Do you think JK Rowling will cave eventually?

ficbot · 03-21-2010, 03:21 PM

I am just curious about this. I kind of want the Harry Potter series in ebook, but not enough to scan them in myself from paper and proof them (or to proof-read badly OCRd darknet copies). I know JK Rowling is opposed to ebooks, but I am wondering if she really does plan to hold out forever. You think she'll cave, eventually?

Kemp · 03-21-2010, 03:27 PM

I'd wager that most publishers and authors hesitant to embrace a different medium of consumption will be left behind by those willing to adapt to the changing market.

Then again, she has umpteen bazillion dollars, so she probably won't weep too much if her sales decline when people move further and further towards ebooks.

pdurrant · 03-21-2010, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

(or to proof-read badly OCRd darknet copies).

Actually, the darknet Harry Potter ebooks are amazingly well proof-read. Much better than any commercial ebook, even The Lord of the Rings.

Well, so I've heard....

Harry Potter and the Unauthorised Ebooks

Sydney's Mom · 03-21-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Actually, the darknet Harry Potter ebooks are amazingly well proof-read. Much better than any commercial ebook, even The Lord of the Rings.

Well, so I've heard....

Harry Potter and the Unauthorised Ebooks

I heard something like that from my kindle, as well.

Elfwreck · 03-21-2010, 03:52 PM

I expect she'll keep them off the market indefinitely (i.e. "more than another 15 years," long past when anyone's really interested) unless a court ruling somewhere establishes that free ebooks of titles that haven't been released as legit ebooks are not copyright infringment because they're not costing the copyright owner anything--they're not lost sales, not allowing someone else financial gain, not competing with sales because the format is too different, and so on.

At least one judge has said she'd be open to arguments of that nature, but no cases have specifically tried it yet.

Ben Thornton · 03-21-2010, 04:21 PM

Although these books may be available as ebooks eventually, my impression is that Rowling doesn't like ebooks for some reason, so this will depend on the extent of her control over publication, and whether anything changes her mind.

theducks · 03-21-2010, 04:43 PM

Control summed it up.
Remember she even required British actors (Not a bad thing) in the films.

delphidb96 · 03-21-2010, 05:12 PM

Frankly I *hope* she follows through with her ongoing stupidity. She's living proof onr can be creative, successful *and* a congenital idiot.

trbraxton · 03-21-2010, 05:27 PM

I think J.k. Rowling will cave once she is convinced that ebooks are something that will not go away. No matter how rich she is, I don't believe that she will denie future generations an oppurtunity to be introduced to her extraordinary series just because she doesn't like the format that the text is contained within.

Check out my books, free stories and blog:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/6119

http://www.trbraxton.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Hands-T-...dp/0984124403/

http://thecuriousmindoftrbraxton.blogspot.com/

DawnFalcon · 03-21-2010, 06:27 PM

Other: "Most people who give a **** about this just grabbed them from the darknet given her attitude towards ebooks".

sabredog · 03-21-2010, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Other: "Most people who give a **** about this just grabbed them from the darknet given her attitude towards ebooks".

I did hear on the grapevine that some keen readers got a rather curt "You have been naughty" email from a snooper agency after they "obtained" HP ebooks from the darknet.

HP ebooks would sell very well indeed for her if she got with the times a bit more.

guyanonymous · 03-21-2010, 07:39 PM

For every book after the first, each book, in its entirety, was online (in pdf format) within an hour or two of it going on sale in the UK. Proofed non-pdf versions started showing up later the next day. These weren't in dark corners of of private internet sites - but the main, open areas (usenet, irc, torrents, etc) that are easily searched.

All she's doing is missing out on sales, not stopping or delaying access by anyone to her books electronically - other than those who want to pay for it.

kindlekitten · 03-21-2010, 07:44 PM

someone should start a completely anonymous sign in site that could then be sent to J.K. of people admitting to darknetting them

pwalker8 · 03-21-2010, 07:58 PM

Actually, the last one was darknetted before it hit the stores.

