Let's say you release a technical book that you've spent a year of your life writing (Not to mention the years of education and training to gather the knowledge

Let's say you release a technical book that you've spent a year of your life writing (Not to mention the years of education and training to gather the knowledge to write it). It's for a hot new, but somewhat niche, technology, and you release it just as Amazon decides all ebooks are free for three months. It's a #1 new release, and the buzz from the new release publicity sells tens of thousands of copies in the first few months. Afterwards, everyone who wants it has a copy, and the sales months later are somewhat meager. The technology you wrote it for is later replaced by some new Ruby library, so there aren't a lot of kids picking it up that might be interested in your book -- sales flatten. Sure, you didn't write anything that was going to join the ranks of "The Art of Computer Programming," but surely you wouldn't be okay just giving up the hundred thousand dollars or so in royalties you could have made? Without artists writing hit summer songs, there would be no hit summer songs. Without people writing flavor-of-the-month technical books, we wouldn't have those either. You might scoff, but people should be paid for these things. "If you dont like the fact that Apple wants you to be their slave, then distribute your music yourself." That's exactly what Taylor is doing. What's your point?