# Free book site at Amazon Kindle discussion



## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

I was just over at the Amazon discussion site and saw someone had posted a link for a website that offers new books for download free.  We all know this is wrong, they even have Harry Potter.  I personally would not use this website, it seems to be stealing to me.  (Remember the girl they tracked down and charged thousands of dollars for illegally downloading music?)
Am I not seeing the big picture here?  What do all of you think of this service?


----------



## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I think I would prefer to stay with KindleBoard free book suggestions.  J.K. has not approved e-books for her writings, so that is a clue this is not legit right there!


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Anju said:


> I think I would prefer to stay with KindleBoard free book suggestions. J.K. has not approved e-books for her writings, so that is a clue this is not legit right there!


Exactly. I am not going to go even look at the site.

Anju, congrats on 300 posts!

L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Anju, congratulations on 300+ posts!

Thanks for being an active member!

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

Anju from Mexico.... congrats on 300 posts!! Way to go!  

Linda


----------



## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Thanks Leslie and Betsy and Linda - I feel so at home here!

Leslie and Betsy do you realize you are the same number of posts?  LOL  I've been watching all night, nothing to reach doncha know


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I was reading this on the Kindle Discussions and it worries me that something like that could ruin the free email conversion for everyone. If Amazon realizes that books obtained on a site like that, they could decide there is too big of a liablity issue to over coverting files for Kindle users.   What do you think


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm sure Amazon is quite well aware that pirated books are being emailed to the Kindles through their system. 

Once more books become available, and those books are priced reasonably, people will be much less inclined to go searching for poorly converted pirated copies, and will purchase legitimate copies. The recording industry is finally starting to get it, and the publishing industry will have to come kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century as well.


----------



## Anju   (Nov 8, 2008)

I agree - I would rather pay for a well translated book than go for a pirated book.  If we (kindle owners) keep hammering the publishers, authors, maybe something will happen - some day LOL


----------



## koland (Nov 24, 2008)

Anju said:


> I agree - I would rather pay for a well translated book than go for a pirated book. If we (kindle owners) keep hammering the publishers, authors, maybe something will happen - some day LOL


It also helps if you report the posts on amazon's board. Only if they receive a number of flags on a post does someone look at it and decide to pull it. Like any board, it has to be policed by the members.

Of course, many probably are not even aware that the person who set up the web site linked to is doing something illegal (yes, I looked, since the post didn't have much about what type of books he was sharing; it could have been books he had written; then I reported the original post). Others are aware, but don't care (or don't want to get involved). Illegal stuff is easily found (like porn), if you go looking for it (and even if you you don't, if you ever do a search or just read your email), but also easily avoided and community pressure can get it removed.

As for JK - buy her books in a used bookstore. That way she can be happy that you are "experiencing paper", which she considers essential to her novels (hmmmm.... then why the lucrative movie deals?), while you are happy not paying her a single penny and still not stealing her work. I suspect ebooks of her novels may wait until lawsuits against her estate break the will conditions and unlock those rights (or she smartens up and sees how much money she is passing up by only allowing illegal copies to exist for a rapidly growing segment of readers).


----------



## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

I also reported the post to Amazon.  I wish they would remove it.  Remember if you don't want to purchase DTB's you can always borrow the books from your public library.  Almost all librarys are internet accessable now and you can request any book you want to read and they will notify you when it is ready for you to pick up, couldn't be easier.  Ours also has DVD's, CD's and audio books all at not cost.  I Love my Kindle, but I still Love my library too.


----------



## Lizzy (Nov 26, 2008)

Theres a whole lotta books there that i would love to have but im gonna wait and see how many people get arrested first.


----------



## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Personally I think the likihood of anyone getting arrested is very small.  What makes me sad is that it appears that's the strongest motivation to not do something that is clearly illegal.  I don't care what country it's from, in the U.S. - and probabaly in that country too - it's illegal.  Those are illegal copies even if you delete them after two weeks.

I have friends who buy a lot of their mp3s from a Russian site because it saves them so much $$$.  I think of those artists who have created something that will never see a dime for that copy or even know that people are appreciate their work as much as they are.  All to save a few $$$.  Where is integrity?  Honesty?  

Sad commentary on people IMO.

To me with ebooks it's tempting because the books aren't available in eformat legally - books that I would love to have on my Kindle.  I do think even Rowling will eventually change her tune.  It may be awhile, but one day we'll be reading Harry on the Kindle.  Until then I'll just  have to read DTBs and other things on my Kindle.


----------



## nebulinda (Dec 19, 2008)

Nothing at all is going to be done, legally, about that website. Okay, _maybe_ now that it's gotten such press, it's _possible_ that some publishers _might_ ask the ISP to ask that guy to take his website down (regardless of where it's hosted). But the fact is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar sites, with much wider variety, and that are much better hidden. Not to mention all the BitTorrent websites. If your creative work has any semblance of popularity, then people are pirating it.

