[Slight OT] TDPL in Russia

[Lars T. Kyllingstad]

On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:36:49 +0000, retard wrote:

> Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:03:29 -0400, Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
> 
>> On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:36:44 -0400, retard <re at tard.com.invalid> wrote:
>> 
>>> Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:35:32 +0400, Stanislav Blinov wrote:
>>>
>>>> Author may not lose anything, but she actually doesn't gain what she
>>>> could, so yes, this is stealing. Pirates steal profit (and often
>>>> prestiege as well), profit that may have paid off spent time, nerves
>>>> and money. And torrent user is not guaranteed to buy the book if
>>>> *able* to download a .pdf as well. It doesn't stimulate authors to
>>>> share more of their thoughts and knowledge when they see all their
>>>> efforts are simply taken away without any kind of thanks. A book is
>>>> not a car, you don't need to read it ALL before buying, and most
>>>> modern authors and publishers provide samples so potential reader may
>>>> see if the book is worth buying (btw, a whole chapter of TDPL was
>>>> recently provided for all willing), so I don't see any reasons for
>>>> advertisement here.
>>>
>>> Do you think the libraries also steal from the authors? If I can't
>>> afford a book or don't find it important enough, I can ask the local
>>> library to order it and later read it for free. This also encourages
>>> other member of the target audience to loan the book without
>>> paying--the libraries have lists of most recent books and all kinds of
>>> enthusiastics subscribe to those lists. This is also a great way to
>>> introduce new readers to a topic. I've noticed that books I order get
>>> lots of attention after they're available from the shelves.
>> 
>> No, libraries don't steal, they buy their copies or are given books
>> that other people have bought.  If I lent you my copy of TDPL then it
>> wouldn't be stealing either, someone paid for that book.  If you have a
>> copy of a book from the library, then nobody else has that copy.  This
>> falls under fair-use.  You are allowed to transfer your copy of IP to
>> someone else (despite what EULA's try to enforce), or lend it to them
>> as long as you are not also using it.  There is a difference between
>> copying and lending.
> 
> Assume the library bought the damn book and someone always provides
> copies of the books online. In that case it really doesn't make any
> difference financially if I lent it or downloaded from the web and
> destroyed the copy. In either case the author gets as much/little money
> assuming that reading the book doesn't break it too badly. Those people
> who reason about the problem this way wouldn't buy the book in any case.

Sure it makes a difference.  Say I lend the book from the library.  While 
I have it, you and a lot of other people go to the library and ask for 
the same book.  The library people go "man, this sure is a popular book, 
we better get some more copies".  Author makes more money.

-Lars