James,
I will attempt to respond to all of your questions/issues listed below. I have numbered the paragraphs for reference sake.
1) The reason I thought you had 2 games was because you said you played the game on both, which you could not do unless you transferred the game back and forth. So it was not clear to me. I have your records for this email address for one game.
2) We have no way of knowing how many computers you have. We only know when you download the game.
3) Yes, our DRM is that the game is registered to one computer at a time. However, our transfer policy is as follows:
Your VP3DL serial number will automatically transfer to your new system. Just install VP3DL and when you start up it will say: "The software is already registered on another computer. You may transfer the software registration to another computer. This will invalidate the registration on your old computer". Answer Yes, Proceed with Transfer. Your serial will now be registered on the new system. To get any saved games files and Careers on your old system copy from the VP3 installed directory: "players.sts" , the vpc data: directory, and the vpfiles\user directory. You should uninstall the program on your old computer so you don't get a license conflict.
If you download the game more than 6 times per year, it would require you to contact us for a serial number. It's a policy of ours.
4) If you are only referring to your 3rd paragraph, see the above policy. If you are referring to our DRM policy, see comments to paragraphs 6 and 7 below.
5) I looked at our records of our correspondences with you and could not find any that said 'Tough' nor did I find one that suggested you purchase ANOTHER license', although I would have suggested that you purchase another game if you didn't want to transfer the game back and forth. I might also have told you that DRM policy was one game per computer, but if someone told you 'Tough' I really need like to see that email. It is NOT our policy to speak to our customers in that manner.
6) The DRM policy for Virtual Pool 4 will not change. Since you pointed me to the Wikipedia site, I would suggest to you that we are not the only company with this kind of policy and I will give you a quote from them:
'DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that are not desired or intended by the content provider. DRM also includes specific instances of digital works or devices. Companies such as Amazon, AT&T, AOL, Apple Inc., BBC, Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Sony use digital rights management.'
7) I hear what you are saying though and I totally agree that you should be able to use the game on your own devices. However, we spent a great deal of time (2 1/2 year for Virtual Pool 4) and money to develop this game, and frankly, we didn't do it out the goodness of our hearts. We did it because we thought it was an excellent game, of the highest quality, the most realistic online pool game available on the market, fun to play, and, yes, we wanted to get our investment back with a profit since we are a business.
We have no way of knowing on which computer your game is installed, much less if you have other computers. We only know when you download or transfer the game, not to where, nor whom. If you can you tell me how we would be able to monitor the people who bought the game and would only use it on their own devices from the ones who would buy one copy, make X-number of other copies and sell those for a profit, I would truly appreciate it. I recognize there are legitimate complaints about not being able to use the game on multiple devices, but I don't know how to sort out the legitimate people from the illegitimate pirates. Ergo, one license per device.
While I understand that DRM is very controversial, I can see you side, but I can also see ours. My understanding of your side of this is that it doesn't prevent copyright infringement and from what you've said here, you feel that it is unfair and inconvenient, and if you posted a blog as such you would find others who feel the same way you do.
I hope I've addressed all of your questions/issues. Please let me know if there is anything further.
Customer Support
Celeris, Inc.
