John Scalzi joined the debate on "illegal" copies of books when he wrote this article in reaction to an article written by Randy Cohen of the New York Times. Randy, who writes an ethics column, considers it ethical to download a pirated e-book version of a book that you have already purchased.John's view is that as a writer, he only sees money from a single purchase of a book. If he doesn't see any more money when the book is re-sold second hand he isn't too worried about a reader who, after buying the hardcover or paperback, makes free of any electronic versions out there. In fact, he suggests that a book should come with a registration code to pick up a free copy of the e-book from any of the major e-book stores.
He still believes that the people to make the pirated books are criminals; and purchasing a book does not give one the right to a pirate version of the audiobook (let alone the "movie based on the book"). I think he is taking a very sensible approach to the burgeoning e-book market: his interest is in his own welfare -- the more of his older work is available (after he's most likely wrung his last deserved dollar out of it) the more likely someone from this wider audience will purchase his new work.
On How Many Times I Should Get Paid For a Book (By Readers) - Whatever:
When John himself bought an e-book after buying and misplacing the dead-tree version...
"I pay the authors more than once, because I can and I think I should. However, I also put such actions in the ethical category of “morally praiseworthy but not morally obligatory” — that is, I believe my transactional responsibility to the author was fulfilled the first time I paid her. Additional payments to the author are optional, and indeed are sometimes transactionally difficult. If a book is out of print I may have no choice but to buy a used physical copy, for which an author gets nothing, or acquire an unauthorized electronic edition, which again gives nothing to the author."
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