Re: Neat summary of Google strategy

On Mon, 8 Jun 2009, Marion Gropen wrote:

> -- Works DO go into the public domain eventually, so it's not 
> as if there will never be the possibility of re-issuing them.

This is certainly true if you simply don't know how to track down 
heirs who are rightsholders. However - how does this work if 
everyone has lost track of the author? If there is no definitive 
report of an author's death, when does "life+X" start counting 
down?

> -- There are always a LOT of alternative works that could be 
> used. It's just not very likely that you've found the one and 
> only work that fits your need. It's a classic newbie mistake to 
> think that his or her book is unique, and I think it would be 
> similarly off-base to think that an orphan work is 
> irreplaceable.

This comment has been leaving me with a very uneasy feeling for 
two weeks now. And to be clear - that's because I'm thinking it 
might be *right*, not because I think it is wrong.

If this is generally true - that for any given book, there are 
alternatives that fit the role to some degree - then it's likely 
going to be true for any book -- even new ones. This is not to 
say that one book isn't going to be a better fit than the rest, 
and that it can justify a higher value. But in general, this is 
going to mean that the greater the sheer volume a book is 
competing against, the less it can justify its value above its 
competitors. And to be clear - I don't have a problem thinking 
that in many cases, paper books are competing against video and 
audio in all it's various forms, as well as competing against 
electronic text.

Seen this way, e-books are not a specific threat to paper books. 
They are just one of a number of symptoms of a massive volume of 
material .. "out there". Many of these alternatives can take 
advantage of new technologies to lower distribution costs, which 
has the effect of enabling a wider swath of material to become 
available.

But it also means that for any author who is not at the top of 
the pile (and maybe even some of those), the value of their next 
work is getting lower each time. And it's not piracy that's doing 
it - it's the wide array of material that serves as your 
competition.

Marion, your long-standing question about what to do if and/or 
when free ebooks can't drive the sales of paper (because 
electronic has become the primary mode) starts to look a little 
different. The low and lowering cost of electronic means that a 
new book - ebook or paper - is competing against an ever 
increasing swell of material of all types. The question still 
stands, and is important - but the reason we get to that point is 
much more about the entire range of creative media, not just 
because of ebooks.

The problem for paper books may then be that the creation process 
simply means they cost more than the market will bear. And you 
could legislate copyright all you want, but at the end of the 
day, if it costs more than people will pay, then they won't pay. 
They might pirate, or they might select something cheaper - but 
they won't pay.

Unless we re-write copyright to *force* people to pay creators to 
create (whether or not they want the results), then strong 
copyright will only hasten the downfall of relatively expensive 
works. Of course, rampant copying will also hasten the downfall 
of expensive works. But in the face of such economic pressure, 
perhaps nothing can keep the value of works up. (I've yet to see 
a law that can oppose strong economic pressure.)


This ends up being a brutally simply direction.

Most people will pay less. Most creators will earn less. Creators 
will either accept less or stop creating. Those creators 
accepting less might very well find that there are many more 
outlets for their creativity, and other ways - yes, such as 
advertising - to tap into the flow of value. But that still may 
not make up for the losses elsewhere.

In such an environs, ebooks will almost certainly work very well. 
But - that's hardly the point here, is it?


... Chris


: chris smith ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecunia possit - cicero :


------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------
Post a message:   ebook-community [[at]] *
Unsubscribe:      ebook-community-unsubscribe [[at]] *
Switch to digest: ebook-community-digest [[at]] *
Switch to normal: ebook-community-normal [[at]] *
Put mail on hold: ebook-community-nomail [[at]] *
Administrator:    ebook-community-owner [[at]] *

(* == yahoogroups.com)
-------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebook-community/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebook-community/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    mailto:[email protected] 
    mailto:ebook-community-fullfeatured-hHKSG33TihhbjbujkaE4pw@public.gmane.org

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ebook-community-unsubscribe-hHKSG33TihhbjbujkaE4pw@public.gmane.org

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/