I thought everyone used Pirate Bay for their book downloading needs.

Nice of them to provide links to the sites.

DeCypher44: Nice of them to provide links to the sites.

heh. exactly what i was thinking

I remember these when I was a kid. You had to actually walk down there to the building. You could only get a couple books at a time, and four minimum were needed for your school project. If you didn't bring them back on time, you owed them some money. The amount of money accumulated, too. The cost of the book was irrelevant.

They still have these?

Babwa Wawa: On second reading, this article doesn't mention public libraries.

Now, when I was in coledge (after freshman year), I would get the reading list early, head down to the library and check out everything I could.

Got sick of putting $1000/year toward books. It was better applied to the procurement of beer and pizza.

/Thinking globally, acting locally FTW!

You went to coledge? Really?

I didn't pirate my books since I didn't know about these sites. I bought the overseas copies that Europe subsidizes that cost around 20% as much. And it's legal to sell them here.

Babwa Wawa: Got sick of putting $1000/year toward books.

Geez, I wish I only spent $1,000/yr on books. I'm looking at $1,000 this semester.

As usual, that is based on the (almost certainly false) assumption that if a person had not been able to download that book for free, they would have paid for a hard copy or download (rather than simply not reading it).

semiotix: Weaver95: so lemme get this straight - book publishers jack prices up on books required for their classes, then don't even pretend to respond to market forces that demand they lower prices and be competitive. Then students pirate the books online, and pay next to nothing for them.

Not to defend academic book publishers, but Jesus, if I thought it would mean they'd accidentally read some of it, I'd pirate the damn books myself and hand out personally-copied DVDs on the first day of class.

/sorry for the impotent professor rant
//ignore anything I say about academia for the first five weeks of the semester
///or the last five weeks
////or the middle... actually, just come talk to me in July, after I've had a pitcher of margaritas

P...please do this!

/orders the textbooks for her department
//will have to start working on summer and fall soon

This lazy generation with their fancy computers. Back in my day you'd go to the library, get the desired book, mosey on over to an unoccupied corner, shove the book down your pants and cover it with thick clothing, then casually walk out.

The article never mentions public libraries at all. It is talking about online book piracy.

/-1

Epsilon: This lazy generation with their fancy computers. Back in my day you'd go to the library, get the desired book, mosey on over to an unoccupied corner, shove the book down your pants and cover it with thick clothing, then casually walk out.

The have rfid tags in them now that set off alarms when you try that.

An open letter to Book Publishers.

HEY FARKFACES. MAKE NON PROPRIETARY FORMATS. MAKE A READER THAT LETS ME READ ANY AND ALL PUBLICATIONS WITH... oh i dunno... A PDF!


God ... Damn.


Look at Spore. People pirate your stuff because you are being greedy. If there was an E-Book reader that let me read any publication.... and a distribution site that let me get PDF's at a reasonable price. id get it TODAY.

As it stands, id have to get 3 different book readers to read all the books id want to get.

Aarontology: Weaver95: so lemme get this straight - book publishers jack prices up on books required for their classes, then don't even pretend to respond to market forces that demand they lower prices and be competitive. Then students pirate the books online, and pay next to nothing for them.

And somehow this is the fault of the students?

Apparently people are supposed to not only take getting financially raped, but offer thanks afterwards. Being smart with your money only angers the overlords, so it's best that we consider the financial demands of a comapny before our own finances.

They really get mad if you figure out you can do without 80% of your textbooks.

/hee hee hee and I'm in grad school

I am definitely not bookmarking this thread so I can check out the linked sites in the article when I get home.

I DON'T CARE.

Gotta love the sense of corporate entitlement. It's costing them? Um,no, that money isn't yours.

TFA doesn't say any such thing about libraries costing $billions. It says the illegal book piracy causes the loss. You know what that is right?

Okay, I'll explain it in short words: Making electronic copies of books available for download without the copyright owners' consent.

Sheesh.

I went to college so long ago I had to gopher my books.

ne2d: As usual, that is based on the (almost certainly false) assumption that if a person had not been able to download that book for free, they would have paid for a hard copy or download (rather than simply not reading it).

I had a friend in college who would just grab the book and sit on the floor of the bookstore reading it the night before an exam.

dogette:

They really get mad if you figure out you can do without 80% of your textbooks.

