MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - E-reads and Curtis Agency Declare War on Piracy

Harmon · 09-06-2011, 07:04 PM

[QUOTE=starrigger;1730064]
As a practical matter, I choose not to play "Whack-a-mole," though I don't mind E-reads doing it on my behalf. But I do contest, as an ethical matter, the sense of entitlement I sometimes witness that says, "I have a right to any ebook I want, whether it's been authorized by the author or not." Because no, you don't.*
[QUOTE]

There's a tension here between the creator's right to authorize the sale of his books and the general public's right to have the book. Neither right is absolute.

I think that as long as your right to control your book is protected by law, a reader has the right to expect you to (1) make the book available for sale at (2) a reasonable price, (3) in formats that are accessible to the general public.

I think that a large part of what is going on here is that we are going through a transition period in which a number of books, for reasons not always under the creator's control, are not available in ebook format to people who would willingly pay for them.

But any author who disregards the ebook demand side of the equation does so at his peril.

09-06-2011, 07:04 PM	#101
Harmon King of the Bongo Drums Posts: 1,631 Karma: 5927225 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Excelsior! (Strange...)	[QUOTE=starrigger;1730064] As a practical matter, I choose not to play "Whack-a-mole," though I don't mind E-reads doing it on my behalf. But I do contest, as an ethical matter, the sense of entitlement I sometimes witness that says, "I have a right to any ebook I want, whether it's been authorized by the author or not." Because no, you don't.* [QUOTE] There's a tension here between the creator's right to authorize the sale of his books and the general public's right to have the book. Neither right is absolute. I think that as long as your right to control your book is protected by law, a reader has the right to expect you to (1) make the book available for sale at (2) a reasonable price, (3) in formats that are accessible to the general public. I think that a large part of what is going on here is that we are going through a transition period in which a number of books, for reasons not always under the creator's control, are not available in ebook format to people who would willingly pay for them. But any author who disregards the ebook demand side of the equation does so at his peril. Last edited by Harmon; 09-07-2011 at 12:20 AM.