[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Well, as there actually is a "darknet," providing evidence of people actively ripping producers off, I think there's a legitimate reason for people to have that concern. It's not entirely neurotic when you can see it's really happening (though it may be neurotic to assume it is too big and pervasive to stop).

Sure there's a darknet. I've seen it. So have you.

The question is how much effect it really has in practical terms.

As a writer selling ebooks, you have a simple concern: how many people are downloading illegal copies of your work from the darknet and reading it instead of buying a copy from you? Those are lost sales.

Simple downloads don't count. Those aren't lost sales. It's the "download and read instead of buying" you're concerned with. And there is no way to measure it.

Your best strategy is what you probably already do: promote yourself to make it easy for people to find out you write books they might like, and make it as simple as possible to buy them when they do find you.

Anything more than a mild background concern about the darknet is likely a waste of time and energy.

And despite an innate desire for optimism, the fact is that people overall will take what they want if given the chance and the belief that they'll get away with it... it's just a fact of human nature. It's why "free giveaways" work as well as they do.

And that's what I mean about unconscious attitudes about the world. Why do you make that assumption, Steve?

Making blanket statements like that is always risky, and generally says a lot more about the person making the statement than it does about those they refer to.

For the record, I don't assume that's human nature. We all do what we perceive to be in our own interests, but we also all have limits on how far we'll go, unless we are certifiably sociopathic. The question is what the limits are, and whether the behavioral controls are internal or external.

Yes, we mostly like free giveaways. But those aren't theft: those are taking advantage of an offer someone else is making. I'm not stealing it: they're giving it to me. Sure, they're hoping the free giveaway will induce me to also buy some of whatever they sell, and that works often enough that people continue to make free giveaway offers.

On the other hand, though the "darknet" may be free, it is not always easy to find what you want, and the quality often sucks. If a product is available legally that is of good quality, reasonably priced, and easy to obtain, the need for and impact of a "darknet" is subsequently reduced. And as soon as the market perceives there is such an entity (the "iTunes of e-books"), we'll see less of a "darknet" and related activity. Kindle-type services are a good start, and given more e-book reader features, it should get better.

Exactly. Too much darknet stuff, especially in ebooks, is just more trouble than it's worth. I place a high enough value on my time that it's cheaper all told to just buy a legitimate copy of the book, than to spend the time and effort needed to get it into any form I might want to read.
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Dennis