Please explain "group" books

David Paul

Would someone please explain what the Group designation means. I'm sure there is an explanation somewhere, but I have no idea how to locate it. Thanks.

Dave Hooton

If you have a Faithlife Group with a number of (Faithlife) members you can distribute your purchase to any of those people at the price named per person.

Graham Criddle

And more details are available in the Group Licences section of https://www.logos.com/faq 

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283020#Comment_1283020

Dave Hooton said:

If you have a Faithlife Group with a number of (Faithlife) members you can distribute your purchase to any of those people at the price named per person.

I'm assuming that sometimes the group price is not identical to the single book price? Otherwise...

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283063#Comment_1283063

David Paul said:

I'm assuming that sometimes the group price is not identical to the single book price? Otherwise...

I'm not quite sure what you are saying.

The group price shown is per group member. If you buy four of them - for four members of a group - it costs four times the price.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283064#Comment_1283064

I think he was pointing out that the price was the same… so no discount. 

I have not read any convincing use study for “group” licenses. 

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283067#Comment_1283067

MJ. Smith said:

JT (alabama24) said:

I have not read any convincing use study for “group” licenses. 

I assumed the use was you purchased licenses for a class that is repeated. The licenses are distributed to the current members of the class. Did I miss something?

Well, that would make more sense...but how do you (FL) monitor the usage...when the class ends and a new one begins?

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283067#Comment_1283067

MJ. Smith said:

I assumed the use was you purchased licenses for a class that is repeated. The licenses are distributed to the current members of the class. Did I miss something?

That's not how I read the FAQ section I pointed to above -  but I could be wrong in how I am understanding it:

Can I take a resource from one member and give it to another?

No. A resource cannot be shared by group members. Each member must have their own copy.

How does group licensed content work when users leave and join a group?

Logos resources that are purchased with a group license will stay with a member, even if they leave their Faithlife group. Their ownership is the same as if the user had purchased it for themselves on logos.com.

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283088#Comment_1283088

MJ. Smith said:

David Paul said:

.when the class ends and a new one begins?

Temporary licenses - you have to cancel one person's license to have a license free to assign to another person.

Okay, so the purchaser of the license is the teacher? They then assign the temp usage to the student? That could make sense...but if the student is purchasing the license, it's the worst deal in the history of deals. Forever license...$X. Temp license...$X. It would make even more sense if the student could later buy their own full license of the "textbook" for some specific discount--say, 10-15%. If it could be arranged through the teacher, and if the teacher was allowed to build up their own credit stack as a "finders fee", there would be more incentive to make use of this program.

I still think my idea of allowing purchasers to pay a percentage of the total cost of large volume series is a good idea, for both buyers & sellers. I've always thought it was nearly insane that the digital rights system that Logos and publishers cooked up expects SINGLE USERS to purchase entire multi-volume encyclopedias, dictionaries, commentaries, etc., when that rarely happens in the typical user dynamic of hardcopy books. Most of the time, such large purchases fully anticipate the full access of multiple readers, often in library settings, where dozens or hundreds of users are accessing the individual volumes for brief periods. My idea, for example, would permit 5 users to effectively "chip in" on the purchase of a commentary series like NICOT/NT, each paying (theoretical approx.) $300 each of the total $1500 series purchase price and receiving full and permanent access to the series. I bet you they would sell WAY more total volumes with such an approach. And to be honest, it would be a much fairer arrangement than the current systemic gouging allows. 

EDIT: Oh, ha, Graham seems to have quashed this with his assessment of the details. Tbh, entirely typical for FL.

So, in other words, the group license is exactly the same as a regular license. FL is calling pickle juice "nectar ice" in the hopes of selling more of it on hot summer days. Got it.

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283098#Comment_1283098

Ten years ago, investing in Logos was one of the best decisions of my life. Today, it's one of the worst.

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283098#Comment_1283098

David Paul said:

So, in other words, the group license is exactly the same as a regular license.

If my reading of the details is correct then the overall cost of using group licences is the same - the difference seems to be in who pays.

And, if so, I still see some value in it.

Some months ago, we wanted a few people in our church to do a course together and it involved each person having to have a course book (in this case they were paper copies). So we asked our administrator to purchase a copy for each person doing the course. At the end of the course, each person kept their copy of the book.

If they had been available in Logos we could have done the same thing and got the same results.

So I see it as an administrative aid and not a cost-saving mechanism.

Simon’s Brother

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283094#Comment_1283094

I agree with you Graham, I don't see any mention of the license being temporary.  Once you assign it to a person, it is their license, you can't take it back off them. 

GaoLu

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283109#Comment_1283109

Has anyone ever used Group purchases?  If so, maybe they could weigh in...


I think I tried it once a while back to see if my computer would spit up or anything.  Nothing happened, and I have lived happily ever after. 

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1283098#Comment_1283098

David Paul said:

Okay, so the purchaser of the license is the teacher? They then assign the temp usage to the student? That could make sense...but if the student is purchasing the license, it's the worst deal in the history of deals. Forever license...$X. Temp license...$X. It would make even more sense if the student could later buy their own full license of the "textbook" for some specific discount--say, 10-15%. If it could be arranged through the teacher, and if the teacher was allowed to build up their own credit stack as a "finders fee", there would be more incentive to make use of this program.

If you buy 3 copies at the Group Price per copy, you can distribute the copies as you see fit. Each recipient owns the book, just as if they had purchased it themselves (any Temporary license is converted to a Permanent one).