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As such, it's reasonable to assume that no one in the supply chain for the creation of the work itself is going to purposefully take a pay cut just to give people a digital copy of the work.

Consider another point of view, from author Eric Flint, who is the "First Librarian" of the Baen Free Library. The whole essay I linked to is interesting, but here's the conclusion:

The reason I'm not worried about the future is because of another simple truth. One which is even simpler, in fact -- and yet seems to get constantly overlooked in the ruckus over online piracy and what (if anything) to do about it. To wit:

Nobody has yet come up with any technology -- nor is it on the horizon -- which could possibly replace authors as the producers of fiction. Nor has anyone suggested that there is any likelihood of the market for that product drying up.

The only issue, therefore, is simply the means by which authors get paid for their work.

[...]

The future can't be foretold. But, whatever happens, so long as writers are essential to the process of producing fiction -- along with editors, publishers, proofreaders (if you think a computer can proofread, you're nuts) and all the other people whose work is needed for it -- they will get paid. Because they have, as a class if not as individuals, a monopoly on the product. Far easier to figure out new ways of generating income -- as we hope to do with the Baen Free Library -- than to tie ourselves and society as a whole into knots. Which are likely to be Gordian Knots, to boot.

Flint hit it right on the head, IMO. There is no reason that authors should be guaranteed their current level of income. But neither is there any reason for authors to get worried that their profession will go away. Freely redistributable digital media will change the model, and there will be some pain during the transition, but as long as people want to read, and as long as authors need to eat, there will be a way for people to get paid for writing.

You probably think I'm missing your point, which is that authors won't *choose* to take a pay cut just to provide us with digital media. I didn't miss it. But the fact is that there is demand for digital media, so some enterprising authors and publishers will begin to take advantage of it. Baen's Webscriptions model is a good example; it's both highly profitable and DRM-free. It won't work for every kind of creative work, and it may not work, as is, forever, but it's exactly the kind of creative thinking we need... people figuring out how to adapt to the new realities, rather than keep churning out the buggy whips.

To nit-pick, it's 'Fallen Angels'. And you can get a free e-book copy from the Baen library in a variety of formats.

Library here:
http://www.baen.com/library/

Direct to the book here:
http://www.baen.com/library/lniven.htm

I read the ebook, it's good. And then I bought several dead trees by Niven & Pournelle. They were good too. Baen rocks.

To nit-pick, it's 'Fallen Angels'. And you can get a free e-book copy from the Baen library in a variety of formats.

Library here:
http://www.baen.com/library/

Direct to the book here:
http://www.baen.com/library/lniven.htm

I read the ebook, it's good. And then I bought several dead trees by Niven & Pournelle. They were good too. Baen rocks.

A Logic Named Joe

A future revenue stream for Google Inc. is to earn a commission on each e-book sold through their website.

They already have each book scanned (and by the looks of it pretty well formatted) so that turning them into any random e-book format will be a piece of cake.

They just need a deal, similar to Apple's deal with the music publishing companies. They will just send a cheque in the mail every month for the books sold out of a publishers catalogue.

And you know what? I would buy books that way. My Sony CLIE is falling to pieces, but its a dream to read books on in the train.

Amazon's e-book selection is the pitts, just business and some SF. And my personal favorite (http://www.baen.com/) desperately needs to upgrade its website. Book publishers need a big kick under their butts, fast.

Try again, The Baen Free Library is a perfect example. FREE copies of books available online, and their sales do nothing but go up when they get added there.

I suggest that you read this:

http://www.baen.com/library/

An article written by a published fiction author which analyzes when exactly he sees his revenues go up. It may help open your eyes to some possible opportunities for exposure (and revenue!) that you may be ignoring.

I've purchased exactly one "e-book" from Spiderworks. Their e-books are very inexpensive--about 1/3 of the cost of similar books on the shelf--and much more useful

I've purchased over a hundred e-books from Baen. They're not textbooks, they're science fiction and fantasy novels, but it's a great model for fiction, IMO. The e-books cost about half the price of a paperback and they provide each in your choice of several formats (and you can download all of the formats if you want) including: HTML, PDF, Microsoft Reader, Rocket e-Book (I have one of these -- great little device), RTF and MS Word. There's no DRM and Baen even encourages you to share with friends -- though they ask you kindly not to make them available to large numbers of strangers.

