FWW CD from Bidzone is pirated

[Bryan Danner]

I am posting this across several forums to get the word out.

The Fine woodworking CD I purchased from Bidzone was a pirated copy. I have contacted Taunton Press and Bidzone, and am working out a solution. Bidzone has refunded my money, and is claiming that they had no control over the origin and authenticity of the CD. This may be true, but based on a bit of a run-around I received from them before-hand, I am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt just yet.

For those of you who purchased the CD, check the label and see if it looks grainy/fuzzy, and whether or not the ink smears if wetted. If it does, then you have a pirated CD. If you do, I would strongly recommend calling Taunton Press at 1-800-477-8727. I would also keep the CD’s until Taunton decides how to handle this. Predictably, Bidzone wants the CD returned ASAP.

I don’t want to lecture here, but the bottom line, it is wrong to let software pirates profit from the work of others (Fine Woodworking). I’ve seen a response or two in the various forums which leads me to believe that some people don’t see the harm in this as long as they get the goods they ordered (in this case the FWW material). If this is your feeling, I will not attempt to otherwise persuade you. If you do see the harm in this, I would encourage you to avoid this situation.

-Bryan Danner

[Wayne Johnson]

Hmm.. not good. I ordered it from them as well. I'm very interested in your findings because I feel the same way that you do about it. I haven't received the CDs yet, but my CC has been charged.

[Kent Cori]

Bryan,

I also ordered the CD from Bidzone believing that it was a properly licensed product. I really enjpy FWW and the other Tauntun Press books so I have no desire to keep a pirated CD. Can you provide us with the contact number and information for Bidzone? I'll call Tauntun in a few minutes.

[Bryan Danner]

Kent,

I would check to see if the label is legit before contacting Taunton. It's possible that Bidzone may have unknowingly passed on a bad copy to me. If yours is good, I would probably keep it.

-Bryan

[Kent Cori]

I just talked with Betty in Customer Service at Taunton Press. She confirmed for me that the CDs through Bidzone are legitimate. Apparently one of the licensed distributors of the CD went out of business and Bidzone bought up their remaining supply. Taunton is standing behind the CD I purchased.

There should be a small piece of paper with each CD that gives you access instructions for the online FWW archives in the package. If you haven't received one, Betty can help you at 1-800-477-8727.

I'm happy that the CD is licensed. It has a great collection of articles and tips. I would have hated to send it back.

[Bryan Danner]

Kent,

Yours may be legit, but mine certainly isn't.

-Bryan

[Jim Guy]

I have my copy from bidzonez and the label is as clear as any I've seen. I develop software for a living and don't believe in stealing another mans labor, but from all I can tell, this is a legit CD.

[Bryan Danner]

While Taunton acknowledges that Bidzone did indeed buy legit FWW CDs, it appears that at least one pirated copy was sent out to me. I really don't know who's responsible, but either way...buyer beware.

-Bryan

[Chris Padilla]

Bryan,

I was concerned about this with mine, too, and looked it over pretty carefully and didn't notice any of the tell-tale signs of a pirated copy but I'll be sure and take a closer look tonight after work.

Let's hope you are an isolated case.

[Douglas Robinson]

Bryan:

My CDs appear to be pirated too. The labels are fuzzy and the ink on the FWW disc ran when I touched it with a wet finger. Do you have a number to call Bid Zone?

[Jerry Olexa]

I just talked with Betty in Customer Service at Taunton Press. She confirmed for me that the CDs through Bidzone are legitimate. Apparently one of the licensed distributors of the CD went out of business and Bidzone bought up their remaining supply. Taunton is standing behind the CD I purchased.

There should be a small piece of paper with each CD that gives you access instructions for the online FWW archives in the package. If you haven't received one, Betty can help you at 1-800-477-8727.

I'm happy that the CD is licensed. It has a great collection of articles and tips. I would have hated to send it back.

I just talked w Betty and altho polite, she indicated FWW will NOT be furnishing the small piece of paper nor registration info, etc. She had recently attended a meeting on this issue and this is their official decision! She said WE will have to contact BidZone and request info (sounds familiar doesn't it?) Sorry to be bearer of bad news! Big business scores again!! Buyer beware etc! For the gentleman that asked, BidZones phone# is 720-488-5675 . Pls let me know your results. My Dad used to say" if its too good to be true it usually isn't!" Thanks guys. Jerry:confused:

[Tom LaRussa]

I just talked w Betty and altho polite, she indicated FWW will NOT be furnishing the small piece of paper nor registration info, etc. She had recently attended a meeting on this issue and this is their official decision!
Jerry,

Did Betty say whether these things are legit or not -- or some legit and some not?

