Quote:
Originally Posted by Happ
This is why I started by stating that the issue here is just economics. All else is a rhetoric and a waste of time. File sharing would not be economically a problem if you could only do it the way you lend a book to a friend: one at a time. Once you can ‘share’ your files with millions of people that then do not have to buy them, you have a problem: how to pay the authors if no one will pay them? And how can anyone argue that it is fair for 10% of people to pay for the other 80% to use?
|
And yet I've routinely loaned two, three, four, even twenty books to a friend - at one time! No probbie, mate. When he got done with a few, he'd give them back. And *MOST* people who 'share ebook files' do so to one or two friends. Of course, there's nothing to prevent their friends from sharing said files with one or two friends, and them with one or two friends, etc., ad nauseum. But MOST people share one or two times and that's it.
Further, as I and others have pointed out, so often a shared ebook leads to the recipient buying other titles! It's called, are you ready for this?, word-of-mouth advertising! I tell you how wonderful the author is and I give you a copy of one of his ebooks and when you're done, you are hooked so you buy MORE of his ebooks.
And then there's the fact that at least ONE publisher has made quite a go of literally GIVING AWAY ebook versions of its books. That would be BAEN. Yes, they operate the Free Library of specifically released-as-free ebook titles from their lists - and we're not talking junk here, we're talking first or second books within a series. They also have released CDs of ebooks, bundled into the hardcovers of new novels, that pertain to either the author or the series in question - and they specifically state on the CDs that it is perfectly all right to burn additional copies of the CDs to give away to friends - just that the CDs nor the ebooks on them can be re-sold.
I realize that this goes counter to your arguments, but the facts are the facts and your consistent ignoring of them won't make these inconvenient facts disappear.
Quote:
This is why the analogies very common in these discussions with the lending of books or televisions or whatever are irrelevant.
The problem with file sharers is that they have no clue as how to pay authors, how to make activities like writing software, music or books profitable enough so that you can make a living out of that. The model they have in mind is their own: someone working someplace else and then at weekends doing something creative.
|
Yeah. Right. It's called Paypal. Works just fine. In fact, after reading on here some posts by David Derrico, I went to his site and bought his "Right Ascension" in ebook format. Why? Because I wanted to reward him for stepping up and releasing it as an ebook.
What's more important is that he has chosen to release his ebooks directly, which means the money I spent went completely to him! (Minus any ISP fees and all that) I wonder why he hasn't (Are you reading this Dave?) jacked the price up a bit; I think $0.99 is too low. He should at least be charging $3.99, and I wouldn't feel cheated if he charged $6.99.
And yet I've downloaded, just today, five different titles from five authors I've never read before, from the darknet. Why? Because I'm not sure I want to read more of their books. If I like the stories I've 'pirated', I'll add them to my Fictionwise, Amazon and eReader wish lists.
Quote:
|
BTW, you certainly cannot take down the darkweb, but you can limit it and you can campaign against it. Likewise, you cannot put a stop to robbery, but you can do everything possible to discourage it.
|
I urge people to go to the darknet for older books (those not already PD but which the publishers won't re-release and won't issue as ebooks). It's a great way for a person to sample authors to determine if those authors should be added to the "I gotta buy their ebooks" list.
There's this one author, Landis, whose book "Home to Avalon" probably will never be released in ebook format, so I keep scanning for decent copies to create my own. I've tried finding not-ready-to-disintegrate paper editions, but I've not found any that I'd be willing to shell out $20, $50 or more for. Which is one reason why I'll keep going darknet myself. BTW, I'm downloading five new purchases from Fictionwise this evening when they become available. That's $23+ made from me. Sure, I could wait a week or so and darknet them, but the publishers involved have chosen to release in ebook format. So I reward them by shoving money their way.
And that's another thing, I *DO* consider *buying* ebooks a reward to the publishers to encourage them to release ebook versions of their backlists. And I consider it completely fair to punish those publishers who consistently refuse to release certain authors' books in ebook by darknetting those ebooks.
Derek