I have found numerous pirated ebooks for free online. Please tell me the benefits of

[Divinejames]

There have been instances where I have seen books for $8.99 for the Kindle version on Amazon and then free versions of it online. Some of them pirated, and some of them not. For instance, a lot of books on programming are actually free online, but the Amazon will charge money for it.

Clearly, the morally correct thing to do would be to not be a thief and purchase the books in support of the author. I'm absolutely all for that, but could anyone please explain other benefits to purchasing the Kindle version vs using a free or pirated version other than the obvious legality/moral issues?

thanks

[leebase]

There are legitimate programming books that are indeed offered for free but charge for a printed version. Not aware of any that are free and charge for kindle version.

As for pirating books - you already know.

[BookCat]

Discussing this issue is strictly forbidden here.

However, there are many legitimately freely available public domain (out of copyright) books which you will find for free on many websites, such as this one. You can also find annotated, or other, versions of the same book on Amazon for which you have to pay.

The rules for public domain will vary depending on your country. In the UK it is the date of the author's death plus 70 years.

Don't pirate. And don't discuss the subject here.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Discussing this issue is strictly forbidden here.

However, there are many legitimately freely available public domain (out of copyright) books which you will find for free on many websites, such as this one. You can also find annotated, or other, versions of the same book on Amazon for which you have to pay.

The rules for public domain will vary depending on your country. In the UK it is the date of the author's death plus 70 years.

Don't pirate. And don't discuss the subject here.

A clarification: members are not permitted to advocate or promote piracy, but they are allowed to discuss it even to the point of why people pirate. Admittedly, it can be a fine line, but discussion of piracy is allowed. A coarse distinction which might be helpful is that it's ok to talk about why "they" pirate, but not that "I" pirate or that "you" should pirate. Third person only, please, and don't come across as justifying it.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by issybird

A clarification: members are not permitted to advocate or promote piracy, but they are allowed to discuss it even to the point of why people pirate. Admittedly, it can be a fine line, but discussion of piracy is allowed. A coarse distinction which might be helpful is that it's ok to talk about why "they" pirate, but not that "I" pirate or that "you" should pirate. Third person only, please, and don't come across as justifying it.

Thank you for the clarification. I'm always worried about being thrown off the site if I join in a discussion of this type. Harry once ticked me off for casually mentioning that I was reading a Wodehouse novel which had been a freebie. I'd downloaded it from MR before the rules were changed and I genuinely thought it was in the UK public domain, not having researched the date of Wodehouse's death. Since then, I avoid the subject.

I just wanted to point out to the OP that Amazon often charge for public domain ebooks.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by BookCat

I just wanted to point out to the OP that Amazon often charge for public domain ebooks.

Anyone can do anything they want with a book that's in the public domain, including charging for it. I buy a lot of commercial editions of public domain books. Worth paying money for a nice layout, and material extra to the original text, such as a good introduction and explanatory footnotes.

[DrNefario]

From a purely self-interested point of view, buying the Kindle version of a book gives me:

- Immediate downloadability on any of my kindle apps and devices
- An automatic download to my main kindle
- The book stays on my account, so essentially free cloud storage
- Updates, if the book is revised

I guess, generally, convenience. I very rarely bother to switch on my PC these days, so don't really want too many books managed by Calibre, and too much having to update via USB, or whatever.

Further to that, a purchase:

- Supports the author, encouraging the production of further books and updates
- Supports the publisher, encouraging the production of further books and updates
- Supports Amazon, encouraging them to continue producing kindles and improving the store
- Does not support crooks and/or parasites on download sites (Who is running these sites? Are they getting ad revenue? Why should they benefit from creative work they didn't do?)
- Shares the load with other purchasers. (When you pirate a book, you are basically freeloading on the backs of the people who pay. The people who pay are the reason the book exists. Why should they subsidise you?)

That's mainly why I would choose to buy a book rather than pirate it. If I feel I don't want to pay the asking price, then I don't read it. Legitimately free books are a different question, of course.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

so don't really want too many books managed by Calibre, and too much having to update via USB, or whatever.

O/T, but I've gotten what I think of as lazier, also. I can't be bothered to download my purchases much of the time. What it means is that while I used to be fairly agnostic about purveyor, I do make a point of buying from Kobo now.

In the long run, I'll have to do a major downloading because I really do like the ability to slot books onto shelves via Calibre, but it seems like more trouble than it's worth for the odd purchase that I'm going to read right away.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by issybird

O/T, but I've gotten what I think of as lazier, also. I can't be bothered to download my purchases much of the time. What it means is that while I used to be fairly agnostic about purveyor, I do make a point of buying from Kobo now.

I never trust any bookstore to store my books for me. My books are only "safe" if they're under my control. That means in my Calibre library and backed up to multiple physical locations.

[DiapDealer]

I don't care about anyone storing my books anymore--myself included. I buy books when I'm ready to read them. And I'm satisfied that I got my money's worth after I finish them. I have no reason to keep them "safe." I've wrung their value from them by reading them.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I never trust any bookstore to store my books for me. My books are only "safe" if they're under my control. That means in my Calibre library and backed up to multiple physical locations.

The illusion of safety must be comforting.

[issybird]

I'm not terribly worried that Kobo will go out of business overnight, leaving me with purchases no longer accessible. I have a big three list where I'm willing to trust to the seller to keep my books on hand: Kobo, Amazon, Audible. The worst bad case scenario, extremely unlikely especially without a long lead time with warning signals, is that there'd be one of those: "Download your books by X date before we go offline" notices. As I said, more trouble than it's worth to me right now.

I'm not claiming that the odd book can't go astray because of rights. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll be able to bear up.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by patrickt

The illusion of safety must be comforting.

Why do you regard it as an illusion? I have ebooks in my collection today that I bought 20 years ago in a completely different format to the one I'm reading them in today. I think the fact that I have on my Kindle today a complete set of Agatha Christie books that I bought from FictionWise (a bookstore that no longer exists) in Microsoft Reader format (a format that no longer exists) is proof enough that the safety imparted by backing up one's books is far from "illusory".

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't care about anyone storing my books anymore--myself included. I buy books when I'm ready to read them. And I'm satisfied that I got my money's worth after I finish them. I have no reason to keep them "safe." I've wrung their value from them by reading them.

Ah, but I re-read my books, hence my desire to store them safely.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Ah, but I re-read my books, hence my desire to store them safely.

Yep two very different consumer models - People who read once and people who re-read books. It's perfectly ok to be in either camp, but how you buy and your work flow can vary quite a bit depending on which camp you are in.