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jamesbeat · 02-19-2010, 01:45 PM

I think that if the attitudes of consumers is to change, then the attitudes of publishers must change.
The publishers seem to think that ebooks are some kind of gold mine. The amount they charge for them is insulting, given the fact that they don't have the printing and distribution costs associated with paper books.
I think that the publishers are behaving the way they are because before long, their business model will no longer work.
A new technology has come along that will render conventional publishing obsolete, and publishers are attempting to buck the trend.

Before digital media existed, authors had no choice but to use a publisher simply because authors generally don't have printing presses and distribution networks.
We, as owners of ereading devices, are very much the early adopters of a technology that will one day become ubiquitous. In the not too distant future, printing presses will be relegated to a role similar to that of vinyl record presses, ie. an obsolete technology that still has some specialized use.

Publishers know all of this and are desperately trying to resist the change, just like the music industry did. High prices do not work for digital books, and DRM is an insult to consumers that have paid those high prices.

There is nothing whatsoever that publishers can do to prevent piracy. Nobody feels sorry for them.
Many of us feel sorry for the authors who's works are being pirated, but I doubt there is much sympathy for the publishers.

Ebook technology has given both readers and authors a means to sidestep the greedy middle man and deal with each other directly. In the end, the only people who will lose out are the publishers.

If they want to save their business, they should stop trying to drag their heels and reinvent themselves. They need to realize that the printing side of their businesses will soon be obsolete and that their role is more that of an agent to the author.

With that in mind, I see the current arguments about copyright and the futile attempts to force consumers to 'be good' (DRM) as last ditch attempts to delay the inevitable.

If ebooks cost $0.01, nobody would pirate them, and if they cost $1000 nobody would pay for them. I think charging the same for an ebook as a print version actively encourages piracy. Why not sell them for $2 each, but with a minimum order of five books?

In a nutshell, I think what I'm trying to say is that the way publishers are behaving is practically begging people to pirate their books.
You can't stop people from pirating digital works, no matter what the law says or how well you try to copy- protect them.
The music industry has learned that if you make it easy and cheap for people, they will be more likely to spend money.

That doesn't necessarily mean that I think piracy is right, but I do think it is inevitable, and that the publishing industry is not doing itself any favors.

02-19-2010, 01:45 PM	#47
jamesbeat Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 1796 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS 505	I think that if the attitudes of consumers is to change, then the attitudes of publishers must change. The publishers seem to think that ebooks are some kind of gold mine. The amount they charge for them is insulting, given the fact that they don't have the printing and distribution costs associated with paper books. I think that the publishers are behaving the way they are because before long, their business model will no longer work. A new technology has come along that will render conventional publishing obsolete, and publishers are attempting to buck the trend. Before digital media existed, authors had no choice but to use a publisher simply because authors generally don't have printing presses and distribution networks. We, as owners of ereading devices, are very much the early adopters of a technology that will one day become ubiquitous. In the not too distant future, printing presses will be relegated to a role similar to that of vinyl record presses, ie. an obsolete technology that still has some specialized use. Publishers know all of this and are desperately trying to resist the change, just like the music industry did. High prices do not work for digital books, and DRM is an insult to consumers that have paid those high prices. There is nothing whatsoever that publishers can do to prevent piracy. Nobody feels sorry for them. Many of us feel sorry for the authors who's works are being pirated, but I doubt there is much sympathy for the publishers. Ebook technology has given both readers and authors a means to sidestep the greedy middle man and deal with each other directly. In the end, the only people who will lose out are the publishers. If they want to save their business, they should stop trying to drag their heels and reinvent themselves. They need to realize that the printing side of their businesses will soon be obsolete and that their role is more that of an agent to the author. With that in mind, I see the current arguments about copyright and the futile attempts to force consumers to 'be good' (DRM) as last ditch attempts to delay the inevitable. If ebooks cost $0.01, nobody would pirate them, and if they cost $1000 nobody would pay for them. I think charging the same for an ebook as a print version actively encourages piracy. Why not sell them for $2 each, but with a minimum order of five books? In a nutshell, I think what I'm trying to say is that the way publishers are behaving is practically begging people to pirate their books. You can't stop people from pirating digital works, no matter what the law says or how well you try to copy- protect them. The music industry has learned that if you make it easy and cheap for people, they will be more likely to spend money. That doesn't necessarily mean that I think piracy is right, but I do think it is inevitable, and that the publishing industry is not doing itself any favors.