Quote:
Originally Posted by odamizu
What troubles me here is the position that "knowledge" in the form of books should be free, which in turn suggests authors should do their work for free, then add the dismissal of libraries (where authors do get paid and books are free), which leaves us ... where?
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Generally speaking, the acquisition (purchasing or borrowing) of books for a voracious reader (readers who are not voracious rarely have a problem, as they buy or borrow only a few books) is either an expensive proposition or a friction-filled proposition, or some combination of the two. Libraries insert a lot of friction in the process (long waits/hold lists, unavailability of many books, etc.). So do secondhand markets, where titles, while cheaper, also come with some hurdles (poor quality/hard to find/overpriced). So those who wish (or need) books to be free face *friction* in their book acquisition goals; those who can afford it can have the convenience of getting the books they want when they want them. This has been a balance long-standing in the book world: hook the kiddos on free library books when they are young and poor, and when they are older they're going to be regular book-buyers if they can afford it.
Ebook piracy removes the friction from the process, of course, which is why it feels like (and is) cheating the author and also everyone in the publication chain.