[Jerry Olexa]

Augustus, she acted like everything was OK and there wouldn't be a "problem'. She only said her company's position was that we had to do the contacting w BidZone. I specifically asked about the 1 year access to WW archives and she said that also would be OK but we had to obtain the number, registration from again, BidZone. She w/o saying so acted as if the CD's are legit and everything will be fine once we contacted them!! PS I called them BidZone this PM and no answer but left a message. Hopefully they will respond. Let me know your results if any.Jerry:)

[Hal Flynt]

When the news was first posted here about the CD, I used the link on the Taunton page to send them an email asking if the offer was legitimate and included the link.

I received no response.

[Wayne Johnson]

That's very interesting. Their website no longer exists.

http://www.bidzonez.com/

[Dennis Peacock]

Sorry to see all these troubles. Was the price difference enough to not directly purchase the same CD's from Taunton? Just curious.

[Wayne Johnson]

Sorry to see all these troubles. Was the price difference enough to not directly purchase the same CD's from Taunton? Just curious.

It was different enough that I should have known better. In any case, the CDs that I received were definitely pirated.

Emailed bidzonez.com last week...no response.
Called their phone number 720-488-5675 which redirected me to 877-744-0524...surprise! disconnected.
Went to their website: bidzonez.com...surprise! no longer exists.

So, I then go to PayPal and follow their buyer's protection plan procedure and get this response from them:
"As stated in our User Agreement, PayPal's Buyer Complaint Policy only applies to the shipment of goods and does not apply to disputes about the attributes or quality of goods received. Therefore, we regret to inform you that we are unable to reverse this transaction or issue a refund. "

Bah! PayPal is now on my "Do Not Use" list.

Called my bank, Wells Fargo, and explained to them what happened. Within 5 minutes I am told that my account will be credited for the total amount paid. Now THAT is customer service.

Lesson learned...

[Lloyd Robins]

Try this URL http://www.bidzonez.com/pages/sales/fh_fw_combo1.html#FW It seems that they are still in business. Thanks for the info. I probably wouldn't have purchased (I can get the isssues from the library), but I now know better also.

[Jack Hogoboom]

I will check mine tonight to see if it is pirated. I paid using a credit card, so will be getting on touch with VISA if there is any issue.

Thanks for the heads-up.

Jack

[Christopher Pine]

Sorry to see all these troubles. Was the price difference enough to not directly purchase the same CD's from Taunton? Just curious.

It was approximately $100 difference If I remember right

[Jerry Olexa]

On the positive side, in spite of much said above (I'm a little concerned too), I loaded my FWW CD into my PC last night and read several interesting FWW articles. Also printed a few and used the index and all worked fine. I'm happy w the CD. It would be nice to get the addt'l 1 year archive access, registration, etc. The young lady @ FWW indicated all is legit BUT we had to contact them (BidZone)to get the other "benefits". Last part seems a bit mysterious. Don't hold your breath waiting and when I have more time, I will follow w both places and let you know. Hang in there. My disk is fine !! Thanks guys Jerry:confused:

[Jerry Olexa]

Price for Cd direct from FWW was (is) $150.00 and through BidZone 49.99.
$100 difference!! Let the buyer beware!!

[Dave Richards]

I too jumped when I saw the original post and ordered the CD. A close look revealed that mine is a pirated copy. I don't know what to think. I don't like the idea of it but I also don't know how much trouble its worth on my part. Is it worth getting my blood pressure up over something like this?

Like Jerry said, "Let the buyer beware."

[Chris Padilla]

I read above how you're supposed to tell if your copy is pirated. I stared at mine and I'm not sure. I wet my finger and it took some effort but it appears like it is kinda smudging but hardly at all.

Could anyone take a decent up-close pic of their CD if they think it is pirated?

[Gary Bingham]

I read above how you're supposed to tell if your copy is pirated. I stared at mine and I'm not sure. I wet my finger and it took some effort but it appears like it is kinda smudging but hardly at all.

Could anyone take a decent up-close pic of their CD if they think it is pirated?

Here's a pic from my cd:

http://home.earthlink.net/~gbingha/images/fww_cd.jpg

The smudge at the top right was caused by a light rub from a wet finger. By the way, the first thing that worried me about the legitimacy of the cd was the fuzzy matte finish that the label had. It looked just like it had been printed on an inkjet printer. You can see some of the fuzziness in the picture.

