Quote:
Originally Posted by stustaff
why is it absurd? an electronic version can be backed up so never lost, read by(depending on DRM) multiple people at once. MUCH smaller  .
And it isnt an issue that gets brought up with Music!
Paolo Nuitini - Sunny side up = £5.99 with free postage from play.com
Same CD from iTunes... = £7.99
it is a top seller via both retailers. |
It's absurd because:
1) You do not own the file: you own a license to read the content, nothing more.
2) You do not retain Right of First Sale with the file, and therefore cannot resell it
3) The file cannibalizes the secondary market, meaning more money in the publisher's pocket
4) The file cannot be lent without breaking the law (DMCA)
5) The file is not a hardcover book
6) The file should not cost more than the current incarnation of the format (TPB or MMPB), because the file is not a hardcover book
7) The file incurs no return costs for the publisher
8) The file typically undergoes much less scrutiny than the physical objects, resulting in more typos, formatting errors, etc.
9) the file can be accidentally deleted; ever accidentally destroy a book? How often? How often have you accidentally deleted a file?
10) the file contains none of the cover art, or cover material of the physical object typically.
11) typically, the file does not contain the color plates and other graphics associated with the physical object. When it does, they are of a poor quality (not attributable to the display device; the actual graphics are low-quality)
120 The file typically cannot be used on multiple devices if DRM is present (common, and usually at the insistence of the publisher, not the e-reader manufacturer)