Quote:
Originally Posted by Penforhire
Another example? I'm undecided on this one. Suppose I bought a particular printed book. Should I have to buy the e-book version also? Or is it okay, in this case, to obtain a darknet copy (I love that term here)?
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Your example should be considered this way: Suppose you bought a hardback copy of a book. Does that justify you to take a paperback from the store when it is released, and not pay for it?
Answer: Unless the author/publisher offers a free paperback to you:
No. It really is that simple.
Having just discovered this particular thread, reading it from end to end has been... educational. It seems as if some people say my e-books should be available to anyone with the gumption to take them, some think I'd be justified to lock up anyone who took even one, and some want me to get a real job! (Okay, that's an exaggeration, but it's been interesting seeing these viewpoints kicked around in here.)
This brings me back to the wish that content producers like myself could all get into a "subsidized income" situation, so we could produce as we please, get paid for our efforts, and not have to worry about what's selling and what's being stolen. Alas, that just isn't practical for all of us... we can't all get a publisher, or score patrons, and make a living that way.
Getting to the original subject, I don't have a problem with Demonoid staying down. I don't consider that a blanket condemnation of Torrent, and eventually, a site offering only legit content will become popular and stay up. I expect that technology will eventually find a way to make piracy too much of a hassle to be bothered with, by all but the most avid pirates, leaving everyone else to get used to paying for content. This actually has plenty of historical precedent, and people do get used to the idea that things worth having have to be paid for.
All this will just take time to shake down. I think the e-book and e-music industry are at the beginnings of a sea-change that will leave them unrecognizable to us in the future. Will I survive as an author? Will I ever make more money than I already have? I don't know. (Good thing I have a day job, huh?)