Quote:
Originally Posted by nashira
Libraries, used book stores, borrowing from friends and family, finding a book on the side of the road, at a yard sale, etc... None of these things generates profit for the publishers so far as I am aware. They all exist, in abundance. I sincerely doubt there has ever been a case where one sale = one reader across the entire publication of the book. Digital files are a bit different in that they can be copied infinitely with little issue, but it still doesn't mean the person who downloads it would have ever bought it new if it weren't available online. If they really wanted to read it maybe but they'd probably try the library or ask their friends or look up second hand copies on Ebay first. Or something like BetterWorldBooks. People share books. One way or the other.
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Adding to that, I would guess that most downloaded books from the more obvious pirate sites don't get read -- they tend to come in packages of 10, 60, 500 or even over 3000. Just like the fanatics that download tens of thousands of songs and listen only to a fraction of those I thing it is rather likely that those downloading a package of 500 books do not read every single one of them.
Furthermore, I know from personal experience that when I look at what's available at Mobileread here, at PG or at ebooksgratuits I can easily download 30 of 40 interesting titles each day. It is tempting, it doesn't cost me a thing so why not. Regrettably, not all of those books get read.
Hence, arguing that one download equals one lost sale seems, to me, rather far fetched and unrealistic.