I decided to run it under a faucet for a couple of seconds just to see what happened:

http://home.earthlink.net/~gbingha/images/fww_cd_2.jpg

The colors started running off. Now the whole label has a faded look to it. It also has a weird, slimy feel to it, and if I run my fingernail across it the colors come right off. That's what all the scratches are from.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Looks like bidzone had several "legitimate" CDs to sell, but also mixed in some copies to make some extrta $$s. Mine looks like an original as the label is color fast. If Taunton press verifies the legitimacy of the CDs it is legit in my book, and worth every penny.

Zahid

[Mark Coleman]

Hello All,

We at The Taunton Press are very concerned about the issue of piracy. Our policy regarding pirated copies of our Best of Fine Woodworking and Best of Fine Homebuilding CDs is this: If you feel that you have purchased an illegally copied CD from a vendor we will exchange it for a legitimate copy. We will need you to send us the pirated CD and any inserts or packaging it came with (that you still have), along with information regarding where it was purchased, when it was purchased, and by whom. You may contact our Customer Service department at 1 800 477 8727, and we will send you a return mailer. Once we receive the merchandise, if it is an illegal copy we will replace it with a legitimate one.

Cordially

Customer Service
The Taunton Press Inc.

[Jim Guy]

You just cannot get better service than that. Thanks Mark.

[Jerry Olexa]

EXCELLENT response by FWW/Taunton Press!! Some stories still have happy endings!! Jerry

[Chris Padilla]

Fantastic, Mark. It is good to see that not only is the content of FWW second to none, but so is the customer service!

Kudos to FWW! I am glad I just became a subscriber.

[Chris DeHut]

It appears as though some copies of this CD were printed on your basic ink jet printer for CDs. The ones from FWW were probably silk screened ( which is why the printing doesn't wash off).

In most cases, when a mfg makes discs, they require a signed "anti piracy contract" from the purchaser. We ofcourse go through this everytime we have our magazines produced.

So, I am guessing that if these are pirated CDs, there is a good chance someone burned them on a CD burner and that they were not stamped (stamping process is much different than burning). You can often tell a burned CD by looking at the data side of the disc. Nearly all stamped CDs are silver whereas many of the burned CDs are not (green, gold, blue, etc.). You can also see where the data (burned area) starts and stops on burned CDs - there is a change in the color or reflectivity.

I bring this up because I am curious to see how far some people will go to pirate and sell materials like this. If these pirated copies look more like regular CDs (Stamped), then they made in excess of 500 copies. Can anyone study the data side of their CD and tell if it looks like it is a burned CD or a Samped CD (does the data side look like a musical CD?).

Thanks

Chris DeHut

[Douglas Robinson]

Chris:

My discs do not look like burned cds as you describe. The labels however are of poor quality and do run when moisture comes in contact. Taunton is sending me a return mailing package and replacing them. I'm glad I am a long time subscriber, otherwise I would feel guilty. I don't view this as their fault. But it is great customer service.

[Gary Bingham]

fine woodworking cd from bidzonez:

http://home.earthlink.net/~gbingha/images/cd_fww.jpg

hp driver cd that came with my laptop:

http://home.earthlink.net/~gbingha/images/cd_hp.jpg

a data cd that I burned myself:

http://home.earthlink.net/~gbingha/images/cd_fc.jpg

By the way, the line is kind of hard to see by just looking at it. But when you take a picture of it, it's quite noticeable as you can see in the pictures above.

[Chris DeHut]

Thanks for the scans Gary. From those images, I am 95% sure they are burned CDs and not stamped. Whoever did the copying, didn't expect to sell too many of them or they would have stamped them. I sure hope that Tauton goes after the people who pirated and sold them, I know I would if people started copying and selling our products.

Thanks again for taking the time. It does put my mind at ease a little bit knowing that the pirate isn't too sophisticated, just a common thief.

Chris DeHut

[Terry Stapleton]

This whole thing is strange. They have an ebay store where they are selling the cds for 54.95 each.
http://stores.ebay.com/Wordsmith-Press_W0QQsspagenameZL2QQtZkm

But on their web page they claim to be sold out of the Fine Homebuilding cd and have only a few of the woodworking cds left.

http://www.bidzonez.com/pages/sales/fh_fw_combo1.html#FW

[Stewart Crick]

EXCELLENT response by FWW/Taunton Press!! Some stories still have happy endings!! Jerry

I think the credit goes to the posters of Sawmillcreek and whoever notified Tauton press to take a look at this thread. Besides being a part-time professional woodworker, I'm also an adjunct professor of Organizational Behavior. Essentially the study of why organizations do what they do. In my class I try and correlate this to helping consumers understand how to interpret and manipulate (for lack of a better word) organizations behavior.