They also sell under a "webscription" model, where each month they release a set of books, usually including one or two new releases plus several older books. There are always at least six novels in the monthly release, but often there are many more because they often release "omnibus" editions that include, say, an entire trilogy in a single volume. You buy only the months that you want, and each month costs $15. You can also buy a "month" up to three months in advance, and you then get to read the new releases in installments before they hit the bookshelves.

No DRM, low prices, lots of value (assuming you like the books), added features for fans like being able to read the book early... it's a great model for successfully selling e-books. Although the books are cheaper, I end up buying (and reading) so many more books that I've spent far more on Baen books than I would have otherwise, and revenue from e-books is nearly pure profit, since there are no printing costs and distribution costs are very low.

Everybody go read Fallen Angels by Larry Niven (et al). You can get it from the Baen Free Library, here.

Why do I think you should all go read it? It's a very interesting alternate presentation of the environmentalist movement, and it was a strong enough presentation that I found my own position being pushed away from where I thought I was going.

Hrmph. Who wants to stop global warming? Those that want to start the overdue ice age!

Not necessarily. There are other ways. EG:

Win Small. Think Big.

You mean the Baen Free Library.

I'd never heard of any work of his except "Witches of Karres", but even famous as that is, I actually prefer the other novels. Start with "Telzey Amberdon" as an outstanding example.

After first reading them online on the Baen site, I realized they fell within the small category of "good for infinite re-reading" books, and bought hardcopies from amazon.

If you want DRM free sci-fi to read and or download, then try Baen Free Library. I've passed many a happy hour reading some excellent books there.
Eric Flint, an author and acting librarian for the above library, points out that sales of the in-print versions of some of his books actually went up after posting them for free in the online library. I read some of David Webers books there, and went out and bought them; despite the fact that the genre (space-opera) was not one I would usually go for. Eric points out in one of his articles on the site (Prime Palaver #1) that the biggest obstacle facing little known authors (and thats the vast majority of them) is their obscurity. Publish free on the internet, and people will read your books, tell their friends, and go on to buy the books you subsequently write. Perhaps that explains why sales go up when you give stuff away for free; I can't see how the same logic wouldn't apply to music.

I like a lot of Baen Books's policies regarding electronic works. They offer free books, copies in DRM-free forms of the early books of many of their authors and series. With many series, if you buy a later book in the series, you receive a CD with (again DRM-free) copies of the books that came before in the series. Lastly, they've been running Webscriptions where you receive advance copies of books as they're being developed. Someone later in the thread says you're paying thrice-over for this, but that's not the case. Basically, you pay per month. In any given month, you're getting about a fourth of 8-10 different books currently in progress. Paying for four months, about the price of a twelve paperbacks, nets you 8-10 full books, and partial copies of another 24-30. Personally, it's not my cup of tea, but for those who have a wide variety of interests, and particularly for those who like ecxlusive early access, it may be worth it.

Or you can wait until November when it's available in print. The trick is that the download is an "Advance Readers Copy", which they say is unproofed and may change before final publication.

Translation: Buy this one because you can't wait, and then buy the "release" downloadable version in August, and then buy the hardback in November.

At least on the site they admit up front they're taking advantage of you. But either "pre-release" or "strict release", the idea is to drum up interest and business.

So, you've bought into the propaganda campaign of the **AA, forcing an inappropriate word to make a behavior seem more heinous than it is, and the guy who understands the REAL meaning of the word is the moron?

