuity, but an online electronic copy is only available for as long as the supplier decides. Is this acceptable?

 

 

 

[AY Mod]

Just now, howardb said:

The unannounced change from downloadable pdf 's took place with the May (current) issue so can you please check this is the issue you are referring to since it is not possible to directly download current the PDF copy.

 

I am referring to a pirate copy.

 

1 minute ago, howardb said:

I totally agree that piracy is unacceptable & the product must be paid for, otherwise the providers will cease to exist.

 

You may find it unacceptable but unfortunately it happens (as I've evidenced above) so it's understandable that they're trying to minimise unpaid for usage.

[howardb]

Please respond to the point I am raising - an online electronic copy is only available for as long as the supplier decides. Is this acceptable?

[RedgateModels]

If you have your subscription via Pocketmags they download to your device (Android or Apple) so will be available to you as long as that device functions (or you delete the downloads)

 

A paper copy can be lost in fire or flood, nothing lasts forever 😉

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, howardb said:

I have already suggested to them that every year they could issue to their subscribers a collated PDF copy which could be watermarked &/or encrypted so that the only way to read the current version would be on line, but historic copies would remain available indefinitely to subscribers. If the collated PDF copy was provided with a complete annual index it would be worth paying a small additional fee for this feature.

Mrs C subscribes to a couple of Polish magazines that are distributed as PDFs - and each PDF is watermarked with the subscriber's email address, so in the event of a leak it'd be easy to see where it came from. Much cheaper than most British magazine subscriptions too...

 

As well as avoiding the risk of losing everytihng if the supplier fails, it also allows reading on other devices such as ebook readers - much better than the browser-only approach, which doesn't even work properly on a tablet.

[RedgateModels]

pdf watermarks are notoriously easy to remove with the right tools .....

[Bucoops]

27 minutes ago, howardb said:

Please respond to the point I am raising - an online electronic copy is only available for as long as the supplier decides. Is this acceptable?

 

As you don't own the copyright and any access ends when your subscription ends then yes - you are effectively "renting" access. Frustrating it may be for legitimate users but the piracy is likely having enough of a noticable hit to revenue. Without revenue, there would be no magazine at all.

[AY Mod]

34 minutes ago, howardb said:

Please respond to the point I am raising

 

I don't have to; I don't work for Key. Maybe I then should point out you are complaining on a rival publisher's website rather than where you should be directing it.

 

RMweb is not TripAdvisor.

[toby_tl10]

Perhaps this suggests physical copies still have an advantage?

[Darius43]

5 minutes ago, toby_tl10 said:

Perhaps this suggests physical copies still have an advantage?

Provided you have the shelf space…

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[D9020 Nimbus]

There are several schemes like this — anything that uses Exact Editions for example (Railway Modeller, WOR+ for example). Though in those cases it would depend on the continued existence of Exact Editions, rather than the publisher.

 

With Exact Editions it's always clear that you're renting access. With Pocketmags you own the issue in question. That's why you can save pages as PDFs.