The Crying of Lot 49

[John Carvill]

> Unless permission--licensing, even for $0---has been obtained, it is illegal. Many people don't seem to know that, want to know that or think
> 'the web wants to be free' so scanned books on the web would be free...
>
> or something.

So many people putting words in my mouth today, there's no room to
squeeze in any coffee. And that ain't good.

Yep, I would happily avail myself of an e-text of Against the Day. I
don't see any need to defend myself, but lets be clear that I'm not
talking about copping a free e-text instead of ponying up the dough
for the book. I've bought 3 copies of ATD in hardback so far, as well
as every other Pynchon book, many of which I've not only purchased
multiple times for myself, but who knows how many copies of GR,
Vineland, etc. I've sent out to friends? On the shelf behind me, there
are already 2 copies of Inherent Vice lined up, etc. etc.

Nobody can accuse me of starving authors of funds. Like probably most
people on this list, I buy more books than I can ever get the time to
read. I have a pretty good mental picture of the state of play,
stock-wise, in every second hand bookshop within a ten mile radius of
here, etc. etc.

SO I don't think I'm doing anything wrong having, say, a PDF of
'Against the Day'. Which I haven't, in any case, got.

Oh, and by the way, there *are* quite a lot of legally available
e-texts, free, on the web. Whether that's a good thing or just a
google thing is up for debate, but the fact remains: some 'scanned
books on the web' are free.

Man, teh p-list is grumpy this morning!

Cheers
J