Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’ Criminal Prosecution

Re:Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’... by refurb on Friday August 11, 2023 @10:09PM (#37096267)

Would you friend feel the same if they were an author or an artist who created the work and depended revenues from their work to put food in their mouth?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’... by ta123456789 on Saturday August 12, 2023 @07:21AM (#37099048)

At least for science books, authors get paid very little or nothing. And no researcher/teacher relies on that for their income.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’... by refurb on Saturday August 12, 2023 @11:04AM (#37100900)

That actually makes it worse, not better. You’re basically denying authors the peanuts they get.

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Re:Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’... by ta123456789 on Saturday August 12, 2023 @11:54AM (#37101447)

Look up the incredible profit margins of publishers such as Elsevier or Springer.

University researchers/teachers who publish books or articles through them often get paid nothing (zero), or very little. And they do not care, since their goal is get publications in prestigious venues, which helps them in their academic career.

My point is that this stuff should be free, open access, published at low cost through university presses etc. So pirating academic books is basically fine.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’... by refurb on Saturday August 12, 2023 @11:16PM (#37106352)

My point is that this stuff should be free, open access, published at low cost through university presses etc. So pirating academic books is basically fine.

That should be up to the author, no? If they decide to not make it open source and take a tiny profit, that's their decision since it's their work.

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Re:Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’... by f6v on Saturday August 12, 2023 @12:58PM (#37102077)

Well they can publish it on LeanPub and charge 20$ instead of 200$(of which most goes to publisher). Some books are just predatory business.

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Re:Z-Library Petitions U.S. and Argentina to Cease ‘Illegal’... by refurb on Saturday August 12, 2023 @11:08PM (#37106306)

Sure, but publishers do a lot of promotion, have upfront bonuses, guaranteed quantities. There is a reason why people go with publishers and don't self-publish. You're paying for the reach and marketing.

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