There's a better way to beat the ebook pirates

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by ApK

Oh, but that's ok, 'cuz maybe they'll pay it back later! Maybe they'll do other business with the bank because they liked the money so much! See? Robbery is GOOD for the banks!

Well it is good for the insurance companies because they can raise their premiums

[ApK]

Originally Posted by sabredog

No comparison, robbery with violence is a criminal act.

So is copyright violation on the scale of many pirate sites.

Anyway, is it your argument that only criminal laws need to be respected, and all civil laws are happily ignored?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ApK

Maybe they'll do other business with the bank because they liked the money so much! See? Robbery is GOOD for the banks!

Yep, they might decide to "borrow" more

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Since we're just going around in circles anyway, property rights don't exist.

You are wrong.

[miguel1626]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

What individuals can do is simple: Support that effort. Tell your leaders that's what you want, and don't whine when you discover that it will cost something to implement... namely, taxes. Since individuals won't police themselves (because someone knows who's pirating all that media), there's no one left but the police to police them.

That's what needs to be done. And I say this... knowing that it will never happen. Or if it ever does, it will be well beyond my ability to care anymore.

So: Have your Lawless Wild Web. Just don't look for any new books from me on it.

Seriously, move to North Korea. I bet they have no piracy there

Really, your "solution" is appalling. Create a set of draconian restrictions on the internet (which will surely stifle legitimate innovations) just to [attempt to] stop piracy?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

If it really is their right to deny to sell to people they don't want, why is it still hunky dory with them to sell me the physical book when they won't sell me the ebook?

Because it really is their right. You do not get to say "you sold me one thing, so now you have to sell me everything else."
That's what it being THEIR right means.

A presidential administration that Bruce Springsteen did not agree with once wanted to use "Born in the USA" as a campaign song. Springsteen said no. He refused to license it to them. That was his choice and his right under copyright law. He is under no obligation to take their money.
(Compulsory license rights do exist for other IP uses, but not that, and not this.)
(Parenthetically, Springsteen supposedly said "If they want to use 'Born in the USA' then they obviously haven't listened to the words...." It truly would have been a mind-bogglingly stupid choice.)

ApK

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Steven, I'm sorry writing isn't delivering for you the way you were hoping, whether or not it's because of piracy.

I think the only thing I can really promise you is that I will never steal any of your books.

Regards
Caleb

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

For me, writing was supposed to be the thing that would allow me to retire at a reasonable age. Since I now know I can't depend on that, I can now depend on never retiring, and working a 9-to-5 until I die.

That was my conclusion from my full-time writing experience as well, but I am going to do my best to rise from the flames and try to get the writing to allow my retirement and continue to keep the creative energies burning.

May not work, but I'm gonna try.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by ApK

OK, now you're just wallowing in it....

C'mon, we'll chip in for a lottery ticket.

That's my retirement plan as well!

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by ApK

So is copyright violation on the scale of many pirate sites.

Anyway, is it your argument that only criminal laws need to be respected, and all civil laws are happily ignored?

Not at all.

There is a fundamental difference in robbing a bank and downloading an ebook.

Ask my father, who as a bank manager in the early 80's had a gun pointed at his head, if robbing a bank is criminal or not.

He might be able to tell you of the nightmares he had for weeks after....

But believe what you wish. Make sure you get the gibbets out though. Plenty of pirates to string up.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ApK

Because it really is their right. You do not get to say "you sold me one thing, so now you have to sell me everything else."
That's what it being THEIR right means.

A presidential administration that Bruce Springsteen did not agree with once wanted to use "Born in the USA" as a campaign song. Springsteen said no. He refused to license it to them. That was his choice and his right under copyright law. He is under no obligation to take their money.
(Compulsory license rights do exist for other IP uses, but not that, and not this.)
(Parenthetically, Springsteen supposedly said "If they want to use 'Born in the USA' then they obviously haven't listened to the words...." It truly would have been a mind-bogglingly stupid choice.)

ApK

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by ApK

OK, now you're just wallowing in it....

C'mon, we'll chip in for a lottery ticket.

What? Do you expect to retire? I don't. Given the present economic reality, and the fact that I only expect it to get worse over the next 20-30 years, I don't expect that I'll be able to afford to retire, even after my house is paid off. That's not "wallowing"... it's a statement based on reality as I see it.

To that end, I've been planning for the future and looking for a second income, something I could reliably add to a retirement pension (if any) at some future time... because I don't believe social security (if it still exists) and a retirement pension (if any) will be enough to live off of... not even close.

And my luck stinks, so the lottery is out of the question.

[stonetools]

Just as simply done, but not even close to as casually or widely, which you said was the problem that made DRM necessary.

Er, why not as casually or widely, if the initial purchaser doesn't mind her info being in the metadata? If she is sending the copy of ebook out to her Facebook friends or AIM buddy list, she may not have a problem with that.
Your method does not prevent that- it is only a less effective form of DRM. I haven't moved any goalposts at all- I've simply pointed out (as did Elfmark) the relative ineffectiveness of your method.

You're still trying to use copyright to defend DRM that goes far beyond that and puts needless burden on customers.

DRM is a tool to protect copyright. You break DRM precisely because you want to violate the authors copyright by making unauthorized copies and forwarding them to other people, for what you -not the author-consider good and sufficient reasons. Tap dance all you like, accuse me of what you will, but violating the author's copyright is what you are doing.
I'll put it plain. The publishers and booksellers have given you a way-in fact, more than one way-of sharing your ebooks within the family. That wasn't good enough or convenient enough for you , so you decided to use your knowledge to break DRM and violate the author's copyright. I'm sure your BFFs on this forum support you on this. That's them. I'm not going to follow suit. Sorry.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

What? Do you expect to retire?

Sadly, no. That ticket was for us to split, dude.
But I'm holding out hope. If I can just sell ONE or TWO million more copies, I'm set!

That's not "wallowing"... it's a statement based on reality as I see it.

So is "Woe is me!" But it still reads like wallowing when posted on a public discussion forum. Just saying.
For what it's worth, again, I agree with your perception of piracy, and I, too, am disheartened by some of the rationales for the opposing points of view.
But I don't think you should give up.
From a purely pragmatic point of view, it's still quite doable, as many authors here demonstrate day after day.

ApK

[ApK]

Originally Posted by stonetools

DRM is a tool to protect copyright. You break DRM precisely because you want to violate the authors copyright by making unauthorized copies and forwarding them to other people

That's certainly not why I and many others want to remove DRM.
In addition to trying, and failing, to protect from copyright violations, it hinders my rightful use.