Ray Sullivan SciFi Zone: January 2012

Tuesday 31 January 2012

The Self Publishing Bubble Question

An interesting link stumbled across my Twitter feeds today (via ebookrevolution). It's an article by a Guardian writer Ewan Morrison who has spent the last six months wondering about the future of print books and the digital age versions.

You can read Ewan's article here.

The thrust of Ewan's argument is that ebooks are following a pattern that can be analogous to a Bubble, that infamous economic curiosity that leads to the loss of massive amounts of money invested in tulips, dotcoms, subprime mortgages and Bazooka Joes. Only one of those bubbles has failed to cause inordinate pain to many people.

Ewan makes a good argument, although it isn't universally supported by his readers - if you go to the article, hang on to the comments at the bottom, it's a right old ding-dong. But then again, if he's right and we are in some way heading for a Bubble situation, the reality is that anyone seriously investing in that Bubble (and here's where the analogy does seem to falter a bit, because the main investment involved is effort, not cash) then we should be in a bit of denial. I can claim to be on the moral high ground here concerning most previous Bubbles because I've been raised to believe if something seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is. And I believed they were way too good to be true at the time, however I'm arguably stuck in the middle of this Bubble, if that's what it is, so my judgement may be flawed.

I'll leave you to weigh up Ewan's thoughts, but will offer just a couple of points; and these are ones where I really do agree with Ewan.

The first is that very few eBook self publishers will make any money out of the industry, and that almost certainly includes myself. The market is crowded, there appears to be no end of new writers producing books every day. It's been said for a long time that everybody has a book in them; nobody seemed to take that too seriously until the technology to self publish for free came along, then it seemed we all decided now was the time to prove the saying. In my defence I had written three books before I looked at epublishing and had gone to the trouble of self printing them on A5 sized paper back to back and spiral bound for distribution with friends since 2004. For a silly price, I'm prepared to sell one or two of the original books, but please note they are a bit dog-eared - the time, effort and cost involved in producing them made it compelling to turn them in to personal library books.

The weakness I have to acknowledge is that not all the books coming out are deserving of readers' time and effort, although some established writers are starting to demonstrate a similar tendency, which is irritating me somewhat at the moment. For those of us with an excuse, the cost of a professional editor is currently out of our reach given the sales we are likely to make and I'm certain that our books suffer to some degree for that. I think that there will be a reasonably priced independent market in talented editors that will grow to counter that in time.

The second point I agree with is that the print publishing industry is going to decline - hardly a major insight, given the results from the last year or so. And I guess I am part of the reason for that, along with hundreds of thousands of other self publishers. Not all of it, though, and I didn't start this ball rolling. We can't uninvent the technology that has made this possible and I guess the ham-fisted approach and attitude of the print industry that has milked the book market for ever has to take some responsibility. I've commented on several occasions my views on the print industry; its consistent failure to gauge the needs and desires of the reading public, its high handed attitude to publishing that has focused on what it saw as safe bankers, the system that makes it almost, but not entirely, impossible for new talent to emerge.

So I don't know if we're in a Bubble, although I suspect we're not. I don't expect to retire to a life of writing any time soon on the back of my book sales, but more than happy for you guys and gals to prove me wrong. And I expect the print media to all but disappear in the reasonably near future. How we will sort out the chaff from the wheat in the eBook industry is a problem that exists now and will become more difficult as we go forward. The challenge is not how to avoid getting burned in a Bubble, because when it bursts it's about how we can manage the eBook explosion that has already started.

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I can be followed on Twitter - @RayASullivan

email me on raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com

Visit my books on Amazon (for Kindle owners) and Smashwords (for access to all other formats and access to Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Sony and many other good ebookstores).

For quick access to the various Kindle, Kobo, WH Smith and Smashword links please use the table below to view my books

To View My books In....

Monday 30 January 2012

What Does Your Data Say About You?

I stumbled across the fact that Friday 27th January was Data Privacy Day in the European Union and Saturday 28th in the United States. It may be a tad late - it's ironic that the event seems to be the most secretive aspect of personal data. It's a great idea though, reminding us all about the dangers of data security, because it seems many of don't take it too seriously.

Many of you will have Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and might run the odd blog or website. Some of you will be careful about who you let see those pages and in particular your words and images, but if someone from your extended Facebook family shares something you've posted then you have no control over where it will end up.

I hear the 'Big Deal' cry as I type; so someone you don't know reads your views on the Government or sees you draped over the railings outside a pub after a spectacularly good night out. But research commissioned by Microsoft for the Data Privacy Day reveals that it is a deal, for all of us to some extent. They surveyed adults in the US, Ireland and other developed countries about attitudes and experiences.

