1. Authors do indeed receive compensation for having their books in libraries. But how much compensation? Under the “Public Lending Right” scheme, authors receive $1.40 for each copy of their books in a library. So if that book is then borrowed 50 times, that’s only 3c per reader!

For more info on the PLR scheme go to http://www.dcita.gov.au/arts_culture/arts/lending_rights/public_lending_rights_guidelines_for_claimants

2. I think you’ll find Borders would prefer customers to read only a few chapters over a cup of coffee, and then buy the book to take home.

I could also point out that most works uploaded to BitTorrent were purchased legally by the uploader.

Mat, consider yourself owned.

Better what we have than China, where piracy rules and there is practically no local music industry. I read somewhere that only 12 CDs were commercially released by the Chinese music industry last year. 12! I don’t know the figure for any western countries, but it would be in the thousands.

a) Royalties from sales to libraries

and

b) Royalties from all library borrowing.

2. What was that? Over a coffee? Reading a copy that Borders has already paid for? So

1) Author already receives royalties

2) Borders also receives indirect compensation through the coffees it would take to get through the book

So your point is false, because the first two examples can CLEARLY not be compared to your Bit Torrent efforts.

There. I win. This comment has been so devastating that it’s almost post worthy.