We don't own the ebooks we buy?

[cfrizz]

Buy, strip, store on personal storage, = ebooks safe. You would think everyone would know this by now.

But then some don't care.

[Anthem]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Buy, strip, store on personal storage, = ebooks safe. You would think everyone would know this by now.

But then some don't care.

What do you do for printed book backups?

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by Anthem

What do you do for printed book backups?

Yeah, stuff happens, but I'm a lot less likely to accidentally throw out 10 bookshelves full of printed books than I am to accidentally delete a folder or forget about them in an OS upgrade.

[Anthem]

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

Yeah, stuff happens, but I'm a lot less likely to accidentally throw out 10 bookshelves full of printed books than I am to accidentally delete a folder or forget about them in an OS upgrade.

So true. The massive convenience of digital things can also be its greatest point of weakness as well. It is just as easy to create a copy of something as it is to delete a copy.

Now, where did those 10 shelves of hardcovers I have lying around get too...

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Anthem

So true. The massive convenience of digital things can also be its greatest point of weakness as well. It is just as easy to create a copy of something as it is to delete a copy.

Now, where did those 10 shelves of hardcovers I have lying around get too...

They landed in my house.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

Yeah, stuff happens, but I'm a lot less likely to accidentally throw out 10 bookshelves full of printed books than I am to accidentally delete a folder or forget about them in an OS upgrade.

Which is why I have redundant backups.

I "own" the ebooks obtained from Sony, Kobo, Amazon, and any other source I have obtained the ebooks from in the sense that it would require execution of a search warrant to over my objections enter my home and remove from any digital media I might have copies of the ebooks stored on. If Amazon thinks other wise than c'est la vie.

[theducks]

Just imagine if the many ancient books and scrolls currently on display in the museums of the world, were distributed/created with the current Terms of Use



Empty showcases and shelves containing nothing but blank paper/vellum

Bare walls or plinths because estates must Destroy all works of art upon the passing of the original purchaser

Until there was a pure digital format, these kinds of transactions were impossible to enforce without physically repossessing the item.

Greed

A rental period is typically way less than full purchase price, even in the crazy real estate market found in many bigger cities. Not e-books

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm honestly tired of worrying about whether or not I technically "own" my ebooks. It's barely relevant to my wonderfully enjoyable hobby of buying and reading them. And yes ... I know all of the things that COULD happen to separate me from my "license." I just don't give a damn anymore.

Ahhh, I didn't even notice it was that ancient story dredged up again.

Ditto.

I read a lot of library ebooks, but do buy some ebooks that aren't available via the library. If someone ever started an epub rental service I might go that route for a lot of the books I now buy. Then I would buy only any ebooks that turn out to be "keepers" which I would be likely to reread in the future.

If there were a special book that I wanted to make absolutely sure I didn't lose, I would probably buy both electronic and hard copies.

[mitrodhar]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Ditto.

I read a lot of library ebooks, but do buy some ebooks that aren't available via the library. If someone ever started an epub rental service I might go that route for a lot of the books I now buy. Then I would buy only any ebooks that turn out to be "keepers" which I would be likely to reread in the future.

If there were a special book that I wanted to make absolutely sure I didn't lose, I would probably buy both electronic and hard copies.

I am not much of a buyer (except occasionally). My library membership fee pays for itself many times over

[latepaul]

It's interesting the way that ereading has changed my desire to own books.

When I was young I always read a lot but many of the books were borrowed, from the library or friends. The ones I owned, especially the ones I bought with my own money, I re-read because I didn't have that many. I'd buy maybe one book a month maybe two. They took up physical space. And if I didn't read them - and there were always ones I started but didn't finish - I felt bad about buying news ones until I had, or had passed them on.

Since then several things have changed - I earn more. ebooks exist. Most ebooks are cheaper now than the paperbacks I was buying 20-25 years ago. The range of books available is wider than I've ever known. ebooks take up zero space (ok almost zero marginal space).

The thing that hasn't changed is the rate at which I read. I've slowed a little but I'm still at 1-2 books a month. I re-read less because of the choice and convenience of getting a new book. I do have favourites and re-reading them is like visiting old friends. But turns out a lot of my re-reading was down to wanting to read and not being able to afford a new book right now, or having to wait until I could get to the shop/library etc.

