Piracy Experiment

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That shows the publisher has staff that doesn't know what an eBook is making eBooks.

Competent staff cost more.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Which readers strip out any extra space? I've not seen ADE do it.

The Hanvon readers do, both with the original firmware and Open Inkpot.

[TheraPetAndy]

Originally Posted by wvcherrybomb

So, with all this talk of piracy and the effects of it, I decided to check it out for myself. I had no intention of keeping any books. I simply wanted to see how easy it was and what was really available.

First, it took me about ten minutes to figure out how to do it and download the appropriate software. About another minute to find which two sites host the largest number of ebooks.

I found out that the selection is not good. I searched both of two top sites for about a dozen books on my wishlist. None were available. I then went through quite a few more books before I finally found one that appealed to me and one best seller.

It took a few minutes to download them and another couple of minutes to get them onto my Kindle. So, in less than 20 minutes, I had two pirated books on my ereader. It would be much quicker the second time around.

Now I took a look at these stolen books. The formatting was a big mess. I mean really, really bad! One of them had the title from the top of the page inserted randomly in between paragraphs. The other had some words that were spelled one letter at a time down the left side of page. I suppose if a person were desperate enough they could read them like this but it was quite unpleasant.

I removed the books from my ereader. I removed the books and software from my computer (including emptying the recycle bin ).

What I learned from this is that piracy of ebooks doesn't seem to be any real threat. While it was very easy to do, there are just not that many books available and the formatting was a mess. Maybe from being converted all over the place? There is also the risk of downloading viruses, trojans, or who knows what onto your computer. Even if you're not morally opposed, it's just not worth it.

The ebook section of the darknet was the complete opposite of the music section, where any song ever made could be found in quantity. Either ebooks are too new to have made it out there, or readers are a more honest lot.

In response to: Salgueiros', message: I too have experimented with the sites you elude to having sampled a title or two from. My first search hit on a list containing 599 .mobi formatted, titles; my second, and final search brought me here. I too, do not plan on keeping any of them, but it's a great way to get a trial without having to jump through the credit card hoops. I'd be happy to share the link, however, the language contained in your post seems to indicate this method is discouraged by the members and/or webmaster, here. I have saved all of that time and money usually invested in telephoning for return labels, RMA's, refunds, contacting my bank day after day to check that my refund was processed, etc.. I have eliminated all of that aggravation by responsibly trying what looks good, buying it once I am sure. This method of sampling trials of software, music, movies, etc... by utilizing similar means of downloading those certain utilities, from those certain sites, you mentioned, would be a great trial tool, if it weren't so widely abused.

I did, however, find more content by typing single, or double, word searches such as [Kindle] (that's how I found the 599 list). You wouldn't want to search titles or authors, rather your [device + title] i.e. [Kindle + .mobi] or [Kindle + books] or [Kindle + Audio] (for audio books on a long drive). They are everywhere, all over the Internet, Newly Released, Best Sellers, and they are becoming more popular by the day. Typically, what you will find, are collections and preferences of the up-loader(s) who posted them. They seem to upload their entire collections, in no particular order. I, personally, uncheck all and then place a tick in half dozen, or so, popular and/or classic titles and at least one Best Seller. If I like it, I buy it.

I can assure you, they are every bit the quality of any e-Store purchased title and twice as available. Allow me to add a personal note: Authors have worked hard, their blood and sweat in every line and all to transport us through their works, their world and their minds. If you DO sample from "those" sites, please make sure to use them as a trial only downloads as if watching a trailer or a movie that may pique your interest. I would then look for it here first, and if it's not here, support your favorite Authors, purchase the title, should you decide it meets your expectations.

Anyone interested in just a screenshot of the list of titles or a link, to the site itself, please feel free to message me. I'm a new member and don't know if I would be offending anyone by making this offer. So, I will depend upon those of you who have been here longer, please let me know if sharing information of this nature is frowned

-Andy

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by TheraPetAndy

In response to: Salgueiros', message: I too have experimented with the sites you elude to having sampled a title or two from. My first search hit on a list containing 599 .mobi formatted, titles; my second, and final search brought me here. I too, do not plan on keeping any of them, but it's a great way to get a trial without having to jump through the credit card hoops. I'd be happy to share the link, however, the language contained in your post seems to indicate this method is discouraged by the members and/or webmaster, here.

Hello, TheraPet-Andy. Welcome to MR.

It is indeed discouraged.

MR is the biggest and most influential site devoted to ebooks and the supporting technology. We are read by content owners. We do not support piracy, and must be careful about what is posted on MR.

Direct links or pointers to illegal sources of copyrighted material are forbidden.

