Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaggy
The first thing you have to look at is... is downloading actually illegal? Copyright is about the right to distribute, not receive. Lots of people (with varying agendas) will try and tell you that it is illegal, but that's not really what most laws say (depending on what countries laws apply to you). That's a whole different topic though.
|
In the US, copyright infringement has been extended to mean the unauthorized exchange of material, rather than just the distribution of it.
I think the lack of speed in eBooks has much less to do with piracy and much more to do with the industry itself. People don't read as much as they listen to music. Part of the appeal of Music and Film piracy is that it's instant gratification. If you want the song, BAM! You've got it and you can listen to it. I think with Books, this is a much less common occurrence. For myself, I finish a book and usually relax. I often "sprint to the end" and am a little worn out at picking up something else immediately. I rarely have the sense of wanting to read a book "right now".
I think this kind of arguement misses the point of *why* piracy started happening in the first place. Free was kind of important to people, but it was a lot more about getting it now. If anything, legit media distribution has proven that people are happy to pay for their content.
</repeat of everything everyone's said already>