Up/Downloading books as torrents Right or Wrong?

[alfinge]

What do you mean about Up/downloading books as Torrents? Do you download, or do you buy your books?

 

[mehastings]

I'm a tad confused by your post. Are you asking whether downloading books as a torrent is morally wrong?

If that is your question, my answer is "sometimes". I don't have a problem with downloading books where the copyright has expired (like the books listed on Project Gutenberg) or where the author intends the work for free distribution. Downloading newer books without paying for them is stealing.

I should admit that I've been a bit loose with my morals when it comes to downloading though. I've never downloaded a book, but I can honestly say that it is only because I don't like reading on the computer screen. Downloading MP3s without paying for them is generally stealing as well, but I can't say I've been as upright there.

 

[Anamnesis]

I'm also not a fan of sitting in front of the computer and reading for lengthy periods of time, so I wouldn't download books for free. I'd rather go to a library and have them for a limited period of time.

Now if I didn't mind reading on the computer then I would consider downloading books. At least if the books are ones I've been mildly curious about but don't want to spend money on.

 

[Heteronym]

Can't stand reading on the computer. To me it's not a moral problem, it's just that it's a pain in the ass to read them that way. Even with the free classics I still prefer to buy them in book form.

 

[Arrdu]

well i have no problem with downloading music, games, films etc from the net. and if i was prepared to print a book off i guess i would download them too. But there is no way that i would download a book and read it on the computer. i prefer to curl up in bed with a book.. not really practical to take a monitor to bed with you.

besides i like buying all my books. Evan if they are ones that i am mildly interested about. or perhaps just being caught by a flashy title (my worst weakness ).

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I'm also guilty of downloading music and tv programmes, but I have never downloaded e books. Like others, I find it hard to sit and read at the computer for extended periods of time. I am downloading audio books from Project Gutenberg, though, to listen to as I go walking (I'm currently listening to The Picture of Dorian Grey and the reader is so boring )

 

[Arrdu]

i have never tried audio books. i think i would just do the same to those as i do when listening to music and just let it wash over me without taking it all in. when reading a book this is not such a great idea when you realise at the middle of the book you don't remember the start

 

[direstraits]

Audio books are great. Ebooks are great (when you read them using the proper device - PCs are *not* the way to read ebooks!).

I buy my books and ebooks. I've downloaded a lot of ebooks without paying for them, but that's because they are either free, or they were given under promotion from ebook publishers/distributors.

I've never downloaded ebooks from torrents because I've always believed that the quality is probably poor, and not in ebook reader-friendly format (i.e. pure text file). Would I download it? Never say never, but I've never done it before, and don't see the need to - I make it such that I only read classics or out of copyright books or free books on my PDA, and other more contemporary books I read with me holding it between my hands.

ds

 

[steffee]

I think it's wrong. But that's because I'm sickeningly holier-than-thou when it comes to morals. But I think the amount of legally free books, from Project Gutenberg and suchlike, makes it unecessary to download books illegally. I understand that newer books are not freely available to download (legally) but there are libraries, where you can obtain books, in a physical format.

For the record, I also think it's wrong to download music illegally (aside from the quasi-legal Russian download sites - am I allowed to mention those? If not, could a mod edit my post please, and I apologise), and have not done so since I was about seventeen.

 

[WoundedThorns]

like most other people said, the idea of staring at a computer screen to read a book is not very tempting/attractive.