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Copyright Infringement of Books
Maximum Prophet recommends a NY Times piece on the growing phenomenon of unauthorized digital versions of copyrighted books showing up online. The problem has been growing exponentially, fed in part by the popularity of reading devices such as the Kindle and the iPhone. The article features the odd photographic juxtaposition of Cory Doctorow and Ursula K. Le Guin, who take opposite views on electronic editions, authorized or not. Ms. Le Guin: "I thought, who do these people think they are? Why do they think they can violate my copyright and get away with it?" Mr. Doctorow: "I really feel like my problem isn't piracy. It's obscurity." "Doctorow, a novelist whose young adult novel 'Little Brother' spent seven weeks on the New York Times children's chapter books best-seller list last year, offers free electronic versions of his books on the same day they are published in hardcover. He believes free versions, even unauthorized ones, entice new readers."
FTFA:
"The question is, how much time and energy do I want to spend chasing these guys," Stephen King wrote in an e-mail message. "And to what end? My sense is that most of them live in basements floored with carpeting remnants, living on Funions and discount beer."
carpet remnants, funions, cheap beer. sounds about right for anyone who would consider "gerald's game" to be literature. way to insult your audience, steve-o.
the united states is a nation of laws; badly written and randomly enforced -- frank zappa
You're operating under a fallacy. It ceases to be only "your" work when you release it for public consumption. At that point it becomes part of our(I mean the inclusive sense) culture.
So you will agree that your car ceases to be "yours" when you take it out on a public road. Hand over the keys. And I like your watch, too.