6 ms·

Want to own a book? Buy a hard copy. Amazon, Apple, B&N eBooks are only licensed

77 points by merryandrew 15y ago

quanticle 15y ago
Even if you buy a book, you're still only getting a license to the one copy of the book as manifested in the stack of bound pages that you hold. You don't have rights to make and give/sell copies of your own.
- merryandrew 15y ago
  When you buy a hard copy you actually own it, you do not license it, and you can do with it as you please as long as you do not infringe on the rights of the copyright holder. You can sell it, lend it, etc. eBooks are licensed. You cannot sell them, or lend them unless the right to lend is granted in the licensing agreement. I like the eBook format, but ownership is superior to licensing. Far superior.
  - awj 15y ago
    > You cannot sell them, or lend them Yes, because it doesn't even make sense. This is why I simply don't understand this conversation. There's nothing for me to resell, because we're discussing a virtual good. Implicit in the resale of an item is that I can no longer possess that item. Talking about reselling eBooks makes almost as much sense as talking about reselling the sandwich I just ate for dinner. The only mechanism for creating personal value has been irrevocably consumed. The points of ownership, right to resale, and lending are important ones. They represent a fundamental divide between two entirely different technologies used for the same purpose. At a very basic level comparing eBooks to print books makes almost no sense. As soon as we can dispense with the comparison we can start thinking about each system according to the value it creates.
    - Dylan16807 15y ago
      What do you mean? Ebooks don't get consumed, they don't degrade. And how you sell it is quite obvious. Like you said, the new person possesses it and you no longer possess it. Give them the file and delete any temporary copies you may have.
      - quanticle 15y ago
        That isn't an analogous scenario. The problem with trying to compare physical and virtual goods is that, for virtual goods, transferring requires copying. There is no way to transfer an electronic data file without copying it in some way. Until such a process is developed, analogies between physical and virtual goods will always be flawed.
    - phaylon 15y ago
      Yes, because it doesn't even make sense. This is why I simply don't understand this conversation. From what I gather, the point is exactly that: That one should be aware that there are more differences than eBooks being electronic versions of books. I think the controversial points come from people having different use-cases. I wouldn't want to not have control over my books about Hebrew numerology that took me a while to track down. I wouldn't worry nearly as much about a book about a programming language. For some books, real possession is part of the value. For others, everywhere-accessibility is worth more. Edit: Fixed "about" -> "over";
  - 46Bit 15y ago
    This exactly. If you have a paper book, then removing that book (except via court, anyway) is theft. If it's digital and Amazon issues an arbitrary delete to Kindles, you've agreed to them being able to do it already. This sort of thing is why I'm still not so comfortable with cloud media services in general. If you want a good example, look at the tracks that randomly get disabled on Spotify (sometimes when bands reform, sometimes, like Hotel California, apparently randomly).
  - kenjackson 15y ago
    What does it mean to sell an eBook? Lets say I went and actually bought an eBook from Amazon. How would I sell my copy of the eBook to you? Doesn't it have to be bound to HW to actually sell it (or DRM'ed). It seems like prohibiting transfer is the only reasonable solution, unless DRM is used.
    - merryandrew 15y ago
      Selling something means you relinquish your ownership rights. e.g., selling your house, your car, etc. You have no ownership rights when licensing, renting, etc.
      - kenjackson 15y ago
        But how do I give you an eBook and relinquish my ownership rights? It seems like it relies upon me voluntarily deleting the book. Just from a pragmatic perspective, is that really a feasible plan?
        Dylan16807 15y ago
        Have you ever sold a CD? Do you rip your CDs? This problem isn't unique to nonphysical goods.
jordanekay 15y ago
Our generation, more and more, is getting away from ownership worship. This is a good thing. People will continue to read on the Kindle and iPad and enjoy the immense convenience it provides.
bhousel 15y ago
Why would I want to own a book?
- merryandrew 15y ago
  Why would you want to own anything?
  - electromagnetic 15y ago
    Different people feel different ways on ownership. I personally can't wait to own a house. I know my in-laws have never owned where they live, not because they can't but because they don't want to. They like the fact that someone else cuts the lawn, someone else fixes the major appliances, etc. They like that they can call someone and give them shit when their roof leaks and someone else will deal with the repair. I like to own things, and I'm not sure why. However, when it comes to digital data I accept that I'm paying for convenience over ownership. MP3's even if I only license them, sure kick the ass of having to rummage through a pile of CD's just to listen to one song.
