Why people (me included) are going to pirate the prologue

[Bastor]

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Seriously? You do realise you are forcing me to pirate it now? This is utter insanity. I'm willing to pay a lot more for this prologue, I'm such a huge fan of the series and you restrict the prologue sales? This is just retarded. :[

[TristanWebb]

This will be locked I assume, but international copywrite law hasn't caught up with the 21st century. It isn't the vendor's fault, they have to follow the law, and the law says they can only sell to regions they are allowed to sell in.

 

If you don't mind committing a little fraud, clear your cookies and enter a US billing address, you will be able to buy it from here unlike ever other vendor I have seen which checks where your credit card is registered.

[yoniy0]

I agree. The laws dealing with distribution of electronic merchandise are archaic. Unfortunately, it's still the law, and DM isn't at liberty to ignore it. As mentioned above, we hope to make possible for international customers to get the WoT ebooks from our store in the future.

[Luckers]

Tor doesn't have distribution rights outside of the United States and Canada--it's not that they, or Dragonmount, are being either stupid or descriminating against those of us from outside those two nations, its that it's illegal for them to sell the prologue to those of us from outside those two nations.

 

 

Edit: I also agree that the laws--indeed the entire industry--needs to catch up with the technology.

[David Selig]

How come then I can buy all of the paper editions of TOR (or any other American publisher)'s books, from Amazon, Book depository, and plenty of other sites, even though I live in Europe? Why is it different with e-books?

[Mark Molzner]

paper vs electronic media...

[TristanWebb]

How come then I can buy all of the paper editions of TOR (or any other American publisher)'s books, from Amazon, Book depository, and plenty of other sites, even though I live in Europe? Why is it different with e-books?

Because Americans elect old men who think the typewriter is new fangled tech. Paper books are hundreds of years old, it is hard to be scared of them. Electronic books are a decade old and publishers are just as scared of change as every other manufacturer so they take their fears to the old men and tell them that if people can buy them easily it will destroy the world and the old men believe them because they don't know better.

 

The problem is, people can get the ebooks for free illegally with less effort than it takes to buy them legally (this is actually the last digital media that I care about for which it is true, Steam has done more to curb game piracy than the DMRC ever did). Until that changes, more and more restrictions will be put on their sale which just increases piracy. Harriett's decision to delay the ebook release is pretty much the only way you can slow piracy in the current environment and even with that the Audible version will be on the torrent sites within the week and a scanned copy within the month.

[lolguy26]

How come then I can buy all of the paper editions of TOR (or any other American publisher)'s books, from Amazon, Book depository, and plenty of other sites, even though I live in Europe? Why is it different with e-books?

Because Americans elect old men who think the typewriter is new fangled tech. Paper books are hundreds of years old, it is hard to be scared of them. Electronic books are a decade old and publishers are just as scared of change as every other manufacturer so they take their fears to the old men and tell them that if people can buy them easily it will destroy the world and the old men believe them because they don't know better.

 

The problem is, people can get the ebooks for free illegally with less effort than it takes to buy them legally (this is actually the last digital media that I care about for which it is true, Steam has done more to curb game piracy than the DMRC ever did). Until that changes, more and more restrictions will be put on their sale which just increases piracy. Harriett's decision to delay the ebook release is pretty much the only way you can slow piracy in the current environment and even with that the Audible version will be on the torrent sites within the week and a scanned copy within the month.

 

very true

[sleepinghour]

Foreign readers (except those in the UK/Commonwealth countries) can buy the prologue from Amazon. If you don't have a Kindle, you can use Kindle for PC to read it.

[yoniy0]

The problem is, people can get the ebooks for free illegally with less effort than it takes to buy them legally (this is actually the last digital media that I care about for which it is true, Steam has done more to curb game piracy than the DMRC ever did). Until that changes, more and more restrictions will be put on their sale which just increases piracy. Harriett's decision to delay the ebook release is pretty much the only way you can slow piracy in the current environment and even with that the Audible version will be on the torrent sites within the week and a scanned copy within the month.

I want to spend a minute discussing this. Indeed, I've read in several places that the most prevalent generator of piracy isn't cost or financial hardship (i.e., poor people aren't more likely to pirate a book), but rather unavailability of content. In any other circumstance, it's been shown that enough people will be willing to pay for what they get that those who pirate it actually help generating revenue for the publisher (by increasing the content's popularity, and since people who enjoy what they got sometimes decide to pay for it -- or better yet, become fans of the author/programmer and consume his product for years to come).

 

In that light, I happen to disagree with your latter observation. While not supplying the book in electronic format to retailers before Jan 8 might help prevent snafus like what happened with the prologue, the fact that no ebook is available for three months would undoubtedly mean that more people will acquire a pirated scan of the book, even if -- like me -- they decide to go for the audiobook as means of buying the book on release day. Will those people then pay for the ebook when it becomes available? Some will, for sure (I did for ToM, for example, and yes, I've already had a scan by that time; it's impossible to find quotes in an audiobook, and I like discussing the books around here). However, resentment over the delay works to aggravate the problem, along with other factors (such as the exorbitant prices ebooks go for under the agency model, sometimes even years after publication).