IN this thread you can see Tauton's policy evolving. A couple highlights:

7/9: Tauton tells Kent they stand behind the CD's

Sometime during that day they realize there are a substantiall number of pirated CD coming from BizZone and tell Jerry the won't support any of the CD that don't have the online paperwork and won't provide registration info

7/13:Mark form Tauton posts and says they will support all CD's.

This thread is an excellent example of consumers getting organized and building a business case, or convincing Tauton they needed to support the buyers of the pirated CD. Had the thread not existed, and had Tauton not gotten all the phone calls they did, I suspect this support wouldn't have come.

Don't misunderstand me, give Tauton Press credit for making the right decision, but give the consumers the credit for forcing them to address the issues. This organization (Tauton Press) has one fundamental purpose: to make money for the stock owners, or owners. Woodworking products are the means to the end. This thread and the phone calls convinced them that their ability to make money was going to suffer. Thus the "right decision."

The point I'm trying to make, in this rather convoluted manner, is this; Keep the thread positive, be honest, get a lot of posts, and get the company's attention. If you convince them that the situation is going to impact their ability to make money, they will rectify it.

[Dave Hammelef]

Ok, I checked out the website says 9 copies left. My thought is they bought a bunch of legit copies, decided to make more money by adding some copies to the mix, FWW contacted them, and they are now just selling the rest of the legit copies.

What do you all think

Dave

[Chris DeHut]

I don't know if Taunton's decision is the "Right" one (support illegal copies of their product). I am very happy for all of the people that got burned (now that Taunton is supporting the product) by the low quality copies, but Taunton had virtually no responsibility in this situation to the people that got them. Frankly, I believe Taunton went way above and beyond to deal with the problem.

As for Bidzone, none of us are sure if they are the people that made these low quality copies of the product. Has anyone seen any proof that they did? Perhaps they too are a victim, they may have bought these from a clearing house (who may have made some copies) and ended up with them.

Another possibility is that Taunton had the CDs made by two different vendors (or means), one of higher quality and the other of lower quality. Realizing the problem, they may have decided to "blow out" the poor quality CDs by selling them through another channel (Bidzone?) This is another possible explanation of why they are being sold via the Bidzone channel (and perhaps why they are now supporting it).

So far the only thing we know for sure is
1) There are some high quality copies of the CD in question
2) There are some low quality copies of the CD in question
3) It appears as though Bidzone is selling both low and high quality copies
4) Taunton is now standing behind the low quality CDs

Before I make a "Factual" statement that Bidzone is making/selling pirated copies, I would need to see some proof they in fact did make the copies.

IMHO

Chris

[Mac McAtee]

Chris, A resoned and well put statment. Thank you.
Mac

[Gary Bingham]

I don't know if Taunton's decision is the "Right" one (support illegal copies of their product). I am very happy for all of the people that got burned (now that Taunton is supporting the product) by the low quality copies, but Taunton had virtually no responsibility in this situation to the people that got them. Frankly, I believe Taunton went way above and beyond to deal with the problem.

As for Bidzone, none of us are sure if they are the people that made these low quality copies of the product. Has anyone seen any proof that they did? Perhaps they too are a victim, they may have bought these from a clearing house (who may have made some copies) and ended up with them.

Another possibility is that Taunton had the CDs made by two different vendors (or means), one of higher quality and the other of lower quality. Realizing the problem, they may have decided to "blow out" the poor quality CDs by selling them through another channel (Bidzone?) This is another possible explanation of why they are being sold via the Bidzone channel (and perhaps why they are now supporting it).

So far the only thing we know for sure is
1) There are some high quality copies of the CD in question
2) There are some low quality copies of the CD in question
3) It appears as though Bidzone is selling both low and high quality copies
4) Taunton is now standing behind the low quality CDs

Before I make a "Factual" statement that Bidzone is making/selling pirated copies, I would need to see some proof they in fact did make the copies.

