Quote:
Originally Posted by Alisa
It irks me to pay again, but I am not 100% ethically ok with just downloading the darknets copy. On the one hand, it is legal for me to scan my copy of the book. I could argue that there is no big deal in taking a copy that someone else has scanned. It follows the spirit of the rule. I have the paper copy. The other person freely offered their work. How about if it's a DRM-stripped version of the publisher's copy, though? Does the distinction matter at all if there is the opportunity to buy a legal copy? When I bought the book, was I just buying paper or also the right to consume the content?
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I understand exactly what you mean.
For my own self, because I am blessed enough to have pretty much enough money to buy whatever books I want (within reason!), I always work past my irkedness and will buy the ebook copy even if I already own the paperbook copy. I do this because (a) I want to vote with my money (since I have the money to do so) and prove that ebook backlists can be profitable and (b) I'd like to get rid of the pbook copy to make space in my home.
Plus, and this really is a very important point, I think: I can AFFORD to do this. Not everyone can, so I'm not in the business of judging other people on this issue.
(Having said THAT, there is nothing that will irk me more than buying a replacement ebook and having it be poorly scanned and badly formatted. Rage on.)
I do strongly wish that more publishers offered a "customer loyalty" program - send in your pbook edition and they'll give you the ebook version at a discounted price. You could spin it as a green initiative! Or a charity program where the old pbooks were given to underprivileged children! Think of the publicity!
I'm often astonished at how uncreative and plodding the publishing giants are.
