3 ms·

First let me say that I'm a "content creator" (I've had a book published). I'm also a huge consumer of e-books (bought about 100 last year). The instant that

First let me say that I'm a "content creator" (I've had a book published). I'm also a huge consumer of e-books (bought about 100 last year). The instant that I start getting sticker shock when looking at the price of ebooks, I'll do what I've been doing for years. I'll pirate the material. This battle was lost a long time ago, but these guys just keep trying to fight it. I thought it was proven by now, with the latest example being Louis CK, that people will pay for media if the price is right. Meanwhile, it will always be free for those who really want it. I'm not going to argue about the moral implications of piracy, but it is a fact that it exists and isn't going anywhere. When will these people learn that all their "Gotcha!" distribution and sales mechanisms are working against them?

JonLim 15y ago
I've actually gone by this system for my ebooks, where if I think the price is just too ridiculous (or it's not even offered in my region, what?) I will just go ahead and pirate it. I buy tons of ebooks for my long commute, and if they're going to make it hard for me to keep buying them, well... I just won't. You'd think they'd learn, but nope.
officemonkey 15y ago
The problem with the new paradigm is it destroys the old power structure. As the means of production are pushed to the actual artist, what does the label/publisher do?
- tatsuke95 15y ago
  Yep, that is the problem. And their hang-on-at-all-costs attitude is understandable in that context. But history reveals they'll be losers in the end. I just pray (to Mr. Hitchens, of course) that they don't destroy our internet on the way down.
- xer0 15y ago
  They've got people skills.
r00fus 15y ago
When I do this, I then also grab the hardcopy at my earliest opportunity at a fair price. Legality aside, this assuages my moral desire to a) support authors and b) keep the print market viable Sometimes I prefer using the hardcopy over ebook format or just switch whenver necessary (say family member is using the reader). I can also then lend the book to non e-book enabled friends. I've given up paying for locked down e-books (see Kindle, iBooks). If there is DRM, I will end up either unlocking it or finding an unlocked version.
- pbhjpbhj 15y ago
  >I then also grab the hardcopy at my earliest opportunity at a fair price. Legality aside, this assuages my moral desire to a) support authors and b) keep the print market viable // In some jurisdictions there are general laws regarding format shifting. Such laws were intended to allow people to rip mp3s from CD and the like (for personal consumption of course). Indeed IIRC we in the UK are possibly going to be allowed to rip CDs and DVDs legally in the next couple of years (!). What I think is that purchasing the book gives one a right to read it. Producing an ebook of the text for personal consumption should be fine and so by extension, IMO, there is nothing immoral about downloading the text of a book when one has paid to read that text. Indeed format shifting in books should be an allowed use. Of course the actual ebook is going to have "company dress" and typesetting and what-have-you that's going to be protected by copyright. So one will probably need a service where you send your paperback, it gets the binding cut, is scanned and an ebook is made of the text. Of course then you can optimise by the company offering the service buying the paperback from the publisher for you, so you just get an ebook delivered with a receipt saying you bought the book. And then the idiocy of this is apparent because a book is being created digitally only to be published and bound then scanned back to create a digital copy ... at this stage the publishers should assent to saving forests, ink, energy, water, etc., and allow the ebook to be sold at a reasonable price ... [I've blogged to this effect before, http://alicious.com/on-ebook-copies-a-quick-opinion/ http://alicious.com/on-ebook-copies-a-quick-opinion/]

JonLim 15y ago

I've actually gone by this system for my ebooks, where if I think the price is just too ridiculous (or it's not even offered in my region, what?) I will just go ahead and pirate it. I buy tons of ebooks for my long commute, and if they're going to make it hard for me to keep buying them, well... I just won't. You'd think they'd learn, but nope.

officemonkey 15y ago

The problem with the new paradigm is it destroys the old power structure. As the means of production are pushed to the actual artist, what does the label/publisher do?

tatsuke95 15y ago
Yep, that is the problem. And their hang-on-at-all-costs attitude is understandable in that context. But history reveals they'll be losers in the end. I just pray (to Mr. Hitchens, of course) that they don't destroy our internet on the way down.
xer0 15y ago
They've got people skills.

r00fus 15y ago

When I do this, I then also grab the hardcopy at my earliest opportunity at a fair price. Legality aside, this assuages my moral desire to a) support authors and b) keep the print market viable Sometimes I prefer using the hardcopy over ebook format or just switch whenver necessary (say family member is using the reader). I can also then lend the book to non e-book enabled friends. I've given up paying for locked down e-books (see Kindle, iBooks). If there is DRM, I will end up either unlocking it or finding an unlocked version.

pbhjpbhj 15y ago
>I then also grab the hardcopy at my earliest opportunity at a fair price. Legality aside, this assuages my moral desire to a) support authors and b) keep the print market viable // In some jurisdictions there are general laws regarding format shifting. Such laws were intended to allow people to rip mp3s from CD and the like (for personal consumption of course). Indeed IIRC we in the UK are possibly going to be allowed to rip CDs and DVDs legally in the next couple of years (!). What I think is that purchasing the book gives one a right to read it. Producing an ebook of the text for personal consumption should be fine and so by extension, IMO, there is nothing immoral about downloading the text of a book when one has paid to read that text. Indeed format shifting in books should be an allowed use. Of course the actual ebook is going to have "company dress" and typesetting and what-have-you that's going to be protected by copyright. So one will probably need a service where you send your paperback, it gets the binding cut, is scanned and an ebook is made of the text. Of course then you can optimise by the company offering the service buying the paperback from the publisher for you, so you just get an ebook delivered with a receipt saying you bought the book. And then the idiocy of this is apparent because a book is being created digitally only to be published and bound then scanned back to create a digital copy ... at this stage the publishers should assent to saving forests, ink, energy, water, etc., and allow the ebook to be sold at a reasonable price ... [I've blogged to this effect before, http://alicious.com/on-ebook-copies-a-quick-opinion/ http://alicious.com/on-ebook-copies-a-quick-opinion/]