the library's naked because it's clothes were stolen!!

helloooooo, dear readers.

in today's episode of a naked library, i'm going to introduce you to a topic that i have not covered in all my sundry and varied highly entertaining posts (cue suspense music) . . . piracy!!

aaarrgghh, mateys!! shiver me timbers and yo, ho, ho...piracy is the little secret that's not so secret that still dances around the periphery of the e-book discussion.

now, knowing my readership like i do (and i do), i know that you are probably not familiar with this piracy thing of which i speak. you are picturing peg legs, eye patches, parrots and big barrels of rum. and as fun as that all is, it's not really the piracy i'm talking about.

if you walk into a brick and mortar store, pick up a book and proceed to the exit without FIRST stopping at the cash register, that is shoplifting or, in essence, stealing.

piracy is the word you use when you steal e-books. i don't know why it's not called e-stealing or compu-thievery or some such but anyway...

so now you're asking why, pray tell, would one steal (or pirate) an e-book when they are so reasonably priced? isn't that one of the things that makes e-books so attractive (along with their portability)? and you would be right that $9.99 is certainly better than $24.95 but nothing is ever better than FREE! just like buying a book discounted 40% at barnes & noble is better (cheaper) than paying retail at your friendly neighborhood indie bookstore (if you still have one).

intrigued?? i suppose you want to know how one would go about procuring one of these pirated books? i don't know why you're asking me!!! like i would know about these things?? well, lucky for you, i have done extensive "research" on this topic for you, dear reader, but only at the surface level. there is a whole 'nother lower level of piracy and swapping only referred to in rumor and innuendo.

two popular file sharing sites are piratebay and demonoid. these are websites that engage in file sharing and torrent tracking. torrents are how files get shared on these sites - basically pieces of files are hosted by individuals and uploaded separately, yet creating the whole file at the end. kinda. sorta. basically.

anyway, i'm always reading that piracy is an issue for mainstream publishing but not too much, not yet. at least not in the way that led to the music industry's near-demise due to file sharing sites like napster and limewire. and "they" are always surprised when they look at the top "pirated books" on these sites.

top 5 most popular books on piratebay are:

1. porn star secrets of sex (NO, i am not linking. sheesh)
2. never be lied to again (yea, right)
3. men's health magazine nov 2011 UK edition (buff brits?)
4. how to instantly connect with anyone (as long as they're not lying to you)
5. how to win every argument (in the event you catch them lying to you)

top 5 on demonoid:

1. girls of gaming magazine (men...hmph)
2. the complete A+ guide to pc repair (who wants to pay somebody)
3. ny times bestseller combined print & e-book 10-09-11 (whoa..we'll get to this)
4. work smarter with speed reading (have you seen the size of that A+ pc repair guide?)
5. the 8 second secret: the scientifically proven method for lasting weight loss (no comment)

yes, #3 on demonoid is the majority of fiction and non-fiction titles currently on the new york times best seller list.

you mean piracy isn't just for nerdy computer guys who wanna look at girls and get buff? i'm afraid not, dear reader, unless they've turned to reading "the help" in their spare time.

what does this mean for libraries? what, indeed! piracy is like borrowing ebooks from the library but without any DRM restriction and i can keep it forever. i can share it, copy it, put it on multiple devices in multiple formats, basically do whatever i want with it. kinda like when i used to buy a book. or even borrow one from the library. i could let my friend read it as long as he gave it back before it was due.

now maybe academic libraries won't have to worry because who is going to pirate some academic tome or physics textbook. oh, i know . . . those pesky, innovative students who are always looking for a way to save money and shove it to the man. if i can get all my textbooks and supplemental tomes online for free . . . i won't need to go to the library or the college bookstore. or what if i take this book i bought, scan it into my computer, save it and upload to one of those pesky file sharing sites for my fellow collegiate brethren who are being oppressed by the man?

i think this scenario is a little farther out than not, but there are LOTS of textbooks on these sites and the numbers are growing. i didn't even address the software, games, and, yes, music that are uploaded to these sites as well.

just something i was thinking about.

happy reading . . . no matter the format (that i'm sure you paid for fair and square).

ps - there is a facebook page called stop book piracy now. it has 50 fans. michael jackson's facebook page has 34,601,787 fans (and he's dead). i hope the book isn't far behind.