[quote name='Access_Denied']Right, so how do those two situations affect the creator? In one situation, the user reads the book in the store, leaves the book, and the book remains unsold. (Which, I might add, is only a potential loss to the store, not the creator.) And in the other situation, the user downloads the book, and a copy of the book still remains unsold, not affecting the creator.[/QUOTE]
With regards to the author's rights, he has at least a theoretical choice to sell his book in a bookstore, and knows by doing so that he assumes the rather minimal risk that someone will spend 20 hours a week in Barnes and Noble reading books without being kicked out. Moreover, even if that happens, the author is indemnified. He cannot, however, avoid having his work pirated unless he simply doesn't publish it. And even that might not work.
Or, if you want a strictly economic answer, the aggregate impact of piracy on sales probably exceeds that of unemployed weirdos trolling B&N for the latest John Grisham.
[quote name='Access_Denied']And why is it that just because something is illegal, it's wrong to do?[/QUOTE]
It isn't.
With regards to the author's rights, he has at least a theoretical choice to sell his book in a bookstore, and knows by doing so that he assumes the rather minimal risk that someone will spend 20 hours a week in Barnes and Noble reading books without being kicked out. Moreover, even if that happens, the author is indemnified. He cannot, however, avoid having his work pirated unless he simply doesn't publish it. And even that might not work.
Or, if you want a strictly economic answer, the aggregate impact of piracy on sales probably exceeds that of unemployed weirdos trolling B&N for the latest John Grisham.
[quote name='Access_Denied']And why is it that just because something is illegal, it's wrong to do?[/QUOTE]
It isn't.