Posted by kashe on 11/04/05 05:05

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:33:08 GMT, "AnthonyR" <nomail@nospam.com>
wrote:


>interesting perspective...not that it would change any legal opinons.
>
>I just started reading this book on the wall street journal best seller list
>and in the beginning of the book
>the author tells you to highlight and markup the book and make it personal,
>then says not to loan it or give it
>to a friend after you read it because it's all marked up and private
>comments inside.

This sounds like complete crap. Unless the book is "not sold,
but licensed" to you, I believe that the doctrine of first sale
applies. At the time of sale, the author or publisher loses control of
the book, except as specified in copyright law. That is, once you've
purchased the book, you are free to leave it on a shelf, scribble in
it, burn each page after reading it, leave it on the street corner,
give or sell it to anyone you choose or donate it to your local
library or VA hospital. You may also sell it to a second-hand book
store. If you were sufficiently unsatisfied, you're entitled to hang
it in the outhouse for use after the Sears catalog is left pageless.

As long as you do not _copy_ the book, then sell or give the
copy (or retain the copy and give the original) to someone else, it's
none of anyone else's business. The stuff about "personalizing" the
book or not appears to be a red herring, possibly no more than an in
terrorem clause, with no legal standing. I suppose the author believs
you could also not keep page-referenced "personal" notes in a separate
notebook and hand those to a friend, leaving the original book
unmarked. He might as well say you and a group of friends in a book
club could not each purchase their own copy, then gather to comment
upon/review the book.


>Also says how is he going to make money if people don't buy new copies for
>their friends?

His problem, not yours.

>
>The reason i commented here is close to your point, after I read a legally
>bought book,

For which, see above.

> if I decide to share it with someone
>who never intended to buy this book to begin with, I am actually promoting
>the book and author by telling friends that this was good, worth my time and
>effort to want to share it with them. That tells people it's worth their
>time to actually read it, and word of mouth spreads and them others who hear
>of it but don't have a book go out and buy it.
>
>So like your point was, the author should be so lucky to have a piece of
>work worth of reading, and stealing or loaning to friends.
>Then he will have something that will also actually sell well enough to make
>him some money.
>It's like a paradox, no?
>
>AnthonyR.
>

[Back to original message]