E-books drive older women to digital piracy

[anamardoll]

Chamekke,

I think that a lot of "pirates" plunk down money when the legal version comes available.

[chamekke]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Chamekke,

I think that a lot of "pirates" plunk down money when the legal version comes available.

I'm sure you're right

I do know that I was a bit uncomfortable having a darknet copy, even when I knew I was going to buy one as soon as they made it available to me. *is a hopeless pirate*

[Piper_]

Originally Posted by chamekke

I don't think anyone has mentioned georestrictions yet. That's the only thing that's ever tempted me to glance toward the dark side. It's nothing to do with unwillingness to pay, quite the opposite: I can't get the seller/publisher to take my money for a legitimate e-copy!
[..]

Incidentally, I did download an e-book from the darknet once -- a modern classic that I love, and which was not available in Canada even though it had been available to U.S. buyers for a very long time. A few months later, I discovered that it had just become available to buyers in Canada. So I bought it, and deleted the darknet copy. If I'm ever tempted to badness again, I'll do the same thing.

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Chamekke,

I think that a lot of "pirates" plunk down money when the legal version comes available.

It's especially common for the historical fiction I read, because some/most of my favorite authors publish in Britain long before they publish here.

I just set a notification on ereaderIQ, download and read the DN copy, and buy the official version when ereaderQ alerts me that it's available.

If I don't know if it's ever going to come out in ebook, I buy the paper copy (new) and get the ebook from the underground.

To be perfectly honest, though, outrageous pricing has also provoked me, at least on parts 2 and 3 of a trilogy for which Penguin is demanding a ridiculous $20 each.

Macmillan just put out part 1 of the series for $12, which I bought.

But on the $20 Penguin ones, there is a very naughty devil on my shoulder tempting me to buy used copies and d/l the pirated e-versions. I haven't caved, yet, partly because I keep hoping they'll come down (although it's already been 2 years), but mostly because I can't find them on the DN anyway.

If I ever do find them, I'll buy extra, non-Penguin-published paper copies to give away, so Sharon gets paid. If I have to scan them myself, I'll just buy used copies.

/Pirate Piper's true confession

[chamekke]

*nods* It's tempting to do. I'm fond of Val McDermid's crime fiction, and while it's freely available to Brits on Amazon.co.uk and Americans on Amazon.com, the bulk of her work is NOT purchasable by Canadians. No idea if it ever will be. Thing is, I'd willingly buy duplicates of all her books if it meant I could travel with them easily on my Kindle. There's just no way to do so legally. *sigh*

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by chamekke

I don't think anyone has mentioned georestrictions yet. That's the only thing that's ever tempted me to glance toward the dark side. It's nothing to do with unwillingness to pay, quite the opposite: I can't get the seller/publisher to take my money for a legitimate e-copy! And no, I'm not entitled to have everything I want Just Because I'm Me... but it does become intensely frustrating when, time and again, you see books being sold that you really want to buy, but they won't let you buy them.

Incidentally, I did download an e-book from the darknet once -- a modern classic that I love, and which was not available in Canada even though it had been available to U.S. buyers for a very long time. A few months later, I discovered that it had just become available to buyers in Canada. So I bought it, and deleted the darknet copy. If I'm ever tempted to badness again, I'll do the same thing.

Geo restrictions may have played a huge part, actually, as IIRC the original survey was done in the UK, where many US ebooks are not legally available.