Paper book or Ebook?

[Altherion]

MrOJ,

Are those measures legal?

Most of them are. For example, I always choose the option to transfer the books to my Kindle via USB from my computer. This means that a copy of the book always stays on my computer and there's absolutely nothing Amazon or anyone can do about that (well, without physically taking the computer or well and truly hacking it remotely, but this is comparable to somebody just taking a physical book from you). If you don't want anyone to be able to mess with your e-reader at all, you can also turn the WiFi/cellular off -- that's also perfectly legal and it's foolproof.

Of course, there are more gray variations on this theme: with a little bit of effort, one can remove the DRM from all of one's e-books altogether and never have to worry about this. I'm not sure how legal this is, but since all operations are local to one's desktop, it would be very difficult for anyone to prove that somebody did this. I personally haven't bothered with it.

[Errant Bard]

Mr.OJ,

Do you retain a copy of the work on the eReader when you copy to your PC?

Of course you do, or it would not be called copy, but move.

...

Techniques to hide what you do from Amazon may be legal, but if you need to hide it, and claim they would have something on you if they hacked your computer, it does not make keeping the ebook in several places seem legal at all. (I fully support being in illegality and giving the finger to corporations or individuals who think a digital copy can be treated like a physocal one, and that copy is theft, that being said, but arguing that it's legal... I don't think so.)

[MisterOJ]

Mr.OJ,

Do you retain a copy of the work on the eReader when you copy to your PC?

Sure. Why wouldn't I? You're allowed to have multiple copies of an ebook you own. That's why Barnes & Noble (and I assume Amazon, although I don't buy from them) will let you download it more than once. I'm not sure if there's a limit to how many you can have, but it's never stopped me from downloading as many copies as I'd like.

You can have one on your PC, one on your Nook and one on your phone. There's no problem with that at all.

Did you think there was?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

EB,

I take it the copyright holder allows that copying under its license to the purchaser of the eBook?

Mr.OJ,

I did think that there was a limit, but, I don't use eReaders.

[MisterOJ]

Mr.OJ,

I did think that there was a limit, but, I don't use eReaders.

If there is a limit, it has to be five or more because most of my ebooks are on

1) My PC

2) My primary Nook

3) My old, secondary Nook

4) My phone

and 5) My work PC

I've never felt the need to make copies onto a flash drive, but that would be a simple thing to do. And perfectly legal.

[Gertrude]

I just took 5 boxes of books to the secondhand bookstore. It was the best feeling! My bookshelves are still overflowing with special books, but I have so much more room now. If I had to chose one or the other, it would be tough giving up physical books, but I'd choose my e-reader. I am not as sold on reading via tablet, but e- ink is awesome.

Eta: and just for reference, I was totally one of those people who never wanted to switch to an e-reader. I resisted for a long time. I also store copies of my library on my reader, my PC and my hard drive.

[David Selig]

I prefer ebooks for many reasons. Convenience, they are cheaper in general and also I don't have to wait for delivery (major plus for me since I buy nearly all my books in English from sites like amazon and bookdepository while living in an Eastern European country so for paper books I have to wait a whole week or more for the delivery). Plus my eyesight sin't that good so the ability to increase the font size as much as I want is another plus of the ebooks.

I don't worry at all about Amazon or another seller taking my books away, there are easy ways around that, all of my books are on my hard drive too and most of them have had their DRM removed. Not sure exactly how legal that's it where I live, but I don't give a damn honestly. The DRM prevents me from fixing stuff that's often wrong with the ebooks I buy and can be very easily fixed, like text justification.

[Errant Bard]

I take it the copyright holder allows that copying under its license to the purchaser of the eBook?

Heh, technically, it depends, around here you are not supposed doing even a backup copy of most stuff. It's not enforceable, though, so it's tolerated. They get angrier when they start thinking that those copies can be read by several people at the same time. That's where some people come in to push for a police state control of information exchange, so the corporations can at least own the exchange of information and while trying to find another scapegoat for their margins to not have a constant three figures growth.

[MisterOJ]

Heh, technically, it depends, around here you are not supposed doing even a backup copy of most stuff. It's not enforceable, though, so it's tolerated. They get angrier when they start thinking that those copies can be read by several people at the same time. That's where some people come in to push for a police state control of information exchange, so the corporations can at least own the exchange of information and while trying to find another scapegoat for their margins to not have a constant three figures growth.

Can you explain that? Why aren't you technically supposed to have a backup copy?

Are you not supposed to be able to read an ebook on multiple devices either? Are the booksellers breaking copyright law when they allow someone to do that?

[User inactive]

I do prefer reading a paper book to an ebook, but I find it much more convenient to read books on my Kindle. I have many overflowing bookcases and I am running out room to store all of my books, it's much easier to store them all on my Kindle. Like the convenience of carrying a Kindle around with me rather than a bulky book and ebooks are generally much cheaper. And I like the little quirk the Kindle has of telling you how many more minutes you have remaining in the chapter/book.