Anyway the point is all this means I re-read less. And owning a book, for me anyway, is about having the possibility to read that book any time you like. But if I'm less likely to re-read it, there's less reason to care about owning it. I will, I do. But if that "owning" is really licensing then I don't mind.

In effect the cost of an ebook these days is like a fee for a one time read of the book. For most books. If Amazon tomorrow changed their terms such that you only licensed your books for 5 years from the point of purchase, I probably would still buy from them, for a similar price. Because 1.99 for the opportunity to read this book once, maybe twice during that time, is probably worth it. If it was truly one of my favourites and I wanted to re-read it after that I'd be happy to re-buy it.

(Of course I do buy books and I deDRM them and back them in about 3 or 4 different ways. )

[Kasper Hviid]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Digital content is always licensed, not sold. That applies not just to ebooks, but to music downloads, and anything else in digital form.

True, ebooks are not sold. But I'm not sure they are licensed, either.

IF they were licensed, then it would mean that the costumer paid to get a license to read said books. But they don't. From the article: "Amazon.co.uk and its affiliates reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, remove or edit content, or cancel orders at their sole discretion."

Since the EULA states that the license is absolutely empty - "we might or might not let the costumer read the book" - it can hardly be called a license. I believe the word license would require that the people who paid for the book had some sort of permission to read it.

What the costumer pays for is not a license, but more like a one-way gentleman's agreement.

[NateStewart_TLA]

Originally Posted by latepaul

It's interesting the way that ereading has changed my desire to own books.

When I was young I always read a lot but many of the books were borrowed, from the library or friends. The ones I owned, especially the ones I bought with my own money, I re-read because I didn't have that many. I'd buy maybe one book a month maybe two. They took up physical space. And if I didn't read them - and there were always ones I started but didn't finish - I felt bad about buying news ones until I had, or had passed them on.

Since then several things have changed - I earn more. ebooks exist. Most ebooks are cheaper now than the paperbacks I was buying 20-25 years ago. The range of books available is wider than I've ever known. ebooks take up zero space (ok almost zero marginal space).

The thing that hasn't changed is the rate at which I read. I've slowed a little but I'm still at 1-2 books a month. I re-read less because of the choice and convenience of getting a new book. I do have favourites and re-reading them is like visiting old friends. But turns out a lot of my re-reading was down to wanting to read and not being able to afford a new book right now, or having to wait until I could get to the shop/library etc.

Anyway the point is all this means I re-read less. And owning a book, for me anyway, is about having the possibility to read that book any time you like. But if I'm less likely to re-read it, there's less reason to care about owning it. I will, I do. But if that "owning" is really licensing then I don't mind.

In effect the cost of an ebook these days is like a fee for a one time read of the book. For most books. If Amazon tomorrow changed their terms such that you only licensed your books for 5 years from the point of purchase, I probably would still buy from them, for a similar price. Because 1.99 for the opportunity to read this book once, maybe twice during that time, is probably worth it. If it was truly one of my favourites and I wanted to re-read it after that I'd be happy to re-buy it.

(Of course I do buy books and I deDRM them and back them in about 3 or 4 different ways. )

I am in the exact same boat as you. I think you put it perfectly.

[crossi]

If I read one or two books a month I might feel the same way. At that rate I couldn't even keep up with my favorite 50 or so authors, so no need to reread and so no real need to own.

If you have a book a day habit and possibly more on weekends and vacation that's a whole 'nother thing. $8 to $!0 a day would add up quickly. Rereading is a neccesity as well as a pleasure for me. So I prefer to own.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by crossi

If I read one or two books a month I might feel the same way. At that rate I couldn't even keep up with my favorite 50 or so authors, so no need to reread and so no real need to own.

If you have a book a day habit and possibly more on weekends and vacation that's a whole 'nother thing. $8 to $!0 a day would add up quickly. Rereading is a neccesity as well as a pleasure for me. So I prefer to own.

I don't quite have a book a day habit, but I do have a 120-150 books a year one, so I very much share your view.