IMHO

Chris

I contacted bidzonez a week or so ago about this situation to see if they were willing to do anything about this. I sent them a link to this thread and simply asked them if my cd was a copy or not. They didn't respond. I sent them another email asking them about it again, and told them that I would be contacting taunton press about it. They still didn't respond. I gave bidzonez the chance to at least respond to this, if not actually take care of it, and they didn't.

Now, while that certainly isn't proof of guilt, it at least gives an appearance of guilt to me. If bidzonez was completely innocent in this situation why wouldn't they at least reply to their emails. Add to this the fact that their phone number is disconnected and that they have removed their homepage (although the other pages are still there), and it appears to me that bidzonez isn't completely innocent here.

That's why I contacted taunton and sent them a link to this thread. I gave bidzonez the opportunity to respond. They didn't, so I contaced taunton. I wasn't expecting taunton to do anything for me. In fact, I told them I didn't expect anything from them. I was just letting them know that even though bidzonez may have been selling some legit cd's, mine wasn't.

By the way, I wouldn't consider what taunton is doing as being "standing behind low quality cd's" or "supporting illegal copies of their product." More like they are standing behind their business and trying to resolve the situation. When you think about it, the only way for them to determine whether or not they are illegal copies is for them to have the cd's. They are paying postage to have the cd's sent to them so they can verify if they are legit or not. If they are legit, then I imagine that they will return them. If not, then they have offered to replace them with a legitmate cd.

If the cd's are fake, then taunton will have the evidence that proves that bidzonez is selling illegal cd's. Whether bidzonez is doing the copying or not. If they are selling illegal cd's, then it's in taunton's best interest to stop them from selling them. Even if it means replacing some cd's that taunton didn't even sell.

[Wayne Johnson]

I just got this from Bidzonez. This is the first time I've heard from them since I ordered. They never responded to my email asking for a refund for the pirated CDs that they sent to me.


-----Original Message-----
From: sales@bidzonez.com [mailto:sales@bidzonez.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 1:09 PM
To: <my email address edited out>
Subject: Return of Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking CD's

Mr. Johnson,

Because of your recent reversal of $94.95 from Wordsmith Press, LLC. We are asking you to return The two CD's to our office (they will be used in an on-going police investigation).

If you fail to return the CD's, we will be providing evidence to PayPal, your credit card company and our local police asking for the $94.95 to be repayed to us and seeking an investigation of fraud by you.

We will be sending you a prepaid return mailer shortly.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
Debra Marks
sales@bidzonez.com

[Chris Padilla]

Sigh, they could have worded that more nicely....

[Dave Richards]

That's interesting. At the request of Taunton Press I sent my copy of the FWW disk to them. BidZone also never responded to my e-mail so I called Taunton. They seemed very interested in getting their hands on the disk.

If I had to guess, I'd say the e-mail from Ms Marks is a bluff in an attempt to retrieve the pirated disks to prevent legal action against them.

[Douglas Robinson]

I just got my replacement discs from Taunton. Their very nice note said that my original discs, purchased from Bidzone, were fraudulent. Taunton was top-notch in handling this fiasco, which was not of their making. They have a customer for life in me!

[Mac McAtee]

I got mine from Taunton last week about Wednesday. Including a very nice note about the fraudulent CD from Bidzone. I am with Doug, customer for life.

I have subscribed to Fine Woodworking since issue #4 and will continue.

[Rob Littleton]

Can someone burn me a copy?




JOKE.................................hehehe

[Chris Padilla]

I just sent in my copy of the Bidzone CD...looking forward to hearing from FWW on if it was faudulent or not.

[Byron Trantham]

That's interesting. At the request of Taunton Press I sent my copy of the FWW disk to them. BidZone also never responded to my e-mail so I called Taunton. They seemed very interested in getting their hands on the disk.

If I had to guess, I'd say the e-mail from Ms Marks is a bluff in an attempt to retrieve the pirated disks to prevent legal action against them.

You got that right! :mad:

[Dave Richards]

I just got the following e-mail from Taunton Press.

"This email is to confirm that I have received the CD Rom you sent to us
that you had purchased at BIDZONE. I will give it to my supervisor and a
replacement CD Rom and registration code will be sent to you. If you would
like to check on this, please allow a few days and you can email or call.
Thank you.

Betty
Customer Service"

It would seem that whether or not the disk I got was pirated, Taunton is going to do the right thing. Good on them.

I wonder if their legal department would have any interest in the fact that the BidZone folks have been making threats of legal action to those who have requested refunds.

