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I used an App on my old iPod to BUY and read the first in a series of books. I then tried to purchase the second volume, only to have the transaction declined
by Wildgoose 10y ago
I used an App on my old iPod to BUY and read the first in a series of books.
I then tried to purchase the second volume, only to have the transaction declined because I don't live in North America.
I wrote to Penguin USA to complain about this, pointing out that the book I wished to purchase was freely available on download sites so Why were they refusing to sell it to me?
Their response was that I should find a US book store online, place an order for a physical copy and then either wait around 4 weeks for it to be delivered via surface mail or pay a premium price (more than the cost of the book) to have it delivered by airmail.
The fact that I actually specifically wanted an electronic copy for its convenience and immediacy was just ignored.
A downloaded copy does not deprive anyone of the original possession. The only issue in these cases is the legitimate right to be recompensed for that copy. However, if the owner refuses to exercise that right, how can downloading a copy still be considered "theft"?
- orcdork 10y agoSomeone refusing to sell you something is not a permission to steal it. (I do agree that the situation is ridiculous though)
- unethical_ban 10y agoIf they wouldn't have gotten my money anyway, and I am copying the work, it is not theft.
- Wildgoose 10y agoAh, but I wanted to give them my money. I do recognise their right to be recompensed for their work. However if they then decline to exercise that right....
- DanBC 10y agoYou could have bought the paperbook, and also pirated the ebook.
- hsod 10y agoShouldn't they get to determine the nature of the compensation? They did not decline to exercise the right, they exercised it in a way that was not convenient for you so you chose to ignore their right to be compensated. Doesn't seem like much of a principled stand to me.
- 6d6b73 10y ago"I wanted to buy copy a famous painting from the museum for the market price but they did not agree to sell it to me because they don't ship to my state. So I drove there and took it when nobody was watching. How is that not a theft?" That's pretty much what it boils down to.
- Wildgoose 10y agoDon't be ridiculous. A better analogy would be that the museum sold JPEGs of a work of art you wanted to use as a desktop background, but refused to sell one to a different state. So instead you downloaded a copy of the photograph.
- 6d6b73 10y agoAnd you think JPEGS are free? It takes hardware, software and some skills. Someone needs to spend time creating them. They have the right to refuse to sell you whatever they created. That refusal does not negate their right to their work.
- Wildgoose 10y agoYou're still missing the point. They refused my money. They were happy for me to buy the work second-hand and ship it at great expense (and environmental damage) across the world to my home where I could have then scanned it into an electronic format. All with NO further recompense for the author. All I wanted to do was pay the author for their work in return for a downloaded copy of the next volume, just like I had bought the first volume, and just like they were happily selling it to other people. Instead I was redlined on the basis of my nationality.
- norea-armozel 10y agoNope, your logic fails on all counts.
- muddyrivers 10y agoOne possibility is that the digital copyright of the second volume you are interested in was not granted in your country. The person you talked to might not know the details. I disagree to this statement, though. "A downloaded copy does not deprive anyone of the original possession. The only issue in these cases is the legitimate right to be recompensed for that copy. However, if the owner refuses to exercise that right, how can downloading a copy still be considered "theft"?"