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A student buys a used book, goes to a copy shop, spends a few hours copying, then returns and sells the book back, saving lots of money in the process. W
by _akhe 2y ago
A student buys a used book, goes to a copy shop,
spends a few hours copying, then returns and sells
the book back, saving lots of money in the process.
Wouldn't a new book be a better example for effect? The student copies from a new book and returns it, saving a lot of money?
The article ends in a strange way:
> It’s hard to imagine that companies once sued churches for making copies.
That's the end of the article haha (and it's not that hard to imagine). I was hoping they would touch on Napster and CD burning and tie it all into what's going on today with AI, leaving the reader with an informed perspective on IP.
And since I'm apparently a writing critic now: The numerous links to court cases, articles, and interviews throughout made it read like a Wikipedia (in a boring way). Provide sources sure, but in a way that doesn't feel like stepping through the history section of a Wikipedia article. For such a relevant topic and decent headline I expected better writing.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- hunter2_ 2y ago> Wouldn't a new book be a better example for effect? The student copies from a new book and returns it, saving a lot of money? Books can't simply be returned (unless still shrink-wrapped), it's a sell-back process, and the spread is much narrower for a used book. For example: $200 new, $120 used, $80 sell-back. The author uses the word "return" to mean visiting the store, not to mean perfectly reversing the original transaction.
- _akhe 2y agoOh books for classes - you can sell them back anyway when you're done with it right?
- hunter2_ 2y agoYes, I'm referring to that specific product and process, since I believe the author also was.
- _akhe 2y agoThe point was in your scenario the student doesn't save any money at the end, in both cases they spend $40 to briefly own the book. If they bought it used for $120 and sold it back for $80 after use vs buy for $120, photocopy, then sell for $80 it's the same overall outcome. The reason I drew a distinction between school books and others is with some books the infringer might want to keep the photocopied material - I didn't realize we were talking about what is effectively a book exchange anyway (whose profits are the same either way). Where if I bought Twilight, photocopied it and then returned it, that's a lot different than photocopying a math book that I return anyway - that people return so often there's a system designed around it at the campus bookstore. This was never solved by lawyers or trials anyway, it was essentially put on ice by e-books and largely overtaken by the music/film piracy conversation and advent of the internet. Could have been a more interesting article is all!