E-books and illegal file sharing

Posted on by Standard

I very much liked this post about the ethics of file-sharing, especially of e-books: http://deepad.dreamwidth.org/61462.html
Obviously, as an independent bookseller, I am in favor of physical copies of books. But there’s a lot to chew over in this space; e-books vs. paper books; illegally sharing e-books vs. using the library or buying used books. As the post points out, just having the option of using an e-book means you’re in an incredibly privileged position:

To have the ability and the desire to read an e-book, one must first, have the privilege of being literate. Second, literate in a dominant language like English. Third, have computer literacy enough to be able to navigate the internet enough to obtain the book. Fourth, have sustained access to a computer or other electronic device in order to be able to read it. Fifth, have access to whatever complex catalysts of creative and societal stimulants that foster a spirit of creative consumption - the desire to read, and the desire to read that particular book. And then finally, after all those barriers, the book must be there.

A used book store like Anthology tries to lower the entry barrier to reading, by making more books available to more people for less money. Books don’t need expensive equipment like a laptop; don’t even need electricity. They are freely sharable, nearly untraceable, and don’t become obsolete. But of course, getting a book from a used bookstore or a library doesn’t benefit the author either.

It’s a complex issue, and there are no easy answers. What do you think?

4 thoughts on “E-books and illegal file sharing”

  1. Pingback: A response to a comment on my e-book post « Anthology Book Company

  2. Firstly: You don’t need a laptop to read ebooks. That is one of the beauties of the Kindle. No laptop required. It runs on WiFi or 3G and content is delivered directly to your Kindle.

    Second: I highlight and note the hell out of my ebooks. This is very easy to do - and there is unlimited ‘margin space’ This was something necessary for me to adapt to ebooks as I note books like crazy. (the on-the-fly definition look up is a nice feature too)

    Third: That smell on your page is called chemical. Not necessarily something I’d constantly want to be inhaling but …eh…I digress

    Fourth: What I absolutely love about ebooks is the access to such a wealth of knowledge. I am aware and able to access so many more authors/books then I am able to in a library or bookstore. This is the same for me as when digital music stores became available. No longer are the authors/musicians who have a huge marketing campaign behind them available. Now I can hear/read that independent artist self-publishing their content from their basement or garage. That is priceless.

    *One caveat to this last item - there is content in both the music and literary world that is not available digitally yet. That is a downside, I’ll admit that. But eventually everything will be digital - the writing is on the wall.

    I strongly suggest libraries and bookstores figure out how they fit in a digital world and not cling to their physical books forever. For they will never be completely forgotten, but will be more like a play/opera in the age of streaming Netflix movies.

  3. With a paper book you can only share with one person at a time, unless you are reading aloud to a group. With file-sharing a book ,you can spread to hundreds if not thousands in no time at all.

    I keep the books I buy or donate them to libraries. I have shared them with friends but always expected to get them back. I guess I am a bit of a book snob. I don’t generally buy used books.

    The best part of reading a real book as opposed to an ebook is the feel of the paper in your hands, the smell of the ink, the ability to underline parts that really hit you, and the ability to take it anywhere without worry about batteries or that it might get stolen.

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