First off, 56% of the surveyed adults don't think about the consequences of their online activities. That may not seem such a big deal until you find out that 14% of the respondents had had a negative experience as a aresult of their online activities. 21% of the 14% (approximately 3% of all surveyed) had lost their job as a result! Three percent. For something they wrote or were identified doing via an online entry.

Assuming that the survey was run correctly (and Microsoft can afford a decent survey if anyone can) then statistically that 3% can be applied to the general populations of the developed world. OK, you could take the view that if someone is stupid enough to badmouth their employer, or post photos of themselves white water rafting when claiming to be off work with a back injury they deserve to be sacked. An alternate view is that many people bad mouth their employer, often in public, but if they're smart enough (on not techie savvy enough) to avoid using Social Networks then they will continue to get away with their misdoings.

The survey also highlighted other negative experiences ranging from not getting a job (although it's difficult to see how someone can know that absolutely unless advised that the job was theirs apart from the online information) to losing their health insurance. Again, you may be low on sympathy for people who appear to cheat systems, but perhaps it's very easy for comments to be taken out of context when passed from FB user to FB user.

But it's not just your boss checking out your social network pages, there are people data mining your information right now. Got a Facebook profile? Does it have your date of birth on it? Great for targetted marketing (I was amazed at how quickly I started to get hearing aid junk mail the day I turned fifty), and superb for credit card thieves - a critical piece of data used by banks as identification. Why not pop your mother's maiden name on there, too, as that's quite a useful piece of information. You may find, if your mother has a Facebook page and is a 'Friend' of yours, she may already have listed her maiden name in her profile, perhaps even in her FB handle (Suzy Q prev X). You may as well pop your employer in there too, you can't make it too simple for scammers to make it look like they're a concerned bank just checking a payment from XYZ Corporation. Just a few questions to confirm you are the account holder before we start...

And of course, if you have put your employer down, then should you make a comment that may be considered derogatory or at odds with Company Policy, then your defence is going to look a little weak. If you work for Apple, I'd suggest you be very careful what you say about their products online as sniffy doesn't cover it.

General wisdom would be to ensure that your Facebook security settings are limited as much as possible. Remember you don't have have your Date of Birth visible, it doesn't even have to be honest - if you're not publicising it, what does it matter if it's incorrect - it's not like the FB team send you a birthday card. The same goes for your other online activities - keep the data down and try to keep a firewall between sensitive data and your opinions if you can.

Sometimes you need to provide information publicly and make it freely available if you want to achieve some goal. I keep my Facebook page as private as possible - I rarely post and use it to view information from family and friends. [update - since writing this I have started a new Facebook page to promote my books - it's open to all to join in and holds only relevant author information] My Twitter and Blog accounts are open to all to look at as they are tools to promote my writing, but I suppress information about how I earn a living, who I work for as it's irrelevant to promoting my books and it means that my employer shouldn't be able to claim I've tarred its public image with my views.

So, before you shut your computer down, take a moment to reflect if your social media information is appropriate and necessary - do you need to leave your date of birth available for anyone to view, can you persuade your mother to not advertise her maiden name? Or, alternatively, call up your bank, credit card and store card call centres - they're all in India so you may end up talking to the same person several times, you may end up with a rapport and a new Friend for Facebook - and change your security details to less obvious data if they allow it. Your friends probably have your birthday ringed on their calanders anyway, so you should still get that card. And if you email me your date of birth, where you were born and your Mother's details I'll send you and your mother suitable messages every year. Promise.

Now, before I close down my computer, I really must see if I can help those poor fellows in Burkino Faso struggling to move large amounts of money. I mean, there's so many of them with the same problem. Perhaps if I send them basic information about myself, I can help them to help themselves...literally.

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I can be followed on Twitter - @RayASullivan

email me on raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com

Visit my books on Amazon (for Kindle owners) and Smashwords (for access to all other formats and access to Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Sony and many other good ebookstores.

For quick access to the various Kindle, Kobo, WH Smith and Smashword links please use the table below to view my books

To View My books In....

Sunday 29 January 2012

Project: Evil - First Friday Brunch part 1

Project: Evil Chapter Four - First Friday Brunch part 1

Brian rushed down the corridor, aware that he'd taken twice as long as he'd allowed to find the board-room where the Friday Brunch meetings were held. It hadn't helped that he couldn't find his way out of his own office – he knew he'd passed his own pod at least three times.

He found the board-room and, as expected, the doors shut. From behind he could hear a drone so he knew the meeting had begun. He checked his dress, the mad dash to find the meeting room had ruffled his otherwise immaculate PJs so he spent a few seconds pulling at the jacket hem and flattening down the fabric. Deciding he'd tidied himself up sufficiently he rapped smartly on the door and stepped inside.

