Quote:
Originally Posted by neilmarr
I must agree, Crusader. There is a dfference between fasirly and informally passng on a read book to family and friends and making a business of it. I've always felt that those commercially cashing in on used books should contribute some author/royalty return. Perhaps 50% of dues on first re-sale, 25% on secdond re-sale, and dropping to a 10% retrn thereafter. As you say, used book stores -- whether claiming to be charity shops or not -- are exercising a form of traditioally legitimised piracy that is not only considered acceptale but is even applauded. Neil
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But ... why? There are essentially two types of books at used book stores -- those that were bought new and eventually sold to the used book store, and those that were bought for pennies on the dollar from publishers clearing back stock of stuff that wouldn't sell anyway. In the first case, the author (and publisher, and editor, and agent, and ...) already got their cut on the initial sale. In the second case, those books weren't going to sell anyway, so whatever money the publisher could get for them is money that they wouldn't have otherwise had, even if it's pennies rather than dollars. Should publishers give the author a cut of that wholesale sale? Absolutely, and I'm sure they do. Should used book stores give a cut? No, because they already bought and paid for the books.
This concept is codified in copyright law (in the US at least) as the
first-sale doctrine. Other countries don't have a first-sale doctrine, and even in the US it has been significantly weakened over the past century since it was first recognized, but until it's entirely gone it still applies.
The UK may or may not have a right of first sale (I haven't looked), in which case your argument might have some merit. But in the US at least there's no lawful requirement to pay royalties on used sales.