"I am so sensible, Sir, of the kindness with which the House has listened to me, that I will not detain you longer. I will only say this, that if the measure before us should pass, and should produce one-tenth part of the evil which it is calculated to produce, and which I fully expect it to produce, there will soon be a remedy, though of a very objectionable kind. Just as the absurd acts which prohibited the sale of game were virtually repealed by the poacher, just as many absurd revenue acts have been virtually repealed by the smuggler, so will this law be virtually repealed by piratical booksellers. At present the holder of copyright has the public feeling on his side. Those who invade copyright are regarded as knaves who take the bread out of the mouths of deserving men. Everybody is well pleased to see them restrained by the law, and compelled to refund their ill-gotten gains. No tradesman of good repute will have anything to do with such disgraceful transactions. Pass this law: and that feeling is at an end. Men very different from the present race of piratical booksellers will soon infringe this intolerable monopoly. Great masses of capital will be constantly employed in the violation of the law. Every art will be employed to evade legal pursuit; and the whole nation will be in the plot. On which side indeed should the public sympathy be when the question is whether some book as popular as Robinson Crusoe, or the Pilgrim's Progress, shall be in every cottage, or whether it shall be confined to the libraries of the rich for the advantage of the great-grandson of a bookseller who, a hundred years before, drove a hard bargain for the copyright with the author when in great distress? ..."

Oh yes. 120 students who'd never heard of him before get to read a story by him. If there's one thing non-bestseller authors need, its word-of-mouth and getting their writings in front of potential readers. He'd be mad to refuse (assuming the publisher slipped up and Landis still owns some of the rights to his stories and can give permission...)

Or put it another way: Tell a hard SF author you want to use his story for teaching astronomy, what do you think he's going to say? Flattery will get you everywhere.

Obligatory Baen books link, about what giving away your texts does for the sales of non A-list authors: http://www.baen.com/library/palaver6.htm

No.

If I copy your work, I am trespassing on your rights. Even "stealing" cable is a more correct turn of phrase because the cable company loses a small amount of signal so it costs them money. My copy does not deprive of you anything tangible. Sure I might be benefitting from your work, but you can't prove that I would have ever bought your work in the first place. So you are no worse off if copy or don't. Though if I make a copy, I might end up advetising for you wich is likely worth more than my one copy is worth. Food for thought.

Eric Flint at Baen Books said that publishing his books online for free actually increased the sales of his in-print books. Mind you, they are sci-fi, not documentary books. However, I think that media owners that learn to embrace the free model might find that they spend less on lawsuits, get more on sales, and get many more readers/viewers. Why worry about the person who read but didn't buy your book, but ignore the 10 who did by the book because they heard about it from someone who read it online? I have books by authors I would never have read if I or a friend hadn't read their earlier books for free online.

"Do you accept the truth of the Prophet's teaching, Mister Aurelli?"

"What are you doing?!" A hand pounded his shoulder, and he turned almost calmly to meet Victor Aurelli's stunned eyes.

"I'm ordering my lighter units to run for it, Mister Aurelli."

"But . . . but . . ."

"They may have the speed for it," Li explained as if to a child. "We don't. But if we can make these bastards concentrate on us while the others run, we can at least give them a chance."

"But we'll all be killed!"

"Yes, Mister Aurelli, we will." Li watched his words hit the envoy like fists. It was very quiet on the bridge, despite the battle thundering about Everest's hull, and the admiral's entire staff heard him as he continued coldly, "That's why I'm so glad you're aboard this ship."

Think Big. Win Small. --Darius Regulo, the King of Heaven, in Charles Sheffield's The Web Between the Worlds (from Baen)

Hello Mr. Siksay,

I am writing you to discuss a great threat to freedom and culture in
our country today. There is legislation being put before the house next
week, see(
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNew s/1118271756635_30/?hub=CTVNewsAt11 )
. legislation that if passed, would curtail the rights and freedoms we have
to disseminate culture in a not for profit way. What I am talking about is
File Sharing. File sharing promotes the free exchange of art - in its many
forms - and thus serves to enhance our culture. Art is not meant to be
locked up in a vault with only a privileged few being able to view it. Art
is made to contribute to the social fabric that weaves to and fro and which
binds our country together.

I _urge_ you to vote against this legislation - and any such
legislation to come down the pipe in the future. To not do so would be
furthering the erosion of our collective culture that copyright was put in
place to prevent! The media cartels have twisted the true meaning of
copyright into a creators rights issue. This was not the original intention
of copyright. This is not about protecting the creators rights, this is
about societal betterment. It was meant to encourage social development.