I didn't think that Tolkien's work would ever come out in ebooks but it did. I'm sure that as it becomes more mainstream over the next several years, she will cave. After all, Lucus eventually caved on DVD copies of his movies.

rcuadro · 03-21-2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Well, so I've heard....

As have I

View Poll Results: Will JK Rowling eventually cave and allow ebooks of the Harry Potter series?
Yes, eventually	116	65.17%
No, never	44	24.72%
Other	18	10.11%
Voters: 178. You may not vote on this poll

03-21-2010, 03:21 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Do you think JK Rowling will cave eventually? I am just curious about this. I kind of want the Harry Potter series in ebook, but not enough to scan them in myself from paper and proof them (or to proof-read badly OCRd darknet copies). I know JK Rowling is opposed to ebooks, but I am wondering if she really does plan to hold out forever. You think she'll cave, eventually?

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03-21-2010, 03:27 PM	#2
Kemp Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 271834 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Minnesota Device: none	I'd wager that most publishers and authors hesitant to embrace a different medium of consumption will be left behind by those willing to adapt to the changing market. Then again, she has umpteen bazillion dollars, so she probably won't weep too much if her sales decline when people move further and further towards ebooks.

03-21-2010, 03:52 PM	#5
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	I expect she'll keep them off the market indefinitely (i.e. "more than another 15 years," long past when anyone's really interested) unless a court ruling somewhere establishes that free ebooks of titles that haven't been released as legit ebooks are not copyright infringment because they're not costing the copyright owner anything--they're not lost sales, not allowing someone else financial gain, not competing with sales because the format is too different, and so on. At least one judge has said she'd be open to arguments of that nature, but no cases have specifically tried it yet.

03-21-2010, 04:21 PM	#6
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	Although these books may be available as ebooks eventually, my impression is that Rowling doesn't like ebooks for some reason, so this will depend on the extent of her control over publication, and whether anything changes her mind.

03-21-2010, 04:43 PM	#7
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,249 Karma: 61360164 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Control summed it up. Remember she even required British actors (Not a bad thing) in the films.

03-21-2010, 05:12 PM	#8
delphidb96 Wizard Posts: 2,999 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Citrus Heights, California Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V	Frankly I hope she follows through with her ongoing stupidity. She's living proof onr can be creative, successful and a congenital idiot.

03-21-2010, 05:27 PM	#9
trbraxton T.R. Braxton Posts: 3 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Device: none	I think J.k. Rowling will cave once she is convinced that ebooks are something that will not go away. No matter how rich she is, I don't believe that she will denie future generations an oppurtunity to be introduced to her extraordinary series just because she doesn't like the format that the text is contained within. Check out my books, free stories and blog: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/6119 http://www.trbraxton.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Hands-T-...dp/0984124403/ http://thecuriousmindoftrbraxton.blogspot.com/

03-21-2010, 06:27 PM	#10
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	Other: "Most people who give a **** about this just grabbed them from the darknet given her attitude towards ebooks".

03-21-2010, 07:39 PM	#12
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	For every book after the first, each book, in its entirety, was online (in pdf format) within an hour or two of it going on sale in the UK. Proofed non-pdf versions started showing up later the next day. These weren't in dark corners of of private internet sites - but the main, open areas (usenet, irc, torrents, etc) that are easily searched. All she's doing is missing out on sales, not stopping or delaying access by anyone to her books electronically - other than those who want to pay for it.

03-21-2010, 07:44 PM	#13
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	someone should start a completely anonymous sign in site that could then be sent to J.K. of people admitting to darknetting them

03-21-2010, 07:58 PM	#14
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,196 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Actually, the last one was darknetted before it hit the stores. I didn't think that Tolkien's work would ever come out in ebooks but it did. I'm sure that as it becomes more mainstream over the next several years, she will cave. After all, Lucus eventually caved on DVD copies of his movies.