[sirmaru]

I just heard an extensive 30 minute report this morning on the BBC about the effects of "sharing" songs on the music industry. It appears songs are still being distributed by pirate sites worldwide. However, new models of distributing songs are being developed by Spotify where no files are sold but instead they stream all songs with advertising without an annual fee and no advertising with an annual fee.

These days I listen to streaming music from Pandora and they record in my profile screen at their web site the songs I issued a "Thumbs Up." They have a link there to both Amazon and Apple where one can then buy those specific songs with a single click. All the purchased songs come without DRM these days and only have a license number inserted in the metadata.

The streaming music industry actually knows exactly the amount of songs being downloaded from pirate sites geographically and to whom they went and then gear their own advertising to those geographic areas and people. Thus, they don't fight pirating anymore; they use it to increase their own sales. They say they pay over 2 billion dollars per year to copyright holders.

Netflix, as well, has preempted the pirate video sites with their monthly rentals of disks and streaming videos.

Those examples could be copied by Amazon which could now start an eBook rental service where one could pay a monthly or annual fee and then rent all their eBooks for reading at one or two per month. The rented files could have expiration dates for self destruction, thus, eliminating all chances of being pirated.

Right NOW Amazon allows Prime customers to get one free eBook per month and can keep it as long as they want. However, ordering the next free eBook DESTROYS the file of the old eBook. However, those rental eBooks are limited to only a few thousand. A full rental plan would include their entire eBook inventory. They already know how to do this.

I have a strong hunch that pirate eBook sites are the sources for many who collect thousands of eBooks without reading most of them. Then Calibre would be necessary to insert the missing metadata.

Back in 1930 I used to collect music on wire recorders. From 1960 onwards I collected them on tape. When I converted them to MP3 format about 10 years ago Media Monkey was a necessity since none of them had any metadata. However, MP3 songs purchased from Amazon today are filled with the proper metadata and Media Monkey is no longer necessary.

Thus, today with millions of eBooks being downloaded from pirate sites REQUIRES Calibre to insert metadata and Apprentice Alf to strip DRM in the same way that Media Monkey was once required for music. Today those downloading music from pirate sites still need Media Monkey since they may be missing most of the metadata.

These days I buy all my songs and eBooks from Amazon and all are fully loaded with the proper metadata. Thus, I don't have the same needs as others who get their songs and eBooks without any metadata and with possible DRM still loaded.

By the way, no one should get angry about all these issues. They are theoretical discussions and no individuals are being accused of any wrongdoing. However, they do affect the business model of the book industry and could affect how we acquire and receive our eBooks in the future.

Finally, with all the improvements in the music industry distribution plans the music pirate sites still exist and millions still get their music there. In the same way, no matter what Amazon does the pirate sites for eBooks will still exist and millions will still be getting their eBooks there.