[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

and an electronic manuscript no longer exists. [...] publishers are slowly scanning, OCRing, and converting hardcopy to create the ebook files.

Ok, but this is stupidity from the publishers side IMHO if they don't keep backups in multiple forms (because one never knows) of stuff they (still) have rights to squeeze money from. Thus basically the whining means: "We have more costs 'cause we were dumb." I can hardly feel mercy for that.

so you may not be allowed to purchase the native language edition because you don't live in an area where the publisher offering that edition as an ebook has the right to sell it.

...where in contrary the publisher having the local rights will (most likely) offer the local language only. Again the possibilities of electronic media turned absurd. Ain't that just great?

(pre ebook-era dated contracts as legal obstacles for both author and publisher)

I agree fully. It's always and everywhere a problem when contracts still valid no longer suit the given circumstances.

No return-risk, shelf-space-fights for ebooks: yeah and I see that you see my point. I just tought that plainly because of that they should go wild from sheer happiness and do their best to introduce ebooks + the technology.

The unknown is a scary place, and a lot of folks are doing their best to bury their heads in the sand and not deal with it.

Yeah agreed, unfortunately the very same people overlook the fact, that when you put your head in the sand you put your arse up in the air. And then the only thing you are useful for may be parking a bike between the cheeks.

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

"you can resell this as long as the copyright owner gets 25% of the sale,"

*shrug* well that 'd be really ripping people off. when I buy something (new) I presume everybody involved in the making has already gotten their share due to proper price calculation. The bought good is mine. So it'is no ones but my business if I gift, resale, destroy or keep it. that's the legal concept of a sale. demanding a share for transfer of good and certain (limited) rights connected to it, (remember DVD notices: no public broadcast private usage only etc.) for which you have already fully paid undermines this concept, and would practically prohibit such transactions between consuments (i.e. in opposition to a merchant-consumer-transaction)

Rethink this idea with buying a used car or furniture and ask yourself if it feels right to you.

The fact that some resellers actually do this with digital media, i.e. labelling leasing a sale and customers swallow this sh##load is a different can of worms.