@eschwartz
I won't quote you because not a direct response.
In he 1970's when personal computers were a rarity it was very common for those that had a PC to share software. It wasn't as easy to copy as an ebook, or as cheap, floppy discs were about $10 IIRC, but many did it and did not think of it as theft. People paid for software, but one guy bought CPM and another bought WordStar etc. and they were used by both. If it stopped there I doubt the software companies would have cared even a little bit. But soon 15 people had copies and then 60 etc. So the software companies retaliated with weird formatting, dongles, and physically damaging the disc so t couldn't be copied. These measures were much more of a pain in the butt than any form of current DRM. And if your media (disc/tape) was destroyed you were lucky if you could get another copy without paying full price, and if you got another copy it could take weeks as there was no internet and it had to come by mail, so those who used the software for business, often bought another copy for anything between $50 to $2000+.
A drafting or engineering program was rarely under $1,000 and for use on only one computer. No group licences. This wasn't thought of as gouging by anyone I knew, but just the cost of having something that made life better and easier if one could afford it. A 100 man hour job could be done in 30 to 40.
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Digital products should have the same rights to sharing as physical products. Not less, and not more!
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I don't disagree with this, but how can one accomplish the
not more part? Relying on human honesty or even awareness that it is wrong has been pretty useless historically, as evidenced by locks on doors, police and security personnel, security cameras , pepper spray and the fact that there was reason to enact copyright measures in the first place.
I know I am in a minority here, but I am okay with the current status of ebooks.
My primary need is to be able to read the book, whether ebook or paper. I can do this much more conveniently and comfortably with ebooks.
I have yet to pay more for an ebook, generally substantially less. If I did choose to pay more for a few, I would still be ahead.
On the odd occasion I want to lend a book, I can by lending my backup ereader or in the case of my mother sharing an account. I never leant paper books with any expectation of getting them back, I just gave them to people if I was so inclined. I rarely reaped the huge financial benefits that others seem to get from trading books. Maybe saved 20% overall and it was often a PITA. I could probably do better with coupons and of course 100% better with library loans.
I have traded books at second hand stores and bought used books, but despite the fact that I can still do so, as can you or anyone else, and get a bestseller at the thrift store for $1 or less I do not do so.
I don't because I prefer ebooks. The rights to trade, lend a copy, or sell ebooks are not currently available legally in my country and I am pretty sure they won't be in the near future. But I still have the same rights I always had. I can still lend, sell, trade paper books. Nothing has been taken away that I am aware of.
I just can't have my cake and eat it too.
Helen