NYTimes Columnist Explains How He Torrented 'The Bourne Identity' Because It Wasn't Available... Then Sent A Check
from the leaving-money-on-the-table dept
Famed NY Times columnist David Pogue has a history of recognizing that some of the "fears" about internet "piracy" are overblown. So it's great to see him using his NYTimes blog to explain how he ended up torrenting an unauthorized ebook copy of The Bourne Identity for his son. Apparently, due to royalty fights, Robert Ludlum's estate remains a hold-out on the ebook front, so there simply are no authorized ebooks to buy -- though Pogue tried pretty much every possible ebook store to see if he could track one down. Eventually, he did what many people do in such a situation:Dudes: It’s 2012. You’re among the last big-name holdouts on the face of the earth. You’re worried about the royalty rate? How about worrying about the thousands of dollars a month you’ve been leaving on the table by not offering the books to the public who’s willing to buy it?He notes that he then sent the publisher a check for $9.99. I am hoping that he will do a followup on whether or not they actually cash it.
Eventually, I did what I’m sure thousands of frustrated Ludlum fans wind up doing: I downloaded the book from a BitTorrent site.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: business models, david pogue, ebooks, robert ludlum, the bourne identity
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Weird
The Bourne Identity is available from the Kindle store here in the UK so I would find it strange if it weren't available in the US.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bourne-Identity-Saga-ebook/dp/B0037471TE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-tex t&ie=UTF8&qid=1344025679&sr=1-1
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Abourne+identity&keywords=bourne+iden tity&ie=UTF8&qid=1344025980
Also, please see the first sentence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheque
[ link to this | view in thread ]
It should have been for $5.99
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/authors/anderson-poul
[ link to this | view in thread ]
More likely he will receive a $3500 settlement letter for copyright infringement.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
True for the UK but in the US it is spelled check.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Compulsory License?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
MAFIAA Get out of our lives.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
As in: "He paid them $9.99 by Czech".
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
Check can be spelled either way you are talking about money, but only "check" when you are about seeing whether or not something is ok, "checking something out", etc..
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Weird
Finally, their request was granted and they immediately flew to New York and then on west to Yellowstone. They reported to the local ranger station and were told that it was the grizzly mating season and it was much too dangerous to go out and study the animals.
They pleaded that this was their only chance. Finally the ranger relented. The Russian and the Czech were given cell phones and told to report in each and every day.
For several days they called in, and then nothing was heard from the two scientists. The rangers mounted a search party and found the scientists' camp completely ravaged. No sign of the missing men.
They then followed the trail of a male and a female bear. They found the female and decided they must kill the animal to find out if she had eaten the scientists because they feared an international incident.
They killed the female and cut open the bear's stomach... only to find the remains of the Russian.
One ranger turned to the other and said, "You know what this means, don't you?"
"Of course," the other ranger nodded. "The Czech is in the male."
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Compulsory License?
Oh no no no no. Ludicrous! That would not work for maximizing profits. Plus, we want consumers to have to use multiple platforms of DRM locked-down non-transferable formats because we like to have our digital items dispersed among Amazon, B&N, Google Books, Comixology, Dark Horse, etc., depending on who carries the title we want. And we certainly don't want the titles to be carried by everyone. That would be too convenient and consumer friendly. [Add emoticon here]
That's why I have paid for both the digital and hard copies of "Bunch of Amateurs" by Jack Hitt, and am still considering busting the DRM or pirating it so I'm not still locked in to B&N's tablet app. Problem is, damn kids don't upload this type of book to P2P sites.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The again, the proper thing to do in this situation would be to but someone else's book. It's not like there aren't many to choose from.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: It should have been for $5.99
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Dragging their ass kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
They'll cash it
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: It should have been for $5.99
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
In England, but not in the colonies...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
A bit of digging shows different companies published the book in the UK than the US. It seems that HarperCollins (part of News Corp) was responsible for the UK publications, and Random House for the US ones.
That said, it seems that the e-book is available in the US anyway, and for $8.02. David Pogue should ask for $1.97 back, provided he doesn't get done for "copyright theft", attempted bribery (paying them off to not report him), encouraging and inciting "copyright theft" by publishing the blog post, trade mark infringement for mentioning the title of the book without a licence, maybe throw in libel and conspiracy to defraud for suggesting the book wasn't on Amazon, and whatever else those creative people at the publishing groups can come up with.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
Get over yourself.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The comments are mind-blowing
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Weird
You've shown either a major selection bias or a troll-tastic trollishness. Why do I say this?
Spelt is a grain and spelled is the past tense of spell in American English. Cheque is not midwest USA standard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Seen this before
Who is benefiting? well that would be me and the site/author getting advertising for providing a link to the eBooks.
And if i come across a really good author i might just pay for his content. Just to encourage him to write some more.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Seen this before
If you want to support the "new economy" model, that's how it works. It's funny as heck to read all the people here going on and on about the new economy, and then they are all out there pirating the good stuff they refuse to pay for.
Two faced, that's what it is.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Seen this before
You really don't get how you contradicted yourself here?
"If you want to support the 'new economy' model, that's how it works. It's funny as heck to read all the people here going on and on about the new economy, and then they are all out there pirating the good stuff they refuse to pay for."
The new economy model is a description of what's already happening, not a doctrine you "support." And something that somebody offers to you as a favor is not something you "refuse" to pay for.
I'm shocked at how illogical and superstitious the other side is becoming. Even creationists have the Bible - what do anti-torrenters have?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Seen this before
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Seen this before
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
That's because they can't get an oxford english dictionary either. rofl.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Compulsory License?
I don't know what the rule are for advertising these sites on TechDirt, so I'll refrain from telling what the site was that had the audiobook, but that site certainly kicks some serious ass, now that the demon has been (temporarily?)exorcised.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Check (or cheque) out the comments on the NYTimes post
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Compulsory License?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Oh they can't because he tried as much as possible to pay and ended up sending a check.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
This title is not available for customers from: United States
There's a page for it, but no way for US customers to buy it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Weird
This title is not available for customers from:
United States
Shop titles available for United States
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Now Available!
I've been waiting for this!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Weird
[ link to this | view in thread ]