[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by fafaforza

I don't think that O'Reilly is proving that people would be honest and buy the book instead of getting it free. Just recently, a few game publishers released numbers showing that 90% of people playing their game didn't pay for it.

How many people who play Monopoly own the game? How many bought it new? Usually, there's only one copy per family, and often, that copy was bought at a yard sale. Most games have many many more players than owners, and it's always been customary to hand on a used games to someone new.

I know there's differences with digital files, especially with games that take server space to run. But game companies, like publishers, are going to have to deal with the fact of centuries of inertia behind the concept of "share your copy with someone who can't afford it right now." Attempts to end that concept are just not going to work; they need to find a way to allow it, and limit it in some way that encourages purchases without squashing interest.

I also think that people that have eInk devices now are probably overall honest and want to see the industry and tech grow. And uploading the files would damage that.

I think most people are honest and don't want to destroy the publishing or gaming industries; the file-sharers are trying to find a digital answer to the age-old social practice of *share your good finds with your friends*. Or with not-friends; people bring chess sets to public parks to play with strangers.

And besides, why would you make available for free something you paid for.

For the same reasons that you'd loan your book to a friend instead of saying "I bought it--if you want to read it, you can buy it too, or go without."