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Old 02-16-2013, 01:11 PM   #38
thersites
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew H. View Post
I disagree with his conclusions, although some of his facts are probably correct: bookstores lose *some* money from libraries, and authors lose *some* money due to libraries. And I'm pretty sure that bestselling authors lose the most money: if my library hadn't bought 300 copies of the last Harry Potter book, I'm pretty sure everyone who checked the book out would have bought it instead.

And of course libraries aren't a natural phenomenon: they are created and paid for by tax money, which means that the government, more or less, is harming booksellers and authors by paying for libraries.
Yes, but most governments also provide incredibly generous copyright protection that make the publishing business possible, allowing the author (and others often well after his or her lifetime) to be compensated for their product. This is hardly natural either, and is created in large part for the public benefit. You can quibble with the details of either arrangement, but not the basic usefulness of one arrangement without undermining the other.

Not saying you were going here (your road analogy says you aren't going here), but just thought I'd point out the obvious counter to anyone that might. Also, I don't think this was this author's argument, as he seems to think the public benefit of libraries is now smaller than the benefit of his (and others) being more richly compensated (if I read him correctly). We've all been having a fairly easy time refuting that notion, and having a good time working up our righteous indignation.
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