O'Feld sat at the top of the board-room table, his white jacket slung on the ground beside his chair revealing a white singlet vest contrasted by the shoulder holster worn under it. Daw sat with his arms behind his head, a multi-coloured Bandolier across his chest. The Head of Diversity sat with one leg on the table, a stocking rolled down to her ankle and the Health and Safety man wore a jacket straight out of the punk movement with razor blades sewn onto the lapels. Everyone else was dressed just an inappropriately, including one wearing an eye patch and a pirate's hat. 'Head of Security,' thought Brian as he realised the drone had stopped. His head raced for a few seconds until the penny dropped.

'It's dress-down Friday,' he declared. O'Feld smiled and waved him to his chair before putting the drone back on the stand.

'I'm guessing you never got that email. Welcome to your first Friday Brunch.' he said, pulling on the cord attached to the drone's engine several times before it caught. A flash of ignited rocket fuel spread across the table length, searing several eyebrows as the drone accelerated forward and smashed through the window, scattering glass everywhere. Somewhere in the near distance in Central London the drone exploded, bringing down an ageing tower block.

Briefly the meeting introduced themselves in descending order of usefulness – the various Heads of Department, Engineers, Designers, Rocket Scientists, thugs, scum, dross and HR professionals. Brian nodded to them all, trying to remember the names and faces, especially of the thugs in case he ran into any of them outside of work. O'Feld called the meeting back to order.

'Now that Mr Richards has found our little meeting room perhaps we ought to spend a little time discussing world domination,' he suggested. Daw coughed, tapping the agenda in front of him. 'Or perhaps we should follow the agenda,' said O'Feld, resignedly. Daw pulled his papers closer to himself as he addressed the meeting.

'There's been some criticism regarding the attrition rate on induction days,' he said. The Head of Facilities piped up.

'And the increase in summary executions is causing problems with our contract cleaning arrangements. The contractor doesn't mind disposing of the odd slain henchman but the cleaning of carpets, walls, furniture and associated upholstery is eating into the time they've been contracted to work. The last induction created an inordinate amount of work cleaning up afterwards,' he finished with.' O'Feld looked around the room.

'Ideas, people?' he asked, exasperated.

'Pay the contractors for more hours,' suggested the Head of Security, moving the patch across to the other eye. Daw looked up angrily.

'That hardly addresses the waste of recruitment hours my staff put in,' he said, growling. O'Feld held a hand up. 'Let's not get all worked up, there's bound to be a pragmatic solution here,' he said, stroking his cat absentmindedly.

'How about we slay some of the contract cleaners until they stop complaining,' suggested the Head of Security, watching Daw very carefully, 'or we get Daw to recruit some no-hoper candidates – guys he'd probably have slain as part of the paper sift. Just let them attend induction, slay them there, pay some overtime to the contractors.' Daw looked quite interested and O'Feld was bored with the subject.

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The characters, companies and places referred to in Project: Evil are fictitious and any resemblance to people, companies, businesses or places is entirely coincidental

If you've enjoyed this chapter of Project: Evil then check out the blog every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday as the story unfolds and, if you haven't done so already, why not follow the blog.

If you know someone who has a warped sense of humour please pass them the link to my blog so that they can enjoy 'Project: Evil'.

I can be followed on Twitter too - @RayASullivan

Visit my books on Amazon (for Kindle owners) and Smashwords (for access to all other formats and access to Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Sony, WH Smith, Kobo and many other good ebookstores

For quick access to the various Kindle, Kobo, WH Smith and Smashword links please use the table below to view my books

To View My books In....

Saturday 28 January 2012

Why Don't Authors Re-Write Their Novels?

In virtually all media art forms there is a tradition of reworking and updating material, giving it a fresh coat of paint, so to speak.

Take movies, for example. We all know that popular films get updated and recycled every so many years - everything from Bond movies to dance classics such as Footloose get this revision process. Then there are the homages, hats tipped to the original story but filmed as a different piece of art - new title, different character names but essentially the original plot updated.

In music its a little different - it's considered bad form (for that read illegal) to 'update' music tracks without the original owners' consent. But making an original interpretation of a song is fine as long as the owner gets credited and compensated - take 'Yesterday' by Lennon and McCartney for example; think of a number to guess how many versions have been recorded, any number you like, and its probably short of the current total.

But does anyone revisit their books? Do authors think 'hey, it's about time I reworked such and such a book?' Probably not, and for some justifiably good reasons, I guess. If a book is still selling well, that implies it ain't broke. If it's not selling well, but once did - well a rework might kick-start it, but if the author is still writing and has the creative juices flowing he or she probably wants to get the new ideas down on paper (or e-ink). Reworking an old novel probably feels too much like self editing a book, a process all authors have to do as they near publication day and it can be a bit of a drudge reading and re-reading prose for the eleventeenth time. And judging from some of the typos I've stumbled across in the last twelve months, including books from best selling mainstream authors and their publishing houses, it's a step that isn't being carried out assiduously enough.

