Professional printing of official expansion sets

I'm interested, what is present position on the subject, both official and "popular".

As I understand, the rules state only use of printed on common paper proxies in opaque sleeves.

Generall understanding here in Russia is that the cards are cool, but such method of use of them is kind of ... dirty (not sure, that it's right translation, but hope you get my point).

So we alredy have professionally printed some of them on card paper with right backs and are happily playing in casual games (not a lot of tournaments here, unfortunately).

So there are, really, two questions:
- are such cards legal for official tournament play? (and if not, is it not the time to change policy)
- is there a point of trying to organize offset printing of such cards? (regardless of the answer on the first question. The idea here is that the cost of it will be much lower, than of digital one, but numbers are much bigger, so there must be much more interest, than our local play group).

elotar wrote:

As I understand, the rules state only use of printed on common paper proxies in opaque sleeves.

Generall understanding here in Russia is that the cards are cool, but such method of use of them is kind of ... dirty (not sure, that it's right translation, but hope you get my point).

The point is understood. The situation is not ideal - the ideal situation, of course, being that the game comes back in print. However, it's the best option we have.

So we alredy have professionally printed some of them on card paper with right backs and are happily playing in casual games (not a lot of tournaments here, unfortunately).

So there are, really, two questions:
- are such cards legal for official tournament play? (and if not, is it not the time to change policy)

Such cards are not legal for tournament play. This policy will not change.

The reason is that such cards represent a violation of international copyright law, including copyrighted elements such as (but not limited to) names, images, and icons on the front and back of the cards.

This is especially important with respect to the ongoing discussions OneBookShelf.com is having with Wizards and CCP in the efforts to bring V:TES back in print. If the official player's organization for the game would sanction the violation of copyright, then it would hurt those efforts. Wizards and CCP need to trust that their intellectual properties are being handled respectfully and professionally - and legally.

You might ask, what's the difference between printing such cards and using printouts of .pdf files? Aren't the same names, images, and icons being used, and therefore violating copyright? Technically, yes, and it's a grey area. However the difference is that V:EKN-sanctioned tournaments require the use of official V:TES cards behind the .pdf printouts in sleeves. It is to my understanding that so long as we're using official V:TES cards we're ok.

- is there a point of trying to organize offset printing of such cards? (regardless of the answer on the first question. The idea here is that the cost of it will be much lower, than of digital one, but numbers are much bigger, so there must be much more interest, than our local play group).

Please do not do this. I understand that the game has been out of print for several years, and that current efforts are going slowly, and that it's frustrating to not have any updates about it. However, efforts to bring V:TES back are ongoing, and organizing a violation of copyright will hurt and undermine that.