  - antidaily 15y ago
    Agreed. Owning media is over.
- Apocryphon 15y ago
  Books have better display resolutions than ebook readers.
- nvictor 15y ago
  see my article: http://www.victorsreviews.com/article/what-ebooks-publishers-do-not-get http://www.victorsreviews.com/article/what-ebooks-publishers... it makes all the difference.
  - bhousel 15y ago
    Thanks, I enjoyed reading your article. That doesn't mean I need to own a copy of it ;-) I actually do have a handful of dead tree books that I own for emotional reasons, so I can appreciate that aspect of ownership. But I love my Kindle. I do far more reading now that my books are electronic. It's no exaggeration to say that switching to the Kindle has improved the quality of my life.
Tichy 15y ago
What happens to all those licenses when you die? Are they eternal licenses, lifelong licenses or what? Granted, most of my books will probably just bore my kids by the time I die, but still, it bothers me a little that I might not even be able to pass on my library.
- merryandrew 15y ago
  Good question. Can people inherit eBooks? I think not.
  - mikecane 15y ago
    Put your account name and password in your Will and Amazon or any other company will never know. Do any TOS contain "Services terminated upon your death" clauses? I don't think so.
    - merryandrew 15y ago
      Pulling a fast one on Amazon is possible, sure, but does this maneuver violate the Amazon terms of service? Speaking of the TOS, it would be worth checking to see what is actually written.
      - Steko 15y ago
        Most of these services allow organizations buy copies. So then your Merry Andrew Reading Club LLC can perhaps transfer rights as needed when you pass on.
        pbhjpbhj 15y ago
        Yes, but then you would have to legally establish the "Merry Andrew Reading Club LLC" and use it to purchase the books if you want to remain lawful.
cornell532 15y ago
This is a silly conversation. In either case it's a license. The difference is what the license is bound to. Amazon kindle ebooks are bound to my Amazon account (I can read same book on my Android or Amazon Kindle device as long as I sign in with same account). With a physical book, the material is literally bound to the pages of the book. In neither case do I own the copyright. It's the same as owning a film on DVD or VHS. You cannot make copies of the content of the book to sell it, you cannot take large excerpts of the book and sell those either. In short, you do not have full intellectual property rights to the book. You have licensed a single copy for the purpose of reading the book.
- merryandrew 15y ago
  Ownership is a legal term, and it grants rights. You own some things, but not eBooks. We're talking about owning what you pay for, not becoming the copyright holder.
- archangel_one 15y ago
  It's not the same thing. In neither case do you own the copyright to the book, but when buying a physical book you legally own that copy of the book. The key difference here being illustrated by that fiasco a couple of years back when Amazon revoked people's access to the copies of 1984 they had on their Kindles. With a physical book they are not allowed to do that (and physically cannot do it anyway).
  - tsuraan 15y ago
    I think if a bookseller had been making copies of 1984 without permission from the right holder, and you had bought one of these copies, the right holder would have demanded its return. Had you refused, I think you may have been in violation of some law (possession of stolen goods?). I have no idea whether they would have been able to raid your house to recover the book, but it wouldn't surprise me. I'm obviously not a lawyer...
    - phaylon 15y ago
shrikant 15y ago
Lastly, it’s important to point out that the Kindle does not support the popular, open and free ePub format, which means the Kindle will be unable to borrow from libraries that lend ePub titles. This is disingenuous, and getting a little tiring honestly now. The Amazon Kindle can read ebooks in the .mobi format fine, which is based on the Open eBook standard [1] just as the EPUB format. (EPUBs may be technically superior to MOBIs, but that's a different issue altogether) EPUBs can be converted to the MOBI format fairly easily. Inconvenient? Yes. Evil, locked in system? No. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_eBook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_eBook
- merryandrew 15y ago
  Saying the Kindle does not support ePubs is simply a literal statement. Interestingly, the Kindle will support ePubs soon, and thus libraries that lend ePubs, but the paper was written last year, before Amazon even hinted at supporting ePubs.
  - mikecane 15y ago
    It is unlikely Amazon will switch to ePub. What's happening with library loans is that Amazon will mirror in Kindle format the ePub catalogs each library has.