 

EDIT:

Foreign readers (except those in the UK/Commonwealth countries) can buy the prologue from Amazon. If you don't have a Kindle, you can use Kindle for PC to read it.

Actually, Amazon requires you set up a 'country of residence' as well, and restricts content based on that.

[sleepinghour]

Foreign readers (except those in the UK/Commonwealth countries) can buy the prologue from Amazon. If you don't have a Kindle, you can use Kindle for PC to read it.

Actually, Amazon requires you set up a 'country of residence' as well, and restricts content based on that.

 

I'm in Sweden and had no trouble buying it. Tor has a full list here of which countries are eligible.

[David Selig]

The Amazon price is $5.74 for me. What the hell, that's almost double the one for the US residents...

[yoniy0]

Foreign readers (except those in the UK/Commonwealth countries) can buy the prologue from Amazon. If you don't have a Kindle, you can use Kindle for PC to read it.

Actually, Amazon requires you set up a 'country of residence' as well, and restricts content based on that.

I'm in Sweden and had no trouble buying it. Tor has a full list here of which countries are eligible.

Oh, I really wasn't aware of this new development, but that doesn't mean Amazon doesn't screen by country. It simply means all of these countries are now on the green list.

[MasterAblar]

Foreign readers (except those in the UK/Commonwealth countries) can buy the prologue from Amazon. If you don't have a Kindle, you can use Kindle for PC to read it.

Actually, Amazon requires you set up a 'country of residence' as well, and restricts content based on that.

 

I'm in Sweden and had no trouble buying it. Tor has a full list here of which countries are eligible.

 

YES! Thank you!

 

Sorry Yoni0, I wish I could have bought from Dragonmount.

[Orderofolde]

Tor doesn't have distribution rights outside of the United States and Canada--it's not that they, or Dragonmount, are being either stupid or descriminating against those of us from outside those two nations, its that it's illegal for them to sell the prologue to those of us from outside those two nations.

 

 

Edit: I also agree that the laws--indeed the entire industry--needs to catch up with the technology.

I'm thinking it is for copyright reasons and pirating out of Pakistan and China where it is a multi-billion dollar a year business as there are still some countries that flout international copyright recognition. I think Iran is one as well. Someone there pays $2.99, then sends it out free or resells it at a steep discount...you do the math. In today's cyber age if they put it on the internet for sale, the implied if not express intention is for international distribution. Claiming they can't sell it outside the US or Canada is just a polite way to say they don't want people stealing it. Buy it on Amazon or B&N without any trouble over billing addresses. I haven't seen it appear on Audible yet.

[FarShainMael]

Orbit has come up with the goods.. on October 2nd:

 

http://www.orbitbooks.net/2012/09/24/a-memory-of-light-prologue-by-grace-and-banners-fallen-available-2-october-2012/comment-page-1/

[David Selig]

Just enter a random US address when asked and buy it from Dragonmount.

[Glowbal]

Is there any means to buy the prologue without a credit card? I'd much prefer to use PayPal, but I can't seem to use that on Amazon.

[FarShainMael]

Where are you based? Here in the UK it is possible to buy Amazon 'gift' cards; one or two of the main supermarket chains and other high street stores stock them.

[yoniy0]

Is there any means to buy the prologue without a credit card? I'd much prefer to use PayPal, but I can't seem to use that on Amazon.

Why, yes! The DM store accepts PayPal.

[csarmi]

I paid on DM by PayPal and I'm from Hungary. As far as I know, you can be staying in the US. (you can give a US address by the permission of the resident)

[Zewe]

Is it possible to use Amazon.com gift card credit (preexisting) to buy ebooks for someone else?

If so, I've got around $45 that I'd be happy to use on foreign WoT fans if they'd be willing to reimburse me via Paypal (after they've read it, of course).

 

Sorry :( I'm super broke right now.

[yoniy0]

Is it possible to use Amazon.com gift card credit (preexisting) to buy ebooks for someone else?

Yes. You can use the "Give as a gift" button on the product's details page.

Regarding the other part, about having them reimburse you, I'm not sure. That's a bit similar to reselling the books, which is of course illegal.

[Zewe]

I'm not reselling it, though, I'm buying it for you. It's no different than a loan, from a friend, relative, or otherwise.

"Hey dad, I need twenty bucks to keep my power on but I don't get paid til Friday. Can you wire me some money today and I'll get you back then?"

[Glowbal]

Where are you based? Here in the UK it is possible to buy Amazon 'gift' cards; one or two of the main supermarket chains and other high street stores stock them.

 

Ah I should have mentioned of course! I am from the Netherlands. Unfortunally I can only seem to find 25 and 50 euro gift cards, which I think are a bit to much for just the prologue and a one time order.

 

Is there any means to buy the prologue without a credit card? I'd much prefer to use PayPal, but I can't seem to use that on Amazon.

Why, yes! The DM store accepts PayPal.

 

Awesome!

 

From what I could gather I cannot use the DM eBooks store from the Netherlands, is that correct? And if so, any other possiblity?

 

I do thank you both for your reply.