[Mark Coleman]

As some of you told us, pirated copies of our Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding magazine archives were being sold on the web by a company called bidzonez.com. When you told us about this, we asked here that anyone who thought they had a pirated copy take the time to send it to us. Many of you did, and, as promised, we sent back to you the genuine cds produced and sold by us here at the Taunton Press.

Thank you for telling us that there were pirated illegal copies of our discs being sold on the web. And thank you for helping us keep the marketplace clean of illegal and sub-standard product. All of us here at the Taunton Press are grateful.

[Douglas Robinson]

I am a FWW subscriber and intend to remain one for quite some time.

[Mac McAtee]

I have been a subscriber to FW since Issue #4. Your customer service has gone above and beyond this time. For Taunton to step up and take product that they had no responsabilty for and turn it into legitimate product is more than many companies would do. I, for one, won't forget.

[Dave Richards]

Mark, thank you. I haven't received my disk yet but I guess its on its way.

I'll remain a FWW subscriber for a long time.

[Tom LaRussa]

-----Original Message-----
From: sales@bidzonez.com [mailto:sales@bidzonez.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 1:09 PM
To: <MY out edited address email>
Subject: Return of Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking CD's

Mr. Johnson,

Because of your recent reversal of $94.95 from Wordsmith Press, LLC. We are asking you to return The two CD's to our office (they will be used in an on-going police investigation).

If you fail to return the CD's, we will be providing evidence to PayPal, your credit card company and our local police asking for the $94.95 to be repayed to us and seeking an investigation of fraud by you.

We will be sending you a prepaid return mailer shortly.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
Debra Marks
sales@bidzonez.com

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

As Bugs Bunny would put it,

WHAT A MAROON!


She should sign her name as: Debra Marks, Dealer in Fine Stolen Merchandise

At least then a small part of her message would be truthfull.

;)

Augie

[Steve Evans]

Well with all the brouhaha around bidzonez and these discs, I decided to shop elsewhere for my disc. I ended up buying from an outfit called wordsmithpress that had a high feedback on ebay. I received the disc after a week delay due to an error on their end due to a shipping mistake and lo and behold it says bidzonez on the letterhead and is signed by Eric and Debra Marks, On a good note it appears that the disc is legit and I was happy with their customer service. Unfortunately it doesn't include the number for accessing the articles online, but I don't feel like chasing them down for it, and I don't feel that Taunton should have to supply it for me. I just wanted the disc so that I could find articles in my back issues more easily and it does fill that need.

[Mark Coleman]

Steve,
A comment about WordSmith Press, in reviewing the material we have received WordSmith Press and Bidzonez are one in the same meaning that when you bought from Bidzone it went into WordSmiths Pay Pal. I would really like to know some more about your disc. When you received it, did it come in packing that has the same logo on the Cd? It should have come in a rather large box that has The FineWoodworking Logo and a picture of the CD as well as pics of PDFs on the back cover. The Cd case that it came in, what did it look like? It should also have a simliar looking printed cover and back cover with imformation on how to use the disc and system requirements.

The fact that it did not come with a registration code also makes me question wether it is a legitimate CD. This registration codes give you acess to many more articles that we have added, since the launch of the CD, via our website. All of the products that we sell through legitimate channels should come in a box and have a CD case that has a printed cover and back cover. If you want to email me the amswers to these questions please feel free. webissues@taunton.com put it to my attention.

Thanks
Mark

[Steve Evans]

Mark

I sent you an e-mail with a bunch of information, but for the sake of everyone else, I'll give a short recap.


I didn't buy it from bidzone due to the piracy concerns, instead purchasing it from Wordsmithpress. Turns out they're the same company. The cd I received is definitely not a burnt CD. It is stamped and silkscreened. Whether it is pirated or not, I can't tell, but I doubt it. It has also been used, which is fine since everything loads fine. I hope this gets sorted out for Taunton, and I hope for Bidzone's sake that they're just caught in the middle, and not intentionally distributing pirated wares.

Steve Evans

[Pat Parmelee]

Thought readers of this thread would like to know that bidzonez/wordsmith press is still at it. I bought a copy of the FWW CD on ebay a couple of weeks ago. Was really bummed to find this thread. Is my copy legit? pirated? Who knows -- they won't ship it and they won't respond to my e-mails.

Caveat emptor and there's one born every minute....:eek:

Pat
whose husband's stocking is going to be a tad empty this Christmas....

[Chris Padilla]

Pat,

I assume you contacted the fine folks at FWW/Taunton? Let them know it is still happening!