    - merryandrew 15y ago
      Interesting. I imagined Amazon would update the Kindle firmware to support ePubs in addition to the Amazon content. We'll see I guess.
    - Legion 15y ago
      I thought that too but apparently Amazon is telling publishers they can start submitting books to the Amazon Store "to be listed in the Amazon store in ePub format": http://www.thebookseller.com/news/amazon-accept-epub-files.html http://www.thebookseller.com/news/amazon-accept-epub-files.h... I hope this does in fact mean ePub support is coming in a Kindle update.
rbanffy 15y ago
O'Reilly sells their ebooks without DRM. I haven't read their licensing terms, but I suspect them to be very liberal. Their page says they trust you to do the right thing.
- abecedarius 15y ago
  Pragmatic Programmers too. This is the only sort of ebook I buy.
  - merryandrew 15y ago
    If your public library offers the Books24x7 service, you might just borrow these too. KCLS offers it and it's great. http://www.kcls.org/downloads/ http://www.kcls.org/downloads/ Not necessarily O'Reilly, but many popular publishers -- Apress, Cengage, Cambridge University, Wrox Press, etc.
  - InclinedPlane 15y ago
    Manning doesn't use DRM with their ebooks either.
- RexRollman 15y ago
  The Take Control books are DRM-free as well. I bought my wife some of their books when she bought an iPod Touch.
- killerswan 15y ago
  Apress, too.
- endgame 15y ago
  So does Steve Jackson Games: http://e23.sjgames.com/faq.html#protected http://e23.sjgames.com/faq.html#protected > Q. Are the files in e23 copy protected? > A. No. That would interfere with your use of them.
wccrawford 15y ago
Want to own an eBook? Buy a DRM-free one. There are plenty of places that sell DRM-free eBooks, including fiction and technical reference.
- hugh3 15y ago
  I use my Nook exclusively for out-of-copyright stuff. Great for long plane rides. If I want to read something specific I'll acquire it on paper, but if I just want to read something then I'm sure I can find something in the pre-early-20th-century archives of the English language. Current kick: early PG Wodehouse.
phlux 15y ago
Or a printer?
- pbhjpbhj 15y ago
  I think you mean a scanner (or better yet outsource it), see my other comment above.
merryandrew 15y ago
Since we do not own eBooks from Amazon, Apple and the like, maybe a Netflix-like service for eBooks needs to be created. I read 6-10 books a month, and if I could pay $10/month to read them like I do with movies at Netflix, it would be nice. Instead, Amazon and the like charge users to license each copy at $10/each and up, usually, which is such a ripoff. Amazon can sell virtual goods to us, but we can't resell them after we finish using them? Such a ripoff. At the most, Amazon should charge a small rental fee for their eBooks.
tybris 15y ago
Why would I want to own a book? It's a piece of dead tree. It's not like I own the contents.
- merryandrew 15y ago
  Owning something gives you legal rights.
- InclinedPlane 15y ago
  When you own something you can keep it forever, you can pass it down to your children or give it (or sell it) to others. When you license something you can lose access on the whim of the licensor. Considering the importance of the dissemination of ideas, sometimes subversive ideas, through books, this point should not be taken lightly.
pbhjpbhj 15y ago
In the US you have the right to format shift [other] media for personal under the so-called "fair use" exceptions (7 USC 107, http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107 http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107), don't you? This creates an absurdity. You can purchase the book and scan it, create your own EPUB and own that copy (but only use one copy at a time!) or you can purchase the EPUB (or whatever format) and have a much more limited license. Of course scanning a book is hard work. You'll want to outsource that. So you buy a book of the shelf, the company scan it for you - your book, your format shift, hired help - and forward your copy of the book (now in EPUB format) and kindly dispose of the book for you. You're now using paper as a digital transmission medium, wasting a whole lot of energy, producing a lot of waste and the result to the customer is the same as if the publisher just sold you the book in EPUB format at the regular books store price¹. Of course I'm sure common sense will win out in the courts ... -- 1 - I'm assuming a book shop could scan the books and cover their costs in the usual retail margin by not needing a high street location and by selling the books on for pulping. Aside I - In the UK there is no "fair use" but instead a far more restrictive idea of "fair dealing", see www.ipo.gov.uk/ipreview-doc-j.pdf for a recent comparison. Aside II - Australia (http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1968133/s110aa.html http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1968133/...) have a similar format shifting provision but it specifically applies to "videotape embodying a cinematograph film in analog form" which is messed up in more ways than one.