[MisterOJ]

From the Barnes and Noble website FAQ about their ebooks:

How often can I download a NOOK Book?

Once you've purchased a NOOK Book, you can access and download it as many times as you want.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-books-frequently-asked-questions-faq/379003486

So, it doesn't appear that the company has any problem with as many downloaded copies as you'd like to make.

ETA: More from the FAQ. Nothing in there suggests that you are not allowed to make a backup copy of an ebook you have purchased.

What does DRM mean, and how will it affect my NOOK Book ownership?

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is used to ensure that a specific copy of a NOOK Book is owned by one owner, and is not just given away. This ensures that copyright laws are respected and that authors and publishers are fairly compensated.

DRM means that when you buy a NOOK Book from your NOOK or from BN.com, you own that copy forever, unless you delete it from your online digital library. You can read it, but others cannot read it.

Because the NOOK Book is in your online digital library, you can open your copy from any of the supported NOOK app platforms registered under the same B&N account.

You can also lend a NOOK Book one time for up to 14 days. When you lend the NOOK Book, you also lend your digital rights, so you cannot read the book while the lending offer is pending and while the book is on loan.

[Tellus Explorer]

I love both paper and ebooks, paper because the feel of a book and ebook because I can read at night without turning lights on. it's a win win with both

[NestorMakhnosLovechild]

From the Barnes and Noble website FAQ about their ebooks:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-books-frequently-asked-questions-faq/379003486

So, it doesn't appear that the company has any problem with as many downloaded copies as you'd like to make.

ETA: More from the FAQ. Nothing in there suggests that you are not allowed to make a backup copy of an ebook you have purchased.

"DRM" are nothing but access control technologies. They are the tools that companies use to try to enforce the contractual terms that limit how you can use the products - but they are not the contractual terms themselves.

Those contractual terms are contained in the NOOK Store Terms of Service, which can be found here.

I refer you to Section 4, Part A, subsection (c ): Digital Content - License Restrictions; Prohibited Conduct. - which specifically prohibits one's ability to "duplicate or otherwise reproduce (including "burning") the Digital Content, or any portion thereof, onto any physical medium, memory or device, including CDs, DVDs, personal computers, external disc drives and other hardware, or any other medium now known or hereinafter devised;"

[Procrastimancer]

I prefer paper, but because e-books are more convenient I have cut back my purchases in the format so significantly that they are largely limited to what I find in the occasional trip to Half Price Books. I love paper. It just can't beat the near-instant delivery of purchases, lower prices (usually), and ability to build a mobile library. There are books that I want a physical copy of because I'm a fan of the author or because the publisher put real effort into crafting a good looking book, but they are few and far between.

[lacuna]

Nowadays I buy ebooks almost exclusively, but I also have three cardboard boxes of paperbacks in storage in a friend's basement while I'm traveling. If I ever win the lottery, I'll buy a house and hardcover versions of the books I really like (plus those I want to read), but for now digital is way more convenient.

[MisterOJ]

"DRM" are nothing but access control technologies. They are the tools that companies use to try to enforce the contractual terms that limit how you can use the products - but they are not the contractual terms themselves.

Those contractual terms are contained in the NOOK Store Terms of Service, which can be found here.

I refer you to Section 4, Part A, subsection (c ): Digital Content - License Restrictions; Prohibited Conduct. - which specifically prohibits one's ability to "duplicate or otherwise reproduce (including "burning") the Digital Content, or any portion thereof, onto any physical medium, memory or device, including CDs, DVDs, personal computers, external disc drives and other hardware, or any other medium now known or hereinafter devised;"

There's no need to duplicate though, because Barnes & Noble allows unlimited downloads of any purchased books. You can download staight to your PC or to a flash drive. No copying necessary.

[Errant Bard]

There's no need to duplicate though, because Barnes & Noble allows unlimited downloads of any purchased books. You can download staight to your PC or to a flash drive. No copying necessary.

??? That's exactly what copying is.

[Frank Fitzpatrick]

I tend to go from one to the other. But if I was forced to choose between them, I'd say paper. I'm one of those weirdo's that opens up a new book and smells the pages. :P

[MisterOJ]

??? That's exactly what copying is.

No it's not. It's downloading a second (or third, or fourth) copy of the book.

When I buy an ebook, I download it to my Nook or my pc. That's my original copy. Say it's on my Nook. My Nook is powered off in another room. I then get on my PC, log on to Barnes & Noble's website and download a second copy of the book. That is a completely different and new file. I didn't touch the original copy. So, it has not been duplicated at all. I have two copies of the book. But I have not made them. Barnes and Noble provided both copies to me directly.

It's like if the brick and mortar Barnes & Noble stores have a policy that, once you buy a physical copy of a book, you are free to come back to the store and then pick up an entirely new copy of the book - that isn't copying at all. That's the same thing they are allowing customers to do through the website. It's spelled out clearly right there in the FAQ that I link earlier.

[Anatúrinbor]

Whatever, if there is a chance that a seller will remove my access to a book I've already bought and paid for, then I'll take whatever measures necessary to prevent that from happening.