Quote:
Originally Posted by piperclassique
I own two copies of one paperback. One was second hand, then when I was abroad and wanted to read it again I bought another copy, which I am sure was pirated. In neither case did the author make any money from my purchase. I would have liked to pay the author, but the book is out of print and not available as an ebook. Any comments on morality or legality?
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Do you believe that the author was ripped off, by the publisher of the book that you purchased, second-hand? Arguably, he received his royalty, for that particular book, that specific book, when it was purchased. As far as the "pirated" print book...who knows? We don't know if it's been pirated--piracy, in print, is rare these days--and he may well have earned a royalty on that, or not.
The ability to lend multiple times, or trade, or sell, is one of the things that adds to the value of a print book, over an ebook. It's personalty, whereas arguably, an eBook is not. It's physical, which an ebook isn't--at least there shan't be any argument over that. You're the second-hand buyer, and that's a marketplace that has already ensured that the author won't get his royalty, just through its existence. I fail to see how you can be held to be blamed, in that circumstance, and even if your good intentions didn't exist, ditto.
Moreover, unlike an ebook, the print book exists in a single state. It's one book; you can lend it, but then you don't have it, yourself, and the same with selling it. An eBook, of course, can be replicated endless times, ensuring that the creator/publisher doesn't get paid for those endless copies.
{shrug}.
Hitch