77 points by merryandrew 15y ago

Even if you buy a book, you're still only getting a license to the one copy of the book as manifested in the stack of bound pages that you hold. You don't have rights to make and give/sell copies of your own.

merryandrew 15y ago
When you buy a hard copy you actually own it, you do not license it, and you can do with it as you please as long as you do not infringe on the rights of the copyright holder. You can sell it, lend it, etc. eBooks are licensed. You cannot sell them, or lend them unless the right to lend is granted in the licensing agreement. I like the eBook format, but ownership is superior to licensing. Far superior.
- awj 15y ago
  > You cannot sell them, or lend them Yes, because it doesn't even make sense. This is why I simply don't understand this conversation. There's nothing for me to resell, because we're discussing a virtual good. Implicit in the resale of an item is that I can no longer possess that item. Talking about reselling eBooks makes almost as much sense as talking about reselling the sandwich I just ate for dinner. The only mechanism for creating personal value has been irrevocably consumed. The points of ownership, right to resale, and lending are important ones. They represent a fundamental divide between two entirely different technologies used for the same purpose. At a very basic level comparing eBooks to print books makes almost no sense. As soon as we can dispense with the comparison we can start thinking about each system according to the value it creates.
  - Dylan16807 15y ago
    What do you mean? Ebooks don't get consumed, they don't degrade. And how you sell it is quite obvious. Like you said, the new person possesses it and you no longer possess it. Give them the file and delete any temporary copies you may have.
    - quanticle 15y ago
      That isn't an analogous scenario. The problem with trying to compare physical and virtual goods is that, for virtual goods, transferring requires copying. There is no way to transfer an electronic data file without copying it in some way. Until such a process is developed, analogies between physical and virtual goods will always be flawed.
  - phaylon 15y ago
    Yes, because it doesn't even make sense. This is why I simply don't understand this conversation. From what I gather, the point is exactly that: That one should be aware that there are more differences than eBooks being electronic versions of books. I think the controversial points come from people having different use-cases. I wouldn't want to not have control over my books about Hebrew numerology that took me a while to track down. I wouldn't worry nearly as much about a book about a programming language. For some books, real possession is part of the value. For others, everywhere-accessibility is worth more. Edit: Fixed "about" -> "over";
- 46Bit 15y ago
  This exactly. If you have a paper book, then removing that book (except via court, anyway) is theft. If it's digital and Amazon issues an arbitrary delete to Kindles, you've agreed to them being able to do it already. This sort of thing is why I'm still not so comfortable with cloud media services in general. If you want a good example, look at the tracks that randomly get disabled on Spotify (sometimes when bands reform, sometimes, like Hotel California, apparently randomly).
- kenjackson 15y ago
  What does it mean to sell an eBook? Lets say I went and actually bought an eBook from Amazon. How would I sell my copy of the eBook to you? Doesn't it have to be bound to HW to actually sell it (or DRM'ed). It seems like prohibiting transfer is the only reasonable solution, unless DRM is used.
  - merryandrew 15y ago
    Selling something means you relinquish your ownership rights. e.g., selling your house, your car, etc. You have no ownership rights when licensing, renting, etc.
    - kenjackson 15y ago
      But how do I give you an eBook and relinquish my ownership rights? It seems like it relies upon me voluntarily deleting the book. Just from a pragmatic perspective, is that really a feasible plan?
      - Dylan16807 15y ago
        Have you ever sold a CD? Do you rip your CDs? This problem isn't unique to nonphysical goods.

jordanekay 15y ago

Our generation, more and more, is getting away from ownership worship. This is a good thing. People will continue to read on the Kindle and iPad and enjoy the immense convenience it provides.

bhousel 15y ago

Why would I want to own a book?

