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Pluralistic: "If buying isn't owning, piracy isn't stealing"
(pluralistic.net)
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this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2023
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So if I share that book with 50 friends over the course of the year that’s not taking income, but if it copy it 50 times and share it in a day it is? I could also sell it to my friends or even rent it out to them, that’s all money in My pocket and legal, until I copy it instead.
No, it still is. You’re just physically limited to one person until they finish reading which limits the damage. You can’t physically share it to them in one day. Either way, the author isn’t getting paid for their work.
If you actually like the book, you should encourage people to pay for it so that the author can make more of what you like. The way you’re doing it, the author will have to get another job and won’t be able to write because they can’t pay their bills.
Edit (since OP edited): The point still stands. You can’t sell one book to multiple people and “renting” it is still taking money from the author even if the damage is physically limited to one item.
I do see where you're coming from, but not necessarily. If my friend has zero interest in ever buying said book (or can't afford to) and would never become a paying customer, there is no downside to sharing a copy. In fact, if they like the book enough, they may even become incentivized to buy themselves a copy or look into the author's other work legitimately when they otherwise wouldn't have.
This is how/why I pirate most games. I don't have the type of pocket money to spend on games I don't know I'll love, so I pirate them first. If they're good enough, I'll buy the actual game on steam later. Spider-Man, Baldur's Gate 3, Cassette Beasts, etc. are all games I plan to buy when I can afford to. And I can promise I never would have bought Slime Rancher 2 if I hadn't pirated the first one at some point and enjoyed it.
Can’t have revenue without profit mate.
Thats hilarious, you responded to me first.