So a second hand book is sold as a book shaped artifact, which is not stealing the inteelectual sweat from your brow?

I was already compensated for that artifact. I'd prefer, of course, that everyone buy a new copy, but I've gained a lot of new readers through secondhand books: They like what they read, the secondhand store doesn't have any more, so they hunt up new copies.

I have a question for Paul that I feel is somewhat related to this topic.

When I returned to Kuwait from Afghanistan I took copies of Infernal, CrissCross, Gateways, and 2 copies of Bloodline to the hospital here on camp (I was going to take them to the library, but thought the hospital would be better). I dropped them off with the understanding that the service members that came through the hospital might pick one up and read it while they were in the hospital or perhaps take it with them to Landstuhl or back to their unit if they returned to their AORs.

Now...all of those books I had bought myself. When I was done with them I wanted to donate them. Say one of those troopers likes one of the books and instead of redonating it he/she decides to keep it and add it to their collection. What if he or she passes it on to another person later down the road?

Since 3 people now read the book that only 1 person paid for, is it still okay?

I ask because in other cases I have been that 3rd or 4th person that got a book from someone else, read it, and then passed it along (we get lots of books in care packages out here), so I'm wondering if I was in the wrong for doing that? I really never thought much about it until reading this thread.

Sigo,I think of it like this. I bought my house off of a developer. When I signed the contract and forwarded the money to said developer,his intrest in the property was rendered finished. At this point I could sell the house to whomever I want. The people who bought from me can sell it whenever they want as well. The developer and I have no rights to the property at this point.I imagine it works simuliar with books----mark

Sigo,I think of it like this. I bought my house off of a developer. When I signed the contract and forwarded the money to said developer,his intrest in the property was rendered finished. At this point I could sell the house to whomever I want. The people who bought from me can sell it whenever they want as well. The developer and I have no rights to the property at this point.I imagine it works simuliar with books----mark

The concept is very close except, in the case of the house, the architect that originally designed the plans for the house (and still holds the copyright on the plans) is the one who you should focus on, not the developer.

As you (and FPW) say, the house (book) is owned by you when you bought it. The house (book) can be sold and bought many times but the architect (FPW) only gets paid the first time...but he WAS paid, that first time.

The analogy of the house (book) to the e-copy is that, when you're selling your house, you no longer have the house...you didn't make a copy of the house (book) and sell that (or give it away).

Theoretically, you could make an exact copy of the house (a backup, if you will) and still not owe the architect any money...you already bought the plans once.

So, you now have two copies of the same house. No problem.

HOWEVER, IF YOU SELL or give one copy of the house (book) to someone else...someone who never paid the architect for the plans, then you have breached the right of that architect (FPW) to be paid by every person who owns a house (book) built with his plans.

Back to FPW's books. A book is bought. It can be sold again or given away WITH NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, at all. If this was not the case then second-hand bookstores and libraries would all be illegal.

A person can even backup their own copy.

However, the minute someone either sells a copy (or gives one away) then the receiver NOW has the item without paying FPW one cent for the item.

That's copyright infringement.

Or, as Ken says, theft of intellectual property.

-Wapitikev

I have a question for Paul that I feel is somewhat related to this topic.

When I returned to Kuwait from Afghanistan I took copies of Infernal, CrissCross, Gateways, and 2 copies of Bloodline to the hospital here on camp (I was going to take them to the library, but thought the hospital would be better). I dropped them off with the understanding that the service members that came through the hospital might pick one up and read it while they were in the hospital or perhaps take it with them to Landstuhl or back to their unit if they returned to their AORs.

Now...all of those books I had bought myself. When I was done with them I wanted to donate them. Say one of those troopers likes one of the books and instead of redonating it he/she decides to keep it and add it to their collection. What if he or she passes it on to another person later down the road?

Since 3 people now read the book that only 1 person paid for, is it still okay?

I ask because in other cases I have been that 3rd or 4th person that got a book from someone else, read it, and then passed it along (we get lots of books in care packages out here), so I'm wondering if I was in the wrong for doing that? I really never thought much about it until reading this thread.

as per my response to mark and keri (previous post)...Sig, donating your own copies for others to use and using other donated copies yourself, is NOT a copyright problem...someone originally paid FPW for that item, at some point, so it's all legal.

-Wapitikev

House...book...

Book...house...

My head hurts. :p

as per my response to mark and keri (previous post)...Sig, donating your own copies for others to use and using other donated copies yourself, is NOT a copyright problem...someone originally paid FPW for that item, at some point, so it's all legal.

Not terribly unlike earning a fifty dollar bill, and making a copy of it -- or a number of copies. As long as you keep those copies for yourself, everything's fine. But the instant you try to "sell" or distribute those copies it's called counterfeiting, and that's wrong.

Ken V.

house...book...

Book...house...

My head hurts. :p

rofl!!!!

Not terribly unlike earning a fifty dollar bill, and making a copy of it -- or a number of copies. As long as you keep those copies for yourself, everything's fine. But the instant you try to "sell" or distribute those copies it's called counterfeiting, and that's wrong.

Ken V.

Isn't that called a federal reserve bank?

-Wapitikev

House...book...

Book...house...

My head hurts. :p

That's not from the thread...it's all the Canada Day beer, Stephanie.

Heh.

-Wapitikev