merryandrew 15y ago
Why would you want to own anything?
- electromagnetic 15y ago
  Different people feel different ways on ownership. I personally can't wait to own a house. I know my in-laws have never owned where they live, not because they can't but because they don't want to. They like the fact that someone else cuts the lawn, someone else fixes the major appliances, etc. They like that they can call someone and give them shit when their roof leaks and someone else will deal with the repair. I like to own things, and I'm not sure why. However, when it comes to digital data I accept that I'm paying for convenience over ownership. MP3's even if I only license them, sure kick the ass of having to rummage through a pile of CD's just to listen to one song.
- antidaily 15y ago
  Agreed. Owning media is over.
Apocryphon 15y ago
Books have better display resolutions than ebook readers.
nvictor 15y ago
see my article: http://www.victorsreviews.com/article/what-ebooks-publishers-do-not-get http://www.victorsreviews.com/article/what-ebooks-publishers... it makes all the difference.
- bhousel 15y ago
  Thanks, I enjoyed reading your article. That doesn't mean I need to own a copy of it ;-) I actually do have a handful of dead tree books that I own for emotional reasons, so I can appreciate that aspect of ownership. But I love my Kindle. I do far more reading now that my books are electronic. It's no exaggeration to say that switching to the Kindle has improved the quality of my life.

Tichy 15y ago

What happens to all those licenses when you die? Are they eternal licenses, lifelong licenses or what? Granted, most of my books will probably just bore my kids by the time I die, but still, it bothers me a little that I might not even be able to pass on my library.

merryandrew 15y ago
Good question. Can people inherit eBooks? I think not.
- mikecane 15y ago
  Put your account name and password in your Will and Amazon or any other company will never know. Do any TOS contain "Services terminated upon your death" clauses? I don't think so.
  - merryandrew 15y ago
    Pulling a fast one on Amazon is possible, sure, but does this maneuver violate the Amazon terms of service? Speaking of the TOS, it would be worth checking to see what is actually written.
    - Steko 15y ago
      Most of these services allow organizations buy copies. So then your Merry Andrew Reading Club LLC can perhaps transfer rights as needed when you pass on.
      - pbhjpbhj 15y ago
        Yes, but then you would have to legally establish the "Merry Andrew Reading Club LLC" and use it to purchase the books if you want to remain lawful.

cornell532 15y ago

This is a silly conversation. In either case it's a license. The difference is what the license is bound to. Amazon kindle ebooks are bound to my Amazon account (I can read same book on my Android or Amazon Kindle device as long as I sign in with same account). With a physical book, the material is literally bound to the pages of the book. In neither case do I own the copyright. It's the same as owning a film on DVD or VHS. You cannot make copies of the content of the book to sell it, you cannot take large excerpts of the book and sell those either. In short, you do not have full intellectual property rights to the book. You have licensed a single copy for the purpose of reading the book.

merryandrew 15y ago
Ownership is a legal term, and it grants rights. You own some things, but not eBooks. We're talking about owning what you pay for, not becoming the copyright holder.
archangel_one 15y ago
It's not the same thing. In neither case do you own the copyright to the book, but when buying a physical book you legally own that copy of the book. The key difference here being illustrated by that fiasco a couple of years back when Amazon revoked people's access to the copies of 1984 they had on their Kindles. With a physical book they are not allowed to do that (and physically cannot do it anyway).
- tsuraan 15y ago
  I think if a bookseller had been making copies of 1984 without permission from the right holder, and you had bought one of these copies, the right holder would have demanded its return. Had you refused, I think you may have been in violation of some law (possession of stolen goods?). I have no idea whether they would have been able to raid your house to recover the book, but it wouldn't surprise me. I'm obviously not a lawyer...
  - phaylon 15y ago

shrikant 15y ago

Lastly, it’s important to point out that the Kindle does not support the popular, open and free ePub format, which means the Kindle will be unable to borrow from libraries that lend ePub titles. This is disingenuous, and getting a little tiring honestly now. The Amazon Kindle can read ebooks in the .mobi format fine, which is based on the Open eBook standard [1] just as the EPUB format. (EPUBs may be technically superior to MOBIs, but that's a different issue altogether) EPUBs can be converted to the MOBI format fairly easily. Inconvenient? Yes. Evil, locked in system? No. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_eBook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_eBook

merryandrew 15y ago
Saying the Kindle does not support ePubs is simply a literal statement. Interestingly, the Kindle will support ePubs soon, and thus libraries that lend ePubs, but the paper was written last year, before Amazon even hinted at supporting ePubs.
- mikecane 15y ago
  It is unlikely Amazon will switch to ePub. What's happening with library loans is that Amazon will mirror in Kindle format the ePub catalogs each library has.
  - merryandrew 15y ago
    Interesting. I imagined Amazon would update the Kindle firmware to support ePubs in addition to the Amazon content. We'll see I guess.
  - Legion 15y ago
    I thought that too but apparently Amazon is telling publishers they can start submitting books to the Amazon Store "to be listed in the Amazon store in ePub format": http://www.thebookseller.com/news/amazon-accept-epub-files.html http://www.thebookseller.com/news/amazon-accept-epub-files.h... I hope this does in fact mean ePub support is coming in a Kindle update.

