Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonkchapman
I can see your point, but I'm not sure what else to call the darknet e-books. Something like "copyright-infringing e-books" or "e-books made without the consent of the rights holder" would be ungainly. "Illegal e-books" would be even more loaded and quite possibly inaccurate. Would "unauthorized e-books" work? Pirated at least has the benefit of being commonly understood, since it's used for everything from knock-off NFL jerseys to bogus Louis Vuitton purses to camcordered-in-the-theater movies, but I suppose unauthorized would work as well, even though it's somewhat obfuscating.
|
the fact that the overwhelming majority, given a choice of being able to get what they wanted and the author/publisher not getting a single penny, chose to pay full price for a pBook they didnt even want, as for want of a better word, "trubute" for getting what they did want.
No one should be bashed for this.
But as I just told Steve in another thread, talking about people's "feelings" is a distraction and a straw man for what is really the bottom line issue: putting real, Yankee money in author's pockets. Let's talk about that...not ideal markets, ideal internets or ideal relative "morals".
I approach these topics from the point of view that people want eBooks and they want authors to be paid for their work.
The poll in question *clearly shows this*...and this is not the behavior of "pirates" by any reasonable definition given the current market reality and the digital landscape.
When people are in the midst of discussion about being
buyers and
customers that "ahh you're making excuses for your 'thievery'" jazz does NOTHING...
NOTHING to forward the discussion and goal of
getting authors paid in this reality...2007 and the connected high speed Internet where "if it's bits, it's yours!" is the everyday reality.
This isn't Plato...its not Sunday School...its not the Matrix. Its the really-for-real world here and now where things are what and where they are.
Torpedoing a discussion where "Ok, assume money is changing hands here" with the "PIRATE!!!" cry is like mobileread's own special version of Godwin's Law.
I think the Staff here should come up with a like symbol color code or something that we can all tack to our names that gives at a glance what folks "stance" is on "the digital question" and leave it at that. No one has to talk about it...we can just look and go "ah. ok."
Let's talk about getting authors paid in a world where consumers don't really have to...compelling solutions that are as Steve Jobs put it "better than free" for folks that want to keep it honest and still have eBooks from the authors they love.
Is that so...wrong to ask!?