I fear that this poorly written email does not do the cause justice
so I have included several links to people who are more wordy than I. In
closing, I would like you to consider what it would be like to have
masterpieces, say all of Monet's flowers, or Beethoven's moonlight sonata,
owned by a corporation whom you would have to pay for the right to enjoy.
That my friend is where this legislation is meant to take us.

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/ - Ottawa law professors comments
http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200011/0671319744___ 1.htm - A short story
that is on topic

Regards,
--Name Ommited--

http://bar.baen.com/
or
http://bar.baen.com:8080/

In the "The New Guy" conference. This requires registration prior to access.

He's not much on talking about his work. I'm surprised he finally published. I suspect he's gotten a patent on the IQ boosting drug he's stated he's been working on.

He did post a link to the NY Times article on the 7th.

NY Times article

http://bar.baen.com/
or
http://bar.baen.com:8080/

In the "The New Guy" conference. This requires registration prior to access.

He's not much on talking about his work. I'm surprised he finally published. I suspect he's gotten a patent on the IQ boosting drug he's stated he's been working on.

He did post a link to the NY Times article on the 7th.

NY Times article

Melancholy Elephants, by Spider Robinson

"My husband wrote a song for me, on the occasion of our fortieth wedding anniversary. It was our love in music, unique and special and intimate, the most beautiful melody I ever heard in my live. It made him so happy to have written it. Of his last ten compositions he had burned five for being derivative, and the others had all failed copyright clearance. But this was fresh, special--he joked that my love for him had inspired him. The next day he submitted it for clearance, and learned that it had been a popular air during his early childhood, and had already been unsuccessfully submitted fourteen times since its original registration. A week later he burned all his manuscripts and working tapes and killed himself."

She was silent for a long time, and the senator did not speak.

-----------------

Probably the best way of explaining why extended copyright is bad.

Imagine a society where an orchestra couldn't play any classical music without acquiring the rights to that performance from a copyright holder that has been passed down through the centuries by inane copyright law and they end up paying a large amount of money for you to enjoy their performance.

We don't have to. Spider Robinson already imagined it for us in Melancholy Elephants

I.V.

http://www.baen.com/library/palaver11.htm

For an example of a business model that embraces the concept of giving away free product as advertising, see http://www.baen.com/library/

And isn't the latest Star Wars movie both the most pirated and the biggest box office in history?

Have you seen the Baen Free Library?
http://www.baen.com/library/

These are free, in print, new books from a real publisher (with permission of the authors).
Baen is also republishing some old sf authors like Laumer and Leinster.

To quote from an article in Chronicle of Higher Education, reprinted in Prime Palaver #10, Michael Jensen (their director of publishing technologies) said:

Our site is very busy -- from January through mid-August [ed note: 2001] of this year, more than 3.2 million people had viewed more than 28 million Web pages, including 15 million book pages. While those are great numbers in terms of wide dissemination, the more remarkable thing is that, over the same period, we have sold more than 40,000 books through the same site -- something approximating 25 percent of our overall book sales, and already surpassing the number we sold during all of last year. Moreover, our other sales -- via bookstores, an 800 number, fax, and mail -- have apparently not been cannibalized, staying pretty much in line with industry sales.

I think the piece that your are referring to is Spider Robinson's Melancholy Elephants".

Let me start off by stating that I agree with copyright law as it was entered into law in 1790.

Was copyright mentioned in the constitution? The original constitution? No I do not think so.

You are correct, the constitution did not give authors an exclusive right to the copying of their works. It only gave the Congress the power... "To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;" Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 It took Congress three years to finally ratify legislation to create a term of copyright.

It is not saying anything about IP. There is no natural right for you to take what i created and modify/give it out as you so please.

Yes. Yes there is. And copyright LIMITS it. Thats what copyright means. The government is giving the person a temporary monopoly, so that only he can copy his work. The ONLY reason we do this is to help along innovation. In the eyes of the drafters of the constitution the distribution of art, science, and other creative works in the public domain was not only a natural right but something that is absolutly necessary for an open and free society.

Copyright is a needed law that helps give incentive for companies to create works. They will not create it if they cannot profit from it (for the most part). People have the option of giving their stuff away for free - - goodfor them. But it is their OPTION.

