Quote:
Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks
It probably is a violation and even though I say something in the copyright about "buying" your own copy and no redistribution no one really reads those things anyway. I don't think readers who "share" books care or realize they are in violation. They see it as them doing someone else a favor. They are merely giving their friends something they enjoyed. Most don't have any idea that "starving artist" applies to authors.  |
I don't think most people realize the true cost of this type of favor doing.
If someone gets a book from Cousin Gertie, and mentions it to their mother who has been wanting to read this book then probably they would give her a copy. Mum mentions it to a friend or 6 in the daughter one-upmanship game and soon they all have copies. One mum says to her daughter look at the book I just got on my ereader/computer from Janice's mum. Why don't you give me any ebooks. Daughter looks at book and says wow, that is what our next book club selection is. Gimmee Gimmee, then we won't have to buy it.
You can't do this with a paper book although many have been scanned and pirated. Without DRM I think the cost of inadvertent unpaid for distribution could be higher than direct piracy and without a shred of guilt being felt.
I have had people I barely know mail me ebooks. I'm afraid I don't give them a lecture, mostly I just don't say thanks, and when asked tell them they might get in trouble, but I don't try and get past the blank look.
And I do share my books with my mother. Same kindle account, same Adobe ID and when she visits for a bit she generally leaves her reader behind and uses one of mine. Pretty legitimate AFAIK but some may disagree. I did get asked by her to send a book to a friend of hers and told her why it wouldn't work on their reader. I could have sent it without DRM, but didn't. Lucky for me my mother and her friend are fast approaching 90 so that was the end of that.
To reiterate, the vast majority of people are used to sharing links, lending paper books, and just do not see the larger picture. Good guy book sharing is kind of like pyramid sales, except the pyramid starts at the top and the base just keeps getting wider. Gertie buys a book on Friday, 3 more people have it on Saturday,9 on Sunday, 27 on Monday and 81 on Tuesday, 243 on Wednesday, 6561, 19683, 59409 etc. Around 80,000 copies total in 8 days and that is assuming no one has more than 3 friends
Helen