Used Book Debate

[EricNoah]

If the book is good enough that I will want to read it or refer to it again and again, then I'll keep it, and then it won't end up in a used bookstore. If not, there you go. Same deal with libraries. I don't think an author should count on one particular book generating income for him for his lifetime; if you're an author, write new stuff and make money off of that.

Now making and circulating illegal copies, that's just plain old double-plus ungood. In the intellectual property debate, I can at least understand the "it's [apparently] free, so I'm going to grab a copy" mentality -- but what I'll never understand is the mentality that puts the illegal copies out there in the first place. I can chalk some of it up to sheer ignorance, but otherwise there's just an alien thought process at work...

 

[trancejeremy]

Of course, part of the trouble with books is that by their very nature, they will change hands because they are so enduring, physically.

I mean, most people probably only read a book once or twice. Yet it still exists. So what else can they do with it? Throw it away?

Most other forms of media either wear out or get obsolete. People bought movies on tape, then on DVD, then they'll have to buy them again in a couple years to get them in high definition.

Music sort of ran into this problem as well. Used to be that tapes and records wore out. But cds really don't. (I still have my first cd that I bought almost 20 years ago and it works fine)

So used cd and book stores are feasible (along with video games).

So the solution from the authors point of view, is either have disposable books (ones that wear out after a year or so) or have some sort of buy back program.

 

[wingsandsword]

# Many authors feel that since a book is their intellectual property, they should be compensated again if the book is resold.

This is the biggest pile of natural fertilizer I've seen in some time.

Mr. Stackpole makes some good points, if you like an author buy their new stuff, it helps the system. However, as was also stated, when you sell a used car the factory doesn't get a cut, when you sell a old house, the original archtect or contractor doesn't get a royalty.

The idea of a "Library problem" literally sickens me. I already think copyright law goes too far, but the idea that making a publically available free library of published material somehow undermines . Books aren't like commercial software, you don't have to accept a shrink-wrapped EULA to read a book, and the basic societal, economic and legal model of the book and the public library has worked just fine for centuries.

I think too many authors have been listening to the RIAA and getting some ideas.

 

[Psionicist]

# Bookselling is the only industry where the person who created the product wants additional payment if the actual item is resold. This is not the case in the auto or housing industries, for example.

You forgot the computer industry, the music industry and the movie industry.

 

[IronWolf]

I have no issues with used bookstores at all. I regularly frequent the ones around here, mainly pick up out of print game accessories and novels. If I buy a book I own it. If I decide to sell it to a used bookstore that's my decision.

Now I also buy new books also. I have purchased several of the newer WotC novels from the FR line and the 3.5 edition source books I pick up are new and not from the used bookstore.

 

[DaveStebbins]

Just to play devil's advocate here (not that I don't agree with you), many authors don't make a whole lot of money from their writing.

Lots and lots of people don't make much money from their work. They work as hard as authors do and make little money and they never get the satisfaction of seeing their names in print. If what someone does isn't rewarding enough to them (in whatever form they prefer their rewards), they should learn to do something else. The low pay argument fails to engender my support of their 'cause.'

-Dave

 

[HellHound]

Music sort of ran into this problem as well. Used to be that tapes and records wore out. But cds really don't. (I still have my first cd that I bought almost 20 years ago and it works fine)

I had a problem you don't then... CDs -do- deteriorate with time, worse than vinyl did in my experience - I have some 15 year old CDs that have serious data loss now. That said, vinyl deteriorates FAR worse when played than CDs, but a vinyl recording that was -not- played can be stored a lot longer than an unplayed CD.

 

[merztrumpet]

CDs 'rot' in fifteen to twenty years. Total rubbish. Change your needles on your decks every three months and your vinyl will last a long time.

 

[MonsterMash]

People always want more money.... And by the way, what about public libraries?

In the UK we have a government scheme called Public Lending Right which has equivalents in Canada and Australia. This makes payments to authors resident in the country where the scheme is running based on registration and the number of loans of their books. It does help the smaller author more in giving a steadier income, but has a weakness of the more popular authors (the Rowlings and Stephen Kings of this world will also be popular in public libraries).

Looking in some more detail it appears that the UK scheme now has reciprocal arrangements with the Netherlands and Germany.

 

[Storm Raven]

# Many authors feel that since a book is their intellectual property, they should be compensated again if the book is resold.

An interesting thought, but wrong on several counts. First off, current copyright law doesn't support it, so its a non-starter. Second, it would be almost impossible to track these sorts of sales in any reasonably cost-effective manner.

However, the most important issue is that authors (and publishers) are already compensated by the market for the resale of their books. Because everyone (or virtually everyone) who buys a book new knows that there exists a potential resale market for books, the price of books can be inflated as a result of the reduced risk to the buyer (i.e. the risk that the book will be a lousy book, or the risk that buying a book will tie up the purchaser's money). Because markets adjust over time for risk, the book selling market adjusts to the existence of the resale market, driving prices up slightly (it can also depress prices slightly, as some people will "hold out" for reduced book prices on the resale market, but most of those people probably wouldn't have been buying the book new to begin with).