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Originally Posted by djgreedo
I think we're in general agreement - the rights and benefits of a paper book are intrinsic to its physical form, and those rights and benefits are a factor in the value of the book.
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Huh? No, we are not even
slightly in agreement! The intrinsic worth of content is based on the
content itself, not the medium on which it comes.
EU law is quite clear that this is the case legally, as well.
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But I think treating an ebook as a service or rental is still limiting it to the current paradigm.
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"treating"? No, it's an option if publishers don't want to sell ebooks, it gives them certain responsibilities. Publishers are trying to get the best of both worlds, to the detriment of the consumer, and then whining when consumers go to the darknet instead.
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I treat my music as much more disposable now
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And that's your choice. But please don't pretend it's anything but your free choice.
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What I'm saying is that the way I percieve my ownership of this material is changing to suit its nature, and I think there will be an evolution of attitudes of consumers, content providers, and eventually laws to suit digital media better.
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Yes, certainly, if you continue to push this anti-consumer crusade, standing side by side with big content, then you're likely to push the younger generation into political activism and a private copy exemption. Is that your "better suited"?
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Publishers therefore think that the actual value (i.e. price) of an ebook should be the same as a paper book, because it is the intellectual property that is being bought. The consumer thinks that a major part of the value/price is the physical object itself and the potential for reclaiming some of the original cost (and I agree).
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...You have that potential with the digital copy. Simply because the wrapper is different does not change your rights under law, and the exhaustion doctrine
still applies.
The comfortable ideas of people with a lot of disposable income are all very well, but limiting the reading of poorer people based on the concept that the wrapper content is in determines their rights will simply - and is allready starting to - create an underclass without adequate information access, because it's locked away simply because of the medium.
The medium is not the message and never has been, the medium is simply a display mechanism for the message.