Comments on: J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, ebooks, and the definition of irony

By: Sally

Sally — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:25:24 +0000

Everyone seems to be on the same page, except Rowling and the publishers. I got a Nook so I wouldn’t have to choose which books to lug around in my purse taking up space, or on my vacation/trips. The first thing I looked for was the ebooks for Harry Potter. I own every book Rowling has ever published, and would have gladly paid for an ebook version. Instead I torrented them. If she comes up with an ebook version at some point, I’ll probably pay for them, out of good old guilt, but until then, I have no qualms about having illegal copies.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:09:21 +0000

I would have to agree. I am one of those people who purchased the physical copies of the books and have purchased two copies of the audiobooks. One set from itunes and the physical audiobooks. I would have gladly spent more money to purchase the ebooks, but they are not available. Do I think it is wrong that people are resorting to pirated downloads? No, not if they can’t be obtained legally. This is a mess that the author and publisher have created themselves.

By: Digital Crows Nest » How to Manage Your Digital Rights

Digital Crows Nest » How to Manage Your Digital Rights — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:57:11 +0000

[...] of course, brings us to the second point: you can’t DRM a print book. Harry Potter is probably the most infamous case of this, but in essence, even going so far as not making a book [...]

By: Author’s Guild backs Macmillan in feud with Amazon | Brad’s Reader

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:25:39 +0000

[...] irony, of course, is that authors/publishers trying to prevent piracy through such tactics only encourage [...]

By: Jim Taryon

Jim Taryon — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:56:01 +0000

100% agree. I actually wrote a letter last year to her publisher informing them that I would be happy to pay for legal copies. I’ve been reading digital for years now (so it makes me laugh whenever they say apple will revolutionize reading…only dinosaurs fail to realize that books have been digital for a decade now). However, with no legal copy available…what’s a guy to do?
The train isn’t coming. It’s here. Get on board or get run over. None of us really care which you choose. It will not effect the trains momentum or direction.

By: CE

CE — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:32:49 +0000

I have been looking everywhere for a “legal” ebook copy of JK Rowling’s HP books. I would gladly pay for them although we have already purchased at least 3 copies of every paper volume and have the DVD set.

eBook readers are a hot seller and people are looking for their favourite books. They also don’t just appeal to the younger set but also to us middle age folks who would gladly pay for our reading material!

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:48:55 +0000

This is the first time I’ve deemed it necessary to make a social comment…. here goes…

Ditto, ditto, ditto!!!!

I own the books, the audio CDs and the films – each and every one paid for with my hard earned wages.

I now own a Kindle, and like many others commenting here, the HP book set was my FIRST choice to purchase/download. I tried the Amazon site and was dismayed to find out that not only were they not available, but that the author has no intention of releasing them in this format!! Bother x 7!!! (The Twilight series was my 2nd choice – Bingo!)

I can understand that physical books may encourage younger readers to get into reading, but in this day and age, the e-readers are the way ahead. Take a lesson from the music industry – ever heard of iTunes? Find out what their profit margins are.

I can’t realistically carry around the last 4 books in my handbag, but my Kindle & iPod go everywhere with me.

I will be waiting “patiently” for the e-books. But for now, I’ll have to resort to listening to the Audio CDs on my iPod.
But please, please, please don’t make us wait too long!!!!

By: Donnie

Donnie — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:47:24 +0000

I agree. I recently got the Barnes and Noble nook, and the first thing I searched for was the HP series. I own every book in the US hardback version. I did not feel bad downloading the PDF for my nook. Would I have bought them if they were available for purchase? Absolutely. If they become available for purchase, will I buy them (even if I have read them all 20 times)? Absolutely.

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:53:42 +0000

Wow, I was looking to buy an ereader (probably the nook) and I wanted to get the Harry Potter series on them. I have read the last three books, but I never read any of the earlier ones. I planned on those being my first books on the ereader, but I am probably going to pirate them if this decision isn’t changed by the time I get one early next year. This article is 100% accurate in terms of irony. Every person that has commented saying that they pirated the books stated that they tried to buy them first. Technology is an unstoppable force; you can resist all you want, but you will eventually give in or get plowed over in the process. She is losing tons of money by holding out and it is pure ignorance to think otherwise.

By: Lis

Lis — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:37:44 +0000

I opened up the Sony Reader I received for Christmas yesterday fully expecting to put a few books I’ve always wanted to read but never got around to, aswell as few faithful old favourites. Top of my ‘old favourites’ list: my 3 favourite HP books, I searched around a bit but, as I had a lot of trouble with the ebook store I foolishly chose to use, I thought nothing of it that they didn’t have the HP series.
Then when I couldn’t find it anywhere I found this article and have just got more and more angry as reading the comments because they’re all saying exactly what I’m feeling. I love the HP series, my favourite ever, and have a lot of love and respect for J K Rowling and the world she cleverly created, but I have lost a little bit of it here today. I have all the books and have read them more times than I can count on both hands and I, like everyone else here, was fully prepared to pay full price for the ebooks to get them on my reader so I can read them where I want, when I want without having to take huge books on the bus or on holiday with me.
People who pirate just because they won’t spend money on ebooks and whole albums are just disrespectful to the person who created the material but those who pirate because they really can’t get the material elsewhere are just the product of attitudes such as Rowling’s. This should be a lesson to her: just like everyone else who has commented and doubtless more, I’m off to get a torrent for the ebooks I would have paid for if they were only available to me.
Ordinarily, would I feel guilty about stealing an author’s work? Yes, very much so. Do I feel guilty about this particular act of piracy? Not one little bit and I’m dealing with one of my favourite author and works here. Frankly, it’s her own fault and I’m quite disappointed in her and her attitude towards how she sells her work.