rbanffy 15y ago

O'Reilly sells their ebooks without DRM. I haven't read their licensing terms, but I suspect them to be very liberal. Their page says they trust you to do the right thing.

abecedarius 15y ago
Pragmatic Programmers too. This is the only sort of ebook I buy.
- merryandrew 15y ago
  If your public library offers the Books24x7 service, you might just borrow these too. KCLS offers it and it's great. http://www.kcls.org/downloads/ http://www.kcls.org/downloads/ Not necessarily O'Reilly, but many popular publishers -- Apress, Cengage, Cambridge University, Wrox Press, etc.
- InclinedPlane 15y ago
  Manning doesn't use DRM with their ebooks either.
RexRollman 15y ago
The Take Control books are DRM-free as well. I bought my wife some of their books when she bought an iPod Touch.
killerswan 15y ago
Apress, too.
endgame 15y ago
So does Steve Jackson Games: http://e23.sjgames.com/faq.html#protected http://e23.sjgames.com/faq.html#protected > Q. Are the files in e23 copy protected? > A. No. That would interfere with your use of them.

wccrawford 15y ago

Want to own an eBook? Buy a DRM-free one. There are plenty of places that sell DRM-free eBooks, including fiction and technical reference.

hugh3 15y ago
I use my Nook exclusively for out-of-copyright stuff. Great for long plane rides. If I want to read something specific I'll acquire it on paper, but if I just want to read something then I'm sure I can find something in the pre-early-20th-century archives of the English language. Current kick: early PG Wodehouse.

phlux 15y ago

Or a printer?

pbhjpbhj 15y ago
I think you mean a scanner (or better yet outsource it), see my other comment above.

merryandrew 15y ago

Since we do not own eBooks from Amazon, Apple and the like, maybe a Netflix-like service for eBooks needs to be created. I read 6-10 books a month, and if I could pay $10/month to read them like I do with movies at Netflix, it would be nice. Instead, Amazon and the like charge users to license each copy at $10/each and up, usually, which is such a ripoff. Amazon can sell virtual goods to us, but we can't resell them after we finish using them? Such a ripoff. At the most, Amazon should charge a small rental fee for their eBooks.

tybris 15y ago

Why would I want to own a book? It's a piece of dead tree. It's not like I own the contents.

merryandrew 15y ago
Owning something gives you legal rights.
InclinedPlane 15y ago
When you own something you can keep it forever, you can pass it down to your children or give it (or sell it) to others. When you license something you can lose access on the whim of the licensor. Considering the importance of the dissemination of ideas, sometimes subversive ideas, through books, this point should not be taken lightly.

pbhjpbhj 15y ago

In the US you have the right to format shift [other] media for personal under the so-called "fair use" exceptions (7 USC 107, http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107 http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107), don't you? This creates an absurdity. You can purchase the book and scan it, create your own EPUB and own that copy (but only use one copy at a time!) or you can purchase the EPUB (or whatever format) and have a much more limited license. Of course scanning a book is hard work. You'll want to outsource that. So you buy a book of the shelf, the company scan it for you - your book, your format shift, hired help - and forward your copy of the book (now in EPUB format) and kindly dispose of the book for you. You're now using paper as a digital transmission medium, wasting a whole lot of energy, producing a lot of waste and the result to the customer is the same as if the publisher just sold you the book in EPUB format at the regular books store price¹. Of course I'm sure common sense will win out in the courts ... -- 1 - I'm assuming a book shop could scan the books and cover their costs in the usual retail margin by not needing a high street location and by selling the books on for pulping. Aside I - In the UK there is no "fair use" but instead a far more restrictive idea of "fair dealing", see www.ipo.gov.uk/ipreview-doc-j.pdf for a recent comparison. Aside II - Australia (http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1968133/s110aa.html http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1968133/...) have a similar format shifting provision but it specifically applies to "videotape embodying a cinematograph film in analog form" which is messed up in more ways than one.