Does anyone browse the darknet library before buying an ebook?

[Vintage Season]

Originally Posted by Marcy

This is not a failure. You have a big shelf of books that you have to store. They are gathering dust in your house. If you move you have to pack them up and then unpack them.

Not exactly. Rex Stout's complete canon, in paperback, nicely fills one banker's box... so the books live there, pre-packed. The lid keeps out dust.

Originally Posted by Marcy

I own all the Rex Stout books in pbooks that I also bought used many years ago. I'm still replacing them all with ebooks because I like the format much better. I haven't gotten rid of the pbooks yet because he is one of my top favorite authors and my books are all vintage copies. But one day I'll want to reclaim the space they're taking up and I'll have to do something with them.

You could always send them to me. I'd happily upgrade any copies in my collection that needed it, and then pass a full set on to another friend who happens to be a voracious reader, surviving on a schoolteacher's salary. He can't afford an eBook device yet either, so the books would serve a good purpose.

Wherever the books go though, please don't just trash them. The point is that even in this enlightened age, when we don't need to kill a tree to print a book, there is no logic in destroying whatever printed copies already exist, because that is potentially even more wasteful than their original production. Yes, you could recycle them to produce more paper... but even a battered old paperback may continue to be read, and enjoyed, by many successive readers, without requiring the addition of any further resources to the chain.

- M.

[MovieBird]

Originally Posted by HarryT

A seller has the right to put whatever price they wish on their products, just as you have the choice to decide whether or not to buy at that price. But I don't personally believe that one has the "right" to "get it by other means" simply because one feels that it's too expensive. Just read something else instead.

I'm curious if this attitude extends to the hungry and food. What, you can't afford cheese? Live on rice!

Originally Posted by Temple of the Dog

I don't mind stealing bread
From the mouths of decadence
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled

[Bremen Cole]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

No, rather the opposite. I first browse the various stores and when it's not available there (either because it's simply not available or because they don't want to sell to me), I'll browse the darknet and get the book from there.

Same here. I look forward to the day when it will not be necessary....

I used to do the same with music. But now that they have their act somewhat together (no-DRM, fair prices, good quality....etc) I buy ALL my music. Even went and bought good stuff I had got already from the darknet.....

[Rich_D]

I used the darknet to download ebooks for the physical copies that I already purchased. I then donated the dtb to my local library. My first stop for browsing is still the library, then bookstores.

[beppe]

I look at stores and I buy there, if it is too expensive, like in the case of the last book in a series, I wait and read something else. If the author or the book that I am looking for has not yet been published as ebook, and if I am keen, I might quest for it outside the stores. To me it is not painless, as the net is slow and I rather play around here in my free time. Scanned and whatever they call that process. I got some very nice positive surprises. Some time I experience a sort of serendipity effect. Most of these books i have already in pform, and therefore I have already paid to the author.Some time no. And I keep the book anyway. Most of the times is an estate. Apparently I do not have categorical imperatives about copyright. Also I have been blessed by a stable circadian cycle.

It is not really browsing the darknetlibrary, though. If that expression is more than a nick name, I am possibly talking of something different.

[lente]

I never download books from the darknet anymore. Not because I'm a great lover of the current law or the system as it is, but I do want authors (and artist in general) to keep doing what they do, make stuff. Besides, there is some risk to the darknet.

I don't buy the argument that it is wrong though. Wrong is relative, who is to say that information should belong to one person or a group of people? Just because someone created something doesn't mean he or she should own the very idea of it. But that's how it works these day, crazy really.

[pwalker8]

I would argue that it is wrong to download something that an author has for sale. Remember, it's the expression of the idea, not the idea that you are buying. If you just wanted the idea, there are plenty of ebooks on the internet that you can download free and clear.

I can see where some would feel that is alright to download an ebook if they have bought it in paper format and I can see where it's hard to say someone is stealing something, when the author doesn't make it available in ebook format. Of course, some of the reason there is a moral ambiguity about downloading ebooks is the inequality in the current laws about copyright. The laws are so slanted towards the copyright holder and away from the consumer right now. If I buy something, then it's mine. Copyright holders want to to buy the merchandise but also want to retain control over the merchandise. If I buy a car, I don't expect to be told that I can only drive it 10 miles a day and have to stay under 45 miles per hour, but that's the equivalence of copyright law.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

If I buy a car, I don't expect to be told that I can only drive it 10 miles a day and have to stay under 45 miles per hour, but that's the equivalence of copyright law.

