Quote:
Originally Posted by Dulin's Books
no this is where you are marking a difference that doesn't exist. it doesn't matter that its a digital file versus a printed form, you don't have permission to take it and you don't have permission to give it away to the multitudes because it's not yours.
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The question was: How can copying an ebook without permission be parasitism if the owner still owns the original ebook? I didn't address giving away further copies to the multitudes. Hence your response did not target my question.
Anyway, i want extend the question: Given that we can't measure the harm or even prove that a harm occured, based on what crtiteria could one impose a penalty for making a copy of an eBook without permission? It seems that we have to value the "permission" (more precisely the absence of the permission) itself. What value would you concede such a permission? How can the value of such a permission be measured?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dulin's Books
Would it be right if you stole the book from a store, made a thousand paper copies, returned the book and then distributed the copies on the street corner?
no of course not and that is what is being done when pirating digital copies.
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Of course it wouldn't be right! Anyway, the analogy does not work because you would have to steal the physical object - the book - first. Additionally you assume the redistribution of the copies - i didn't.