This is SUCH a pile of copyright violations

[jeriendhal]

I'm horribly torn. This link: http://www.the-underdogs.org/gamebook.php leads to an illegal site that offers PDF's of old "Choose Your Own Adventure" gamebooks like they used to print in the 80's and 90's. Stuff with small print runs, damned near impossible to find in used book stores nowadays, and defining of my youth. I'm tempted to use it just fill out my collectionf of stuff that just can't be found on eBay.

On the other hand, it's so freaking illegal, and in violation of the original author/publisher's copyrights. Abandonware arguments be damned, it's still wrong to take away potential profits from the mouths of authors in a marginal corner of mid-scale publishers.

Comments

[sraun]

How is that site taking potential profits away from authors? If it cannot be bought new, I see no difference from getting a copy from a used book store, on eBay, or from www.the-underdogs.org.

If you feel really guilty about it - do they include enough info to identify the author(s)? Maybe you can track said author(s) down and ask them about it - either they'll say 'go ahead', or you can (I hope) negotiate a reasonable personal use license.

<You just hit a personal hot button>
Copyright is a legal monopoly that was originally established in the mid-1800's for the good of society. Before then creative types were supported by patrons, and their stuff went out into the world. Then, the patrons started to dry up, and something needed to happen to support the creative types so that they could produce this wonderful stuff, and still be able to live. It is in society's interest that they continue to produce - therefore, we give them a time-limited monopoly so they can live while doing so. It should not give the creative person and his heirs a perpetual income.

Therefore, as long as I can provide the artist (be he or she author, singer, song-writer, actor/actress or whatever) with recompense, I will do so. I do not consider Disney and RIAA and assorted other modern corporations as needing the legal monopoly - and will not support it for them. I may not go out of my way to hurt their monopoly, but I definitely won't do anything to help it!