Thread: ebooks, buying it in paper and worrying about it
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Old 07-13-2008, 01:19 PM   #14
pilotbob
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PressEnter View Post
Is it more morally right to just buy the ebook, something I can't loan out to friends (none of whom have ebook readers), despite the fact that a substantial portion of my existing paper collection is also second-hand? Or am I the only one who worries about these things?
There's morality and legality... and many times the twain don't meet.

Case in point... When Deathly Hollows came out I bought 5 copies... one for each member of the family, plus the Audiobook CD set. (Yes my fam are Harry Potter lovers.)

I knew it would not be available as an eBook thanks to JK Rawling thinking it would be pirated (guess what, it was pirated anyway).

Anyhow... am I "moral" right to download the pirated ebook version of that book since I bought 5 hardcovers and 1 audio version of it. Sure... I wouldn't fret none, and I did buy it too.

But, legally I'm sure I would still have been in violation of the copyright.

Now, if I scanned to book and made my own electronic form of it? I'm not sure if that is legal or not since it wouldn't really have been "only for archival purposes". But, morally I wouldn't see a problem with it.

I think this is one of the main problems publishers and authors have with eBooks. With paper books I'm pretty sure it has been upheld that they can be sold after use. Of course, the publisher/author get no money for this sale. But, at least you know that each printing of the book can only be read by one person at a time. Also, while it isn't much work to by a used copy of most books these days they usually don't cost that much less than a new copy... and face it, most peole like shinny new better than dingy used.

But, eBooks are very easy to transfer/sell used. (Even if you legitamately deleted your copy when you "sold" it.) The "used" file is just as pristine and new as the new file. It is very easy to use... why not save 20% when it is just as good as new?

This is why if the publishers want to change the rules and you pay per read or per person or whatever they really need to adjust the price. It may actually work better in the long run. Imagine if every person that reads that Harry Potter book that get passed around a family/office/whatever had to pay say $5 to read it.

Anyway... here I am posting to another thread that never ends. Why do I do it?

BOb
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