Simon & Schuster is delaying ebooks by four months

[crutnacker]

There is one crucial element that should encourage publishers to sell e-books. Nobody can share it, loan it, or resell it.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by crutnacker

There is one crucial element that should encourage publishers to sell e-books. Nobody can share it, loan it, or resell it.

True, but in actuality as some have mentioned, sharing an authors work can lead to purchases of that authors additional work.

[amjbrown]

Originally Posted by Daithi

BREAKING NEWS !!!

Warner Music, Sony BMG Music, and EMI Music have just announced that they will start staggering the release of their artists' newest albums. They will now release the CD first, and hold back the release of iTunes and other MP3 compatible versions for 4 months. One executive at EMI was overheard saying, "This will teach Apple."

OK, just kidding, apparently the music industry is smarter than the publishing industry.

Surely they will release the vinyl LP first, followed a couple of months later by a handy cassette, a CD after four months, and the digital versions in time for Christmas?!

[markbot]

Originally Posted by kennyc

True, but in actuality as some have mentioned, sharing an authors work can lead to purchases of that authors additional work.

It can lead to it, yes...but it is not the only method. The Kindle allows previews. There are book awards, word of mouth, book lists, book forums...etc.

I would say that sharing is definitely a net negative for book purchases. Like...those that think "sharing" mp3s actually increases music purchasing are in lala land.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by markbot

I can lead to it, yes...but it is not the only method. The Kindle allows previews. There are book awards, word of mouth, book lists, book forums...etc.

I would say that sharing is definitely a net negative for book purchases. Like...those that think "sharing" mp3s actually increases music purchasing are in lala land.

Don't get me wrong, I tend to agree with you, but also see both side of the argument.

My preference would be to have drm free media and users who support and defend copyright law, but there will always be criminals.

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

And that is exactly the wrong thing for the wider culture. If we publish what has the greatest potential to earn out, then all we'll have is celebrity biographies, ghost-written celebrity novels and Dan Brown. Is that the book culture you want? You want mindless pablum for the rest of time, because if profit is the bottom line, then that's all you'll ever get (not that the traditional publishers aren't doing that right now).

This is where ebooks and something like the Espresso Machine for POD hard copy books would be great. An unproven author could be paid only for books that are sold and only books sold would be printed. Once the author is established, go to offset printing (and reap additional profit on the economies of scale presented by offset printing). Let the long tail do its thing.

[markbot]

Originally Posted by =X=

One word "Boycott". All publishers and authors who support this tactic.

=X=

I already boycott new hardcovers by default since I only buy used books. I'll make it official though!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by markbot

I already boycott new hardcovers by default since I only buy used books. I'll make it official though!

and you can generally buy used even cheaper than ebook.....

[markbot]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Don't get me wrong, I tend to agree with you, but also see both side of the argument.

My preference would be to have drm free media and users who support and defend copyright law, but there will always be criminals.

DRM free media with users who support and defend copyright will never happen because of human nature. Look at Asia...probably 90% of music is stolen...if not more.

If stealing cannot be detected and there is no threat of punishment of any kind....legal or social...people will steal. In classical criminology this is the hedonistic calculus. But it gets worse since there is actually a social acceptance and encouragement of stealing music. Books will not be far behind if there is no DRM.

I would not like to destroy the intellectual capital of future generations just so we can transfer a book from a sony reader to a kindle, and vice versa.

[markbot]

Originally Posted by kennyc

and you can generally buy used even cheaper than ebook.....

Forgot to mention that I also buy ebooks....On Amazon, I can usually buy the ebook version cheaper than the used one...although recently I have noticed that some ebooks are more expensive.

Also, some people actually value the ebook version higher than a pbook version. although, i am not one of those people. I just buy whatever version is cheapest...but favor paperback over mass paperback.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by markbot

DRM free media with users who support and defend copyright will never happen because of human nature. Look at Asia...probably 90% of music is stolen...if not more.

If stealing cannot be detected and there is no threat of punishment of any kind....legal or social...people will steal. In classical criminology this is the hedonistic calculus. But it gets worse since there is actually a social acceptance and encouragement of stealing music. Books will not be far behind if there is no DRM.

I would not like to destroy the intellectual capital of future generations just so we can transfer a book from a sony reader to a kindle, and vice versa.

And once more for the hard of understanding:

COPYING != STEALING
SHARING != THEFT

EDIT: And FYI China and vast swathes of Asia have a rich cultural heritage born FROM the notion of outright copying, from master to student and on. The greatest honour was for a master to be copied by a student as closely as possible. The notion of copyright is not universal.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by markbot

DRM free media with users who support and defend copyright will never happen because of human nature. Look at Asia...probably 90% of music is stolen...if not more.

If stealing cannot be detected and there is no threat of punishment of any kind....legal or social...people will steal. In classical criminology this is the hedonistic calculus. But it gets worse since there is actually a social acceptance and encouragement of stealing music. Books will not be far behind if there is no DRM.

I would not like to destroy the intellectual capital of future generations just so we can transfer a book from a sony reader to a kindle, and vice versa.

I think you are painting it a bit too black and white. Has the music industry been destroyed for all future generations by removing DRM? I don't think so.

Literature is not that different.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

And once more for the hard of understanding:

COPYING != STEALING
SHARING != THEFT

EDIT: And FYI China and vast swathes of Asia have a rich cultural heritage born FROM the notion of outright copying, from master to student and on. The greatest honour was for a master to be copied by a student as closely as possible. The notion of copyright is not universal.

That's your opinion Moejoe and one on which we absolute disagree.

Taking my property without my permission is theft.

[Moejoe]

I have no idea what you're saying, kennyc because I have you blocked, but I bet it's that same old rubbish about taking something without permission..blah...blah...blah

Every time I hear that hyperbolic lie of yours I think of this:

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I have no idea what you're saying, kennyc because I have you blocked, but I bet it's that same old rubbish about taking something without permission..blah...blah...blah

Every time I hear that hyperbolic lie of yours I think of this:

You are welcome to think whatever you want, but that's only your opinion.

Blocked is as blocked does.