First of all we are dealing with creative works. Only people can create works. Companies don't do anything except exist as a lawful entity. They only have "Intellectual Property" as you call it because a person or persons gave away their copy rights to their creative works that the government originally gave them. The OPTION people have is whether or not to create something. Once you create something it exists and is therefore within my right to copy it. Just because I copied an idea and decided to sell it does not prevent you from profiting from your creation. If your goal is profit then you take the necessary measures to ensure you can. As a bonus the government has given you a temporary monopoly on it.

There is a misconception that there is such a thing as an "absolute original idea". There is not, there is only this basic truth: Nothing is created in a vacuum. There are no absolutely original ideas. All knowledge, all art and all works are based off earlier works and cultural influences, and until recently most of mankinds works at some point entered into the public domain. This is no longer the case. Because Shakespeares works are in the Public Domain I can write a play with a modern twist using his dialog. I cannot make a derivative work of something more modern (even as far back as 1930 at least) and make something of my own. How is this promoting innovation and the growth of American Culture?

There is a speech written by a man a long time ago that explains what freedom of information is. I suggest you take some time to read it. It is one of the many writings that convinced me that shorter copyright terms are important for a free culture.

Thomas Babington Macaulay on Copyright

Exgesis Clique
'Education and religion are two things not regulated by supply and demand. The less of either the people have, the less they want. - [Charlotte Observer, 1897]'

Which is a short story by Spider Robinson. http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200011/0671319744___ 1.htm It addresses the issue of what will happen to the artists do when there is nothing new to discover.

2001 is not Hard Science Fiction. Try reading some Sheffield for Hard Science Fiction.

Also, SciFi is different from Science Fiction. SciFi a just a step above "Space Opera". Start Trek is SciFi, Star Wars is Space Opera. These are not to disparage on literary terms but scientific terms. SciFi uses technical gobbly-gook terms: "If we rearrange the quantum manifold and shoot a tachyon beam...". Where as Space Opera could be just pure fantasy but replaces elves and orcs with aliens, and fireballs with lasers, and dragons with spaceships.

Science Fiction is a plot held with in the framework of current Scientific theory. Hard Science Fiction is scientific hypothesis defines a plot. Read a book by David Drake and by Charles Sheffield and see the difference between Science Fiction and Hard Science Fiction. I recommend The Web Between Worlds and Lt Leary Commanding. Science drives The Web whereas Science puts boundaries on Leary.

2001 is not Hard Science Fiction. Try reading some Sheffield for Hard Science Fiction.

Also, SciFi is different from Science Fiction. SciFi a just a step above "Space Opera". Start Trek is SciFi, Star Wars is Space Opera. These are not to disparage on literary terms but scientific terms. SciFi uses technical gobbly-gook terms: "If we rearrange the quantum manifold and shoot a tachyon beam...". Where as Space Opera could be just pure fantasy but replaces elves and orcs with aliens, and fireballs with lasers, and dragons with spaceships.

Science Fiction is a plot held with in the framework of current Scientific theory. Hard Science Fiction is scientific hypothesis defines a plot. Read a book by David Drake and by Charles Sheffield and see the difference between Science Fiction and Hard Science Fiction. I recommend The Web Between Worlds and Lt Leary Commanding. Science drives The Web whereas Science puts boundaries on Leary.

Allow me:

David Weber - On Basilisk Station

Read Online
HTML Zip
MS Reader Zip
Palm / Win CE / Psion Zip (Mobipocket)
Rocket / REB1100 Zip
Rich Text Format Zip

Allow me:

David Weber - On Basilisk Station

Read Online
HTML Zip
MS Reader Zip
Palm / Win CE / Psion Zip (Mobipocket)
Rocket / REB1100 Zip
Rich Text Format Zip

Allow me:

David Weber - On Basilisk Station

Read Online
HTML Zip
MS Reader Zip
Palm / Win CE / Psion Zip (Mobipocket)
Rocket / REB1100 Zip
Rich Text Format Zip

Allow me:

David Weber - On Basilisk Station

Read Online
HTML Zip
MS Reader Zip
Palm / Win CE / Psion Zip (Mobipocket)
Rocket / REB1100 Zip
Rich Text Format Zip

