Quote:
Originally Posted by Xenophon
... I'm certainly not expecting to change the minds of folks who think that file-sharing of unauthorized copies of creative content is perfectly OK. ... it's important both to see how the business world sees your actions and also to consider the total effect of those actions on their beliefs....
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I think the point should be REALITY.
If you sell paper books to end-users, you are probably aware, that in the real world, there are some readers who will go to their local library, and borrow books, instead of purchasing their own copies. Others will share their printed copy with a number of friends/relatives, thus also costing you potential sales.
If you raise your price for a book, more end-users will chose to forego purchasing it, and will use alternative means to obtain it. At a certain price-pint, you'll fail to make a sail with the majority of your readers.
Thus, in the real world, businesses adjust their prices, so that they maximize their profit, while taking into account the alternatives available to potential customers.
But just like the music companies, many of the publishing houses see the digital world either as scary niche, or as a way to increase profits by reducing the costs, or as a way to strip some of the consumer right established for physical medium, and often as all of these.
And they have figured out, that it is easy to influence law-makers to pass laws distorting the market, and stripping consumer rights conferred by the courts (DMCA,) particularly if most of the current constituency is not totally clear on the long-term ramifications of such legislation, and doesn't pay attention.
Piracy correlates with price: the higher the price, the more likely a user is to "pirate." If the price is low enough, the majority of users will rather pay, than engage i piracy. There is a price point, where e-titles can be sold at a profit, and most users will pay, rather than pirate. And it is NOT at a point higher than the price of a printed paperback.
The arguments by some publishing executives, that the cost of e-books is not substantially lowered by the elimination of printing, storage and distribution, are an insult to the consumers' intelligence. It's about as valid, as arguing that EVERY "pirated" copy downloaded, is a lost sale.
I don't condone piracy, but in some instances, I believe "piracy" can act to level the market.