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Comment by VLM | Hacker News Reader

Like you'd expect, almost like an art installation, the kindle version costs $2.67 more than the paperback. Thanks middlemen!

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Why did you consider buying the Kindle version rather than the paperback? Because it's more convenient? Maybe that's why they're able to charge more for it.

In USA there are format shifting rights in the Fair Use doctrine I gather. So one could buy the book and scan it and create an ebook, as this is logically equivalent to getting a copy from a torrenting site but is far less economical and wastes more resources it seems the moral thing to do is buy the paperback and send it for pulping and download a copy of the ebook?

The author gets paid, the publisher gets paid, you get the copy you want with less resource waste than scanning it for yourself.

Anyone have a moral objection to that they'd care to elucidate.

Is the torrenting it really illegal when you own the book already?

For now.

Arguably, yes, since in bittorrent downloading content is directly tied to distribution of content.

By torrenting a work you own in a different format, you are (potentially) also distributing that work to someone who doesn't already own a copy.

SO just downloading without uploading should be fine?

I'm no lawyer but I'm sure someone could make that case. The torrent peer swarms don't like that though, and I think most clients tend to penalize that behavior (leeching).

I'd wager so since you own a book, not the content of the book. But the law is a funny thing.

Yes it is. But illegal might be the wrong question. Is it unethical?

I'd say no.

Convenience for sure!

http://amzn.com/dp/B001R11CAI

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