Allow me:

David Weber - On Basilisk Station

Read Online
HTML Zip
MS Reader Zip
Palm / Win CE / Psion Zip (Mobipocket)
Rocket / REB1100 Zip
Rich Text Format Zip

Allow me:

David Weber - On Basilisk Station

Read Online
HTML Zip
MS Reader Zip
Palm / Win CE / Psion Zip (Mobipocket)
Rocket / REB1100 Zip
Rich Text Format Zip

Allow me:

David Weber - On Basilisk Station

Read Online
HTML Zip
MS Reader Zip
Palm / Win CE / Psion Zip (Mobipocket)
Rocket / REB1100 Zip
Rich Text Format Zip

Thanx, good story.

By the way, anyone else who likes it should be sure to catch the CONTENTS link to other chapters/short_stories. From the main page of the website there's a link to the Baen Free Library with dozzens of free online Sci Fi books. They explain the rational for the Baen Free Library here. Baen supports the EFF and opposes the current insanely spiraling copyright laws. Baen rocks.

-

Thanx, good story.

By the way, anyone else who likes it should be sure to catch the CONTENTS link to other chapters/short_stories. From the main page of the website there's a link to the Baen Free Library with dozzens of free online Sci Fi books. They explain the rational for the Baen Free Library here. Baen supports the EFF and opposes the current insanely spiraling copyright laws. Baen rocks.

-

Thanx, good story.

By the way, anyone else who likes it should be sure to catch the CONTENTS link to other chapters/short_stories. From the main page of the website there's a link to the Baen Free Library with dozzens of free online Sci Fi books. They explain the rational for the Baen Free Library here. Baen supports the EFF and opposes the current insanely spiraling copyright laws. Baen rocks.

-

It advances Disney's economic interests, but it surely diminishes the artistic community as a whole to have everything slowly fall under perpetual copyright.

Anyone who hasn't, should read Spider Robinson's short story, "Melancholy Elephants." While perhaps a bit over the top, it has some good things to say about perpetual copyrights.

Agreed; but with on-line sales, this has the potential to be a major source of revenue. I refer you to Wired's excellent article about the "Long Tail", which was previously covered in Slashdot. Without spending a lot of time, I would trust that the implications of this are obvious to anyone who has read Lessig's discussions of copyright getting "eternity on the installment plan", and Spider Robinson's "Melancholy Elephants" : the enjoyment of music in modern society is in for a major change unprecedented in history due to the diminished information costs of modern computer search aggregation techniques.

Adding the ability to have such a "bargain bin" to iTunes might be a good thing for everyone... at least until creativity runs out.

They are not concerned with expanding the volume of music sold. [...] Apple has the right idea, in that they are trying to grow the music market.

Also, agreed. More exactly, I believe that Steve Jobs has a better understanding of the elasticity of the demand curve, and that there will be more money made at lower prices. But you're right, far to many of the studio executives think that "we want to make more money" means "we want to be able to raise prices."

It might be interesting for someone to do a study to actually measure the elasticity of the demand curve, and try to determine where songs "should" be priced. However, doing so would be a non-trivial experiment to design and perfom.

Fictionwise sells ebooks, but they also have free novels, short stories and audio books from time to time. Currently they have 26 items available for free, including a lot of sci-fi.

Audible

Audible sells audio books, but they have some free items also. There is a new free item every week or so for subscribers.

ereader

ereader has a few free ebooks. During December last year, they had a different free ebook each day for a few weeks.

Audio Books for Free

AudioBooksForFree has free audio books, but in a very compressed format. You have to pay to get better quality, but for $100 you can buy everything.

Baen Books

Baen Books has a free library with sci-fi books.

Project Gutenberg

This one has been pointed out a few times, but it is the biggest. It is here and here. I think the first one is the official site.

Try the Baen Free Library. You are out of luck here if you don't like "sci fi", and the selection is rather small, but the files are nice and unemcumbered and they do have some great ones like Fallen Angels.

Try the Baen Free Library. You are out of luck here if you don't like "sci fi", and the selection is rather small, but the files are nice and unemcumbered and they do have some great ones like Fallen Angels.