My god this!!!!! I stopped buying books after my freshman year when I learned the library had copies and I could just photocopy the 1 farking chapter the professor uses from it.

/Professor and author? hmmmmmm no conflict of interest there.

Where exactly was the library in all this? The farking word doesn't even appear in the story.

austin_millbarge: Gotta love the sense of corporate entitlement. It's costing them? Um,no, that money isn't yours.

It never ceases to amaze me how many corporations don't get it through their thick heads that copying is not stealing.

Seriously, if you want to go after people for copyright infringement, have at it, but when you call it stealing, you make yourself look like a farking idiot.

You can't lose something you never had.

Aarontology:
Apparently people are supposed to not only take getting financially raped, but offer thanks afterwards. Being smart with your money only angers the overlords, so it's best that we consider the financial demands of a comapny before our own finances.

Does this brand of smart extend to restaurant tabs (and my right to walk out on them) as well?

If so, Red Lobster...here I come!

TsukasaK: Seriously, if you want to go after people for copyright infringement, have at it, but when you call it stealing, you make yourself look like a farking idiot.

Well, I'm not a corporation but I still see it as stealing. Care to explain your rationale?

TomD9938: Does this brand of smart extend to restaurant tabs (and my right to walk out on them) as well?

Sorry, make that previous comment "How many corporations and other idiots".

Where in the story does it mention public libraries? Nice reading comprehension, submitter.

Maybe you should illegally download a book that teaches you how to understand the words that you are reading.

I seriously don't know how you get "illegal downloads" = "public libraries"

That's kinda like saying "streetwalking" = "standing at a bustop"

liverpoolumd: An open letter to Book Publishers.

HEY FARKFACES. MAKE NON PROPRIETARY FORMATS. MAKE A READER THAT LETS ME READ ANY AND ALL PUBLICATIONS WITH... oh i dunno... A PDF!


God ... Damn.


Look at Spore. People pirate your stuff because you are being greedy. If there was an E-Book reader that let me read any publication.... and a distribution site that let me get PDF's at a reasonable price. id get it TODAY.

As it stands, id have to get 3 different book readers to read all the books id want to get.



Sony E-reader. Its pretty open in terms of formats, which, for sony, is astounding.

My wife got one for x-mas. She doesn't even buy books... NYC library allows you to check out e-books for free. Last for 21 days or something like that.

Knucklepopper: TsukasaK: Seriously, if you want to go after people for copyright infringement, have at it, but when you call it stealing, you make yourself look like a farking idiot.

Well, I'm not a corporation but I still see it as stealing. Care to explain your rationale?

Really? Really? Do you really need me to explain the difference between copyright infringement and theft? Because I think you're just trolling.

TsukasaK: TomD9938: Does this brand of smart extend to restaurant tabs (and my right to walk out on them) as well?

Sorry, make that previous comment "How many corporations and other idiots".

Thief...

TomD9938: Thief...

Idiot...

TsukasaK: Really? Really? Do you really need me to explain the difference between copyright infringement and theft? Because I think you're just trolling.

You still haven't explained it. And no, as a writer and photographer, I consider copyright an important protection.

TsukasaK: Idiot...

It's been a good five minutes and you keep shrieking "ZOMG, YOU DON'T GET IT!" and you still haven't explained the difference.

Hey who greenlit this crap... I would blame subby but this has collusion with a modmin written all over it. Drew, is your book sales slowed, cause manufacturing outrage isn't going to help sell it.

Knucklepopper: You still haven't explained it. And no, as a writer and photographer, I consider copyright an important protection.

Theft:
Dishonest appropriation of property without the owner's consent, with intent to deprive them of its use, either temporarily or permanently

You can't steal a digital item. It's physically impossible.

meh.
I haven't bought a new book in 12 years. Even recently released books can be bought used on Amazon or Alibris for less than 1/2 price. I love to hear industry fear mongers rail against current trends, I remember the uproar over blank cassettes and how they were going to ruin the music industry...

Also, what does a library have to do with this, stretchmitter?

More importantly, do people actually prefer to read a book on their computer/Kindle screen? I hate reading long passages on the net...I'd much rather have a real book in my hands, and nothing, ever, will replace that for me.

Or "bus stop," even. You know what I mean...