[sanders]

If people are hoping that this thread is persuading publishers to bring out un-DRM-ed ebook versions of their books, think again.

This thread has so many postings which had me shake my head in disbelief, I'm not sure I should even be posting a reply.

Someone was doubting whether publishers really add value to a book, because this person wanted some book "and it wasn't even available locally". Of course, that is considered a valid reason to just download a pirated copy. The alternative (going to the bookstore and asking them to order the book) is probably way too much work.

Instead, let's do away with publishers entirely, and simply phone up the author, ask him/her to xerox a copy of her manuscript, and mail it to you. Much more efficient, right?

And then all the bitching about whether "piracy" or "stealing" is the right term (when we are discussing morals). Okay. I will not call someone who downloads an ebook of mine without paying (because he decides it is "too expensive" or he doesn't want us "filthy publishers to profit from an author's work") a thief. I will call him a self-centered, low-life, arrogant f*ck.

Then, on to DRM. Yes, DRM sucks - but what else can a publisher do? Consider being on the train, and knowing that there is this guy in the train with you, every single day, who never buys a ticket. The train goes anyway, whether he pays or not - his little extra weight can be considered "bandwidth costs" which are negligible. When he is finally asked to show his ticket and he replies with "I don't have one, and that really doesn't deprive you of anything - if you had forced me to pay, I would simply not have taken the train".

What's more, if the guy checking the ticket says "Why yes you're right - never mind, have a nice journey!", would you still pay for your ticket next time?

Now I know that as a publisher (focused entirely on money, after all) I should simply make the trade-off whether putting out an ebook would make me more or less money than only providing a pbook. Well, this thread certainly makes me consider other factors as well, namely: do I want to make life easier for self-centered, low-life f*cks, or am I willing to forego some profit in exchange for the warm and comforting thought that someone is not hitching a free ride thanks to my extra efforts?

I am starting to lean towards the latter.