I moot these thoughts as I consider my first novel, Parallel Lives, could benefit from a facelift. When I wrote the main draft nearly ten years ago I reflected issues and technologies that were bubbling under the surface back then. For example there's a plotline about Avian Flu that was probably more worrying in 2002 - don't get me wrong, I still think that a mutated Avian Flu strain may yet cause a pandemic situation but since I wrote the plot the risk has got close to being real. Now from a writing perspective that's great in one way - predict something, even something that potentially could cause a lot of heartache and devastation - and you could be recognised as prophetic, not a bad reputation for a sci fi writer. But in 2012, plotlines about Avian Flu probably look a little dated. Another plot element, number plate recognition, wasn't well known about when I used it as part of the plot back then - I was in the defence procurement world and had some inside information which I sneaked in. Today it's a mainstream piece of technology, used to identify car tax dodgers and to punish shoppers who linger too long in supermarket car parks. There's no issue with its use in Parallel Lives, but writing it today I would just refer to it as an established technology, not a 'wow, look at this' plotline.

Because I like to swim against the tide, I may well re-write Parallel Lives and it may even be rewritten in this blog, chapter by chapter (they almost certainly need breaking down a bit anyway). If I do, it may be after Project: Evil has been serialised, or I may interleave the two books on different days.

But most Authors wouldn't do that, I readily accept. But here's an idea that might work, one stolen from the world of film. What about updating another author's work - not stealing the idea but rewriting the book, updating it in the way that films are rewritten and updated. Obviously give the original author full credit but write the book in an updated style. Perhaps rework a piece of Charles Dickens as a SciFi novel? Great Expectations could work, A Tale of Two Cities could be set on another planet, although there's enough revolution going on in the world today to not need to fabricate an alien location.

But lets not kid ourselves. Apart from the fact that all writing draws on what we have read and seen previoulsy, there is belief that there are only a handful of original storylines anyway. So technically, with every book we write we're almost certainly stealing something from somebody on practically every line. Maybe an upfront re-write is a more honest form of intellectual theft?

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I can be followed on Twitter - @RayASullivan

email me on raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com

To View My books In....

Friday 27 January 2012

Project: Evil - Induction part 4

Project: Evil Chapter Three – Induction part 4

After lunch there was a team-building exercise outside designed to get some fresh air in the inductees' lungs, some oxygenated blood flowing through their brains. Once they'd solved the usual logic puzzles using cryptic messages, pine poles and Semtex explosive all but three filed back into the lecture theatre for the demonstration on dress code.

The Head of Clothing Supply stood facing the group, his pyjama jacket buttons undone to the waist.

'What's wrong with my dress?' he asked, rhetorically he assumed.

'Your cock's hanging out,' shouted a wag from the floor.' He tried to ignore the heckler.

'Am I dressed correctly?' he asked, putting a hand on his hip.

'For a gay magazine,' shouted the heckler, followed by a single shot and a dull thud as the man hit the ground minus his frontal lobe. The Head of Clothing Supply holstered his weapon and zipped himself up smartly.

'I like to start my afternoon session off with a reference to my favourite firearm,' he stated, patting his holster, 'Heckler and Cock sub-machine pistol.' It was the thirteenth induction he'd cracked that gag at and still no-one had the balls to groan, apart from the guy in the ninth induction who'd taken three minutes to die, but that probably didn't count as the Head of Clothing Supply had shot them off too. He did the buttons on the pyjama jacket up carefully before continuing.

'Corporate Wear is to be worn at all times when at work except for those personnel in public-facing activities and in bed,' he said, holding up an identical set of pyjamas to the pair he was wearing. 'You will be issued with nightwear for use in theatre and it is not to be mixed with daily Corporate Wear. It can be distinguished by the teddy bear logo on the pocket,' he said, pointing to the colourful emblem showing a teddy bear with a machete. Apart from the logo it was identical to the shit coloured PJs all staff wore. One of the trainee henchmen held his hand up.

'Wouldn't it be easier to have a totally different design of clothing for nightwear?' he asked, a suspiciously thoughtful question for a person who's job description revolved around absorbing enemy bullets and stumbling over low railings at the first indication of an intruder.

'Yes, it would,' replied the Head of Clothing Supply, 'and we did toy with the idea of providing a three piece suit for nightwear, with matching bed socks, but we recognised that there are times when it's better to be on duty improperly dressed rather than be correctly dressed but late for the self destruction of the facility. It is totally permissible to be shot to ribbons by an enemy agent while wearing nightwear however the wearing of nightwear for non-emergency periods on duty is not permitted, naturally,' he said. The question