Thanks for asking, and for understanding our position.
______
Dennis
New York Editor

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't mind space or * * * for section breaks. But, I want it constant. I don't want spaces and then the occasional * * *. That shows the publisher has staff that doesn't know what an eBook is making eBooks.

And that the ebook was created from a scan and OCR, since in printed books the "scene breaks" are sometimes marked with vertical space, except when it happens at a page boundary, where asterisks are used to avoid the ambiguity.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Competent staff cost more.



The Hanvon readers do, both with the original firmware and Open Inkpot.

Why would Open Inkpot strip extra space in an ePub? Most of the time that space is for section breaks.

The original firmware is obviously buggy.

[The Terminator]

Originally Posted by leebase

Others have had far better success. Not ME, of course, but "other people".

Lee

It's always other people

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Jellby

And that the ebook was created from a scan and OCR, since in printed books the "scene breaks" are sometimes marked with vertical space, except when it happens at a page boundary, where asterisks are used to avoid the ambiguity.

I know why we have a combination of space and * * * in pBooks. But it's sheer laziness or ineptitude not to replace the * * * with space in an eBook.

[guyanonymous]

I far an away prefer the use of *** or use of a graphic to indicate section breaks in the middle of chapters. I'd call it sheer laziness to use additional blank lines instead.

[mrkarl]

I've bought e books, but I gotta say in the time it takes to punch in your card info and deal with bookseller sites hoops you could have Lots of book downloaded and even put in your reader.....a lot of these uploader's put a lot of care into what they putt out there too.

Also why do publishers hold bock the realease of an Ebook in certain countries for a month or two........well, duh, of course I'm find a copy out there and read it now......If it's a book I care about that much then I'll actually buy it, but you bet I'm going wait until the hardcover goes on sale or the paperback comes out.

it's funny you see because I have no problem with paying for something, so why aren't the people who's job it is to put that damn product in my hands not right there with a product for me and I'll just reach into my pocket and pull out money for it.....

Maybe authors should fire their publishers and get better one's, you know like ones who know how a readers mind actually works.......most of us are addicts and we need our fix....wost of us are educated and have jobs so moneys not the issue but missing valuable reading minutes is

[Giggleton]

I've been running my own piracy experiment for about 20 years. It involves telling large numbers of people I've come into contact with over that timespan, about how to go about being a pirate.



Although I really don't consider myself a pirate, well maybe I do. More like a seeker of truth.

[spaze]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

You have something you like, you want to share it. You benefit from others sharing their stuff with you, so you share your stuff with them. As simple as that. Money has nothing to do with it.

Wrong. What you have explained is Peer to Peer sharing, like a torrent system.

Piracy HAS to do with money, since you obtain something illegally copied for free over the network or otherwise and the maker of the product doesn't get anything.

Peer2Peer sharing: You write a nice book and feel like you would like to share it for free and put it in torrent search engine so other's can download it. You also place it on your website with a free download link.

Piracy: You spend years writing a really great story and you get a million dollar contract with your publisher. The day it comes to stores for market, people find the digital copy of your book (which probably leaked from the printing company) in torrents and download without paying you a cent for it.

So as you can see, P2P or in other words Torrents are not illegal, only the content spread through P2P network might be illegal.

[spaze]

Originally Posted by wvcherrybomb

So, with all this talk of piracy and the effects of it, I decided to check it out for myself. I had no intention of keeping any books. I simply wanted to see how easy it was and what was really available.

Really old post but I realyl had to answer this originalr topic.

This is like saying that I really don't use drugs but I wanted to try out crack for a week and see how it feels like and what its all about.

It's not like permanent thing and has a teaching value, but it's still illegal no matter how much you want to study something.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by spaze

Wrong. What you have explained is Peer to Peer sharing, like a torrent system.

You can say that the sky is green as many times as you want-- it won't make the sky green. Either you are deliberately quoting me out of context, or your comprehension of English isn't as good as you think it is.

[spaze]

How am I quoting you out of context?

GA Russell said: "I guess I didn't understand what pirating is all about."

to which you answered:

"You have something you like, you want to share it. You benefit from others sharing their stuff with you, so you share your stuff with them. As simple as that. Money has nothing to do with it. "

That is not piracy my friend. Maybe I don't comprehend your English well enough since I don't speak English natively, so perhaps you might want to explain what you meant instead of being a smartass.

[jhempel24]

Originally Posted by John F

I think you're talking about the VHS rental model. Things changed with DVD:

http://askville.amazon.com/Blockbust...questId=784305

Thanks for that link. The last time I rented anything was when DVD's were first starting come on the scene and I was working at a Blockbuster during that time....what a horrible time to be working there...that and their online reservation, pick up in store LOL. People would have it in their hand and check out the only copy only to have the person reserving it not get it after driving in to pick it up.