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Originally Posted by latepaul
There are lots of way that ebooks can be distributed that don't necessarily lead to a drastic drop in author revenues.
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Originally Posted by cortman
...and so far none of them have been satisfactory (or, for that matter, even worked- name one form of DRM that has not been cracked). If you can get it from Amazon, you can almost certainly get it from Pirate Bay. Etc.
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And yet authors and publishers still make money from Amazon. But this isn't about the technical methods used (or not) to enforce copyright, it's about the terms under which licenses are given. (OK it's partly about the DRM because the publishers need some sense that Amazon will be able to deliver)
There are current deals under which libraries can lend out ebooks and the terms of those deals are deemed unsatisfactory by many - BUT many libraries still lend, and the publishers get some recompense.
The global virtual library idea proposes a deal under which that money would be cut to almost nothing. Why would they go for it?
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I'm hoping that rather than us appeal to Big Brother, they (publishers) realize that the current business model isn't really working, and decide to implement something that respects book owner's freedom of possession.
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Well I think that the current business model may have its weaknesses but it's hard to see how the virtual library is a better deal from their point of view.
As for "book owner's freedom of possession" - I assume from context you're not referring to the copyright owner? This is probably a tangent to this thread but having read many and participated in a few "license v ownership" debates I'm afraid I fall down on the license side, simply because no-one can explain to me what "owning an ebook" means that doesn't amount to owning the copyright itself (or acting like it)