MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Could lack of piracy be the e-book's demise?

Nate the great · 02-10-2009, 09:22 PM

There are several important differences between ebook and music piracy.

How many people read? How many people listen to music? I know a handful of people who read regularly. I know several dozen who have an iPod.

How quickly is a song consumed versus a book? Music is consumed in minutes; a book might take weeks. Because of the time difference, the market for music sold (and pirated) is significantly larger than that of the book market.

Here is my point:
Ebook piracy could be as rampant as music piracy. But in absolute numbers it will appear to be tiny when compared to music piracy.

02-10-2009, 09:22 PM	#9
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	There are several important differences between ebook and music piracy. How many people read? How many people listen to music? I know a handful of people who read regularly. I know several dozen who have an iPod. How quickly is a song consumed versus a book? Music is consumed in minutes; a book might take weeks. Because of the time difference, the market for music sold (and pirated) is significantly larger than that of the book market. Here is my point: Ebook piracy could be as rampant as music piracy. But in absolute numbers it will appear to be tiny when compared to music piracy.