Saturday, January 07, 2012

A poser for the weekend

Here’s a tricky question to end the day, at least in my part of the world: if you had free access to copyrighted books and ebooks on the internet, what would you do? Would you be tempted to download them on to your e-reader or desktop computer or would you take the moral high ground and desist from doing such a thing? Music I have downloaded, movies never, and books not yet. Millions are downloading music and movies without a shred of guilt. I don’t know the download scene for books still under copyright. So far the only books I’m reading online and occasionally downloading are the classics, other fiction, and short stories no longer under copyright. But what is your view?
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6 comments:

  1. CHE7 January 2012 at 20:21

    hmmmn...I prefer paper books anyway so its not much of a temptation for me. I too read a lot of copyright free short stories online, atleast I'm hoping they'r all copyright free. Haven't downloaded anything yet.

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  2. Prashant C. Trikannad7 January 2012 at 22:59

    Che, thanks for your view. There's no substitute for holding a book in your hand and reading it. As far as short stories go, most of them are free of copyright. And that goes for all the classics too so there's plenty to read online.

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  3. Charles Gramlich8 January 2012 at 08:03

    I wouldn't download them. But then I'm a writer so I might be particularly sensitive to this issue.

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  4. Prashant C. Trikannad8 January 2012 at 10:43

    Charles, I understand your sentiment. I'm not a professional writer, not yet at least, but I feel the same way about copyrighted books. I've occasionally downloaded the classics, legally, which, most recently, included ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Erich Maria Remarque.

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  5. Mel u9 January 2012 at 18:15

    ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT could you possibly please post a link where one can down load this?-thanks-I bought Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry this morning!

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  6. Prashant C. Trikannad10 January 2012 at 00:14

    Mel, here's a link to ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT -- http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77260968

    I have not yet read Mistry's FAMILY MATTERS.

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