The design of a car entails both Copyright (the look) and Patents (Unique hardware).
Does Detroit say you can't paint, chop or otherwise, customize it?
Why don't they have the same total control.
Bend it bad, and you can "part it out". No restrictions.
Since almost every piece, now exists as a "Digital Design", why doesn't the DMCA apply to repair parts that were developed from "illegal" reverse engineering of the original "Digital Design"?

[CharlieBird]

Last night I bought a book I could find nowhere else from Barnes & Noble in the ePub format because I do not like B&N's software and use the old eReader software to read PDBs. Well, stupid me... B&N's DRM ePub can only be read on their software, which I guess I should have known or at least checked into.

So here I sit w/a book I can't read on any of my available hardware, a book I might add which I own in hardcover. As irritated as I am I would seriously consider the darknet but I have no idea where it is! Do you just search for a particular book and if it's not a legit website it is presumably the darknet.

Also, are not worms and virus a theat?
d

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by lente

I never download books from the darknet anymore. Not because I'm a great lover of the current law or the system as it is, but I do want authors (and artist in general) to keep doing what they do, make stuff. Besides, there is some risk to the darknet.

I don't buy the argument that it is wrong though. Wrong is relative, who is to say that information should belong to one person or a group of people? Just because someone created something doesn't mean he or she should own the very idea of it. But that's how it works these day, crazy really.

I download from the darknet under two conditions.

1) The publishers have continued to refuse to release ebook versions of novels within a series.

2) I spot new authors I'm not sure I will like, but I'd like to read one of their books before buying.

Derek

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by CharlieBird

As irritated as I am I would seriously consider the darknet but I have no idea where it is!

"The darknet" isn't a place. It is just some stupid word someone made up to make it sound scary. I've been using "the darknet" for close to 20 years and never heard the term before coming to Mobileread. It means-- apparently-- "any means by which an electronic file can be obtained that isn't officially sanctioned."

[lente]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I would argue that it is wrong to download something that an author has for sale. Remember, it's the expression of the idea, not the idea that you are buying. If you just wanted the idea, there are plenty of ebooks on the internet that you can download free and clear.

The idea is not separate from the expression. You alway have to express idea's in a certain way. An idea that is not expressed is really no idea at all as far as the public is concerned. The moment it is out there no matter how it is expressed it should be free to anyone. Which means that is an author puts an idea out there it should be okay to copy it. This is pretty much how it's been for most of our history. And then there was copyright.

I understand authors want to make a living and for that reason I'm perfectly willing to pay for books, BUT that doesn't mean I agree with the current law. I would like to see a system based more on trust and free choice. I think people understand that the author (or any artist) can't do what he does if he is not economicly supported and I think they would make the choice to support a author by buying book even without paranoid drm schemes and being forced to buy the book for a certain price at a certain store.

But maybe I have to much faith in people.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

"The darknet" isn't a place. It is just some stupid word someone made up to make it sound scary. I've been using "the darknet" for close to 20 years and never heard the term before coming to Mobileread. It means-- apparently-- "any means by which an electronic file can be obtained that isn't officially sanctioned."

I'm not the only one then

Originally Posted by CharlieBird

Also, are not worms and virus a theat?
d

Aren't worms and virusses a thread for everybody who uses email, internet and even a mobile phone? My mother has had more virusses than me, while she probably won't even think about going to "shady" sites... (and yes, she does have a good virus scanner and knows about email attachments)

Originally Posted by lente

I understand authors want to make a living and for that reason I'm perfectly willing to pay for books, BUT ...

what if they don't want me to pay for it, because they won't offer it to me?

I've downloaded books that were out-of-print, but still "in copyright". But the most annoying one is the knowledge that the ebook is available but I'm simply not able to buy it because I happen to not live in a certain geographic location.

[lente]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

what if they don't want me to pay for it, because they won't offer it to me?

I've downloaded books that were out-of-print, but still "in copyright". But the most annoying one is the knowledge that the ebook is available but I'm simply not able to buy it because I happen to not live in a certain geographic location.

I know. If I can't get the ebook I buy the paperback. There was one time when a book I wanted was out of print and in copyright and I did download it from the darknet then. But that's a while ago now, I don't know if I would do it again.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by lente

I know. If I can't get the ebook I buy the paperback. There was one time when a book I wanted was out of print and in copyright and I did download it from the darknet then. But that's a while ago now, I don't know if I would do it again.

There are so many books I already own the paperback/hardcover (or both) but that I don't read anymore, even though I'd love to. Right now, I can't even reach them (and I expect that condition to last for a few years longer), and even if I could, I'm starting to dislike reading paperbooks...