Nothing will ever stop people stealing digital media. It's a fact of the internet age. The RIAA has even decided to stop suing people over illegally downloading music, because it was just so ineffective. I think I even read somewhere (but don't quote me on this) that Apple is getting rid of their DRM. Pirating is so rampant that I believe it's impossible to fight. In any case, DRM is not the way to do it. For almost every DRM protected book in the Amazon store I could probably find two or three illegal copies (depending on the book--if it's really popular, more). DRM is meant to stop pirating, but it's not doing a damn thing. Yeah, most illegal copies will have formatting errors and typos, but that doesn't matter to the kind of people who would pirate books in the first place. And with the types of errors I've seen in some books in the Amazon store, some illegal copies are about on par. I don't believe that lowering prices would make a huge difference. These people are not trying to live frugally; they just like owning stuff and not paying for it, and stealing over the internet is just so easy.

I did not mean for this post to become a rant against DRM, nor did I mean for it to become so fatalistic.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Isn't it funny that whenever this subject comes up from any angle, JKR is the first author to be mentioned?  It's a wonder that her ears don't burn off, because I'm sure this is a hot topic world-wide.


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

nebulinda said:


> Nothing at all is going to be done, legally, about that website. Okay, _maybe_ now that it's gotten such press, it's _possible_ that some publishers _might_ ask the ISP to ask that guy to take his website down (regardless of where it's hosted). But the fact is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar sites, with much wider variety, and that are much better hidden. Not to mention all the BitTorrent websites. If your creative work has any semblance of popularity, then people are pirating it.


Yes.

What's interesting...I'm on a mailing list for readers/authors and many of the authors are self-published or published through very small specialty presses. Periodically, someone will discover a bunch of the member authors' books on a BitTorrent (or similar site) and post the info. Then there is lots of complaining about piracy, stealing, etc. etc. with many authors loudly proclaiming that _this _is why they are anti-ebook.

I understand their point but I also wonder if they are inadvertently giving their stuff away for pirating. Like I said, many of these authors are self-pubbed or very small publishers and listening to their marketing efforts, it sounds like they send copies of their books to every blog author in the universe who might possibly write a review. They send off the word files or PDFs -- in essence, giving them away. Who's to say that all these "reviewers" are upfront and ethical?

Everytime I bring this up on the list I get shouted down, so I don't bring it up anymore, but it is something I wonder about.

L


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Everytime I bring this up on the list I get shouted down, so I don't bring it up anymore, but it is something I wonder about.
> 
> L


Sounds like the emperor does not want to know that he's not wearing any clothes. . . .

Ann


----------



## nebulinda (Dec 19, 2008)

Leslie, that's a good point. I think that's probably how lot of of the self-published authors get pirated. Though for some books, I don't really know exactly how they get pirated. For the books that already exist in DRM'd electronic formats, I assume that it wouldn't be too difficult for an adept person to break the DRM. But for other books, such as Harry Potter, I can only assume that people got a hold of some OCR software, or typed it all up themselves, or stole a copy from the author's/publisher's computers, and that all seems like a lot of work to me, just so that you can give copies to other people.


----------



## Guest (Jan 11, 2009)

If they have used OCR software like I have used in the past, then most of the works are unreadable. With very few exceptions, I have never been satisfied with OCR results. Of course, I have always used the freebies that came first with my flatbed scanner and then with my HP All-in-One.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

LuckyRainbow said:


> If they have used OCR software like I have used in the past, then most of the works are unreadable. With very few exceptions, I have never been satisfied with OCR results. Of course, I have always used the freebie that came first with my flatbed scanner and then with my HP All-in-One.


It can be done with good software. That was one of my many, many jobs at the lawfirm where I worked.


----------



## Sofie (Dec 30, 2008)

"I also reported the post to Amazon.  I wish they would remove it."

I was just on the Amazon site and it looks like the OP has deleted the message with the link to the free site.


----------



## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

The OP has deleted his post.


----------



## LSbookend (Dec 22, 2008)

I have to admit, I would love to have JK's work in digital form, but knowing she doesn't want it that way makes me not want to get it. By getting it all you would be doing is showing how indeed digital copies are not safe and we want to convince authors otherwise. Plus, an author should be paid for his or her work and this is not giving her anything.

LSbookend


----------



## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

LSbookend said:


> I have to admit, I would love to have JK's work in digital form, but knowing she doesn't want it that way makes me not want to get it. By getting it all you would be doing is showing how indeed digital copies are not safe and we want to convince authors otherwise. Plus, an author should be paid for his or her work and this is not giving her anything.
> 
> LSbookend


*Exactly. I can understand that she wants people to feel the pages of a book in their hand and I understand that, especially when it comes to kids reading her books. That said, there are plenty of adults who read her books as well. I haven't read them yet but I would like to do so on my Kindle if they were available. I think she's shutting out a whole category of people by not allowing her work in an ebook format. *


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

LSbookend said:


> I have to admit, I would love to have JK's work in digital form, but knowing she doesn't want it that way makes me not want to get it. By getting it all you would be doing is showing how indeed digital copies are not safe and we want to convince authors otherwise. Plus, an author should be paid for his or her work and this is not giving her anything.
> 
> LSbookend


When we buy paper books and pass them on, the author doesn't get paid. If we buy the digital copy, we can't pass it on and the author gets paid. The great majority of us wouldn't know how.

Legal digital copies are way safer than unauthorized copies that can be passed around thousands of times.


----------



## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *Exactly. I can understand that she wants people to feel the pages of a book in their hand and I understand that, especially when it comes to kids reading her books. *


Although I like the argument of... "so why does she allow them in audio book format?" That's even less like a paper book experience than an ebook format is!


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Steph H said:


> Although I like the argument of... "so why does she allow them in audio book format?" That's even less like a paper book experience than an ebook format is!


Most audio books are for those that may not be able to see well enough to read the paper format. My friends mother loved to read and has lost her eyesite and she now relies on audio books. I do wish all authors would allow ebooks.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Steph H said:


> Although I like the argument of... "so why does she allow them in audio book format?" That's even less like a paper book experience than an ebook format is!


That's a very good argument. I wouldn't consider an audio book to be reading. It's just like listening to music or the storybook lady reading to the kids at the library.


----------



## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Kathy said:


> Most audio books are for those that may not be able to see well enough to read the paper format. My friends mother loved to read and has lost her eyesite and she now relies on audio books. I do wish all authors would allow ebooks.


I'm not arguing against audio books, Kathy, I'm just saying that Rowling's argument against ebooks -- that they lose the feel of holding a paper book and don't "fit" in the world of Harry Potter -- doesn't hold water when you compare it to her allowing audio versions, which have the same non-paper, non-reading drawbacks that she complains about. I guess maybe it's more that she just doesn't like the "new-fangled technology" of ebooks versus the long-established format of audio books, I dunno. *shrugs*


----------



## nebulinda (Dec 19, 2008)

Audio is also a hell of a lot easier to pirate than text.


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Steph H said:


> I'm not arguing against audio books, Kathy, I'm just saying that Rowling's argument against ebooks -- that they lose the feel of holding a paper book and don't "fit" in the world of Harry Potter -- doesn't hold water when you compare it to her allowing audio versions, which have the same non-paper, non-reading drawbacks that she complains about. I guess maybe it's more that she just doesn't like the "new-fangled technology" of ebooks versus the long-established format of audio books, I dunno. *shrugs*


I didn't think you were arguing. The arguing quote wasn't from me. I agree that audio isn't the same as reading and I agree that I don't understand her fear of e-books. Sorry if you took it that way. It wasn't my intention. I wish all authors would allow e-books.


----------



## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

Kathy said:


> Most audio books are for those that may not be able to see well enough to read the paper format. My friends mother loved to read and has lost her eyesite and she now relies on audio books. I do wish all authors would allow ebooks.


*That would be my only guess as to why there are audio book versions. I have a friend who is blind and while she does use a Braille reader, she does listen to audio books as well.*


----------



## nicuknitter (Dec 28, 2008)

I love the Harry Potter series.  I have the books in paperback, hardcover, and on CD.  I now have issues holding the heavy books and would really like to have them for my kindle.  They were actually one of the reasons I chose to splurge for the kindle-the size and weight of the long books I enjoy.  I also hope that J K Rowling will reconsider.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Maybe JKR is living in the medieval world she created. Maybe she would prefer to have monks copying her books on parchment with a quill pen.

I think I'll just repost this for the newbies that missed it. It's been a couple of months since it was first put up here.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

That is too funny, Gertie.  Thanks for reposting.  I had not seen it the first time.  
I often imagine folks in a help desk environment laughing around the water cooler about the silly things I call in about.  
debbie


----------



## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

gertiekindle said:


> Maybe JKR is living in the medieval world she created. Maybe she would prefer to have monks copying her books on parchment with a quill pen.
> 
> I think I'll just repost this for the newbies that missed it. It's been a couple of months since it was first put up here.


i guess after working with Scroll 3.0 all your life, moving on to a book would be a challenge. JKR will eventually come into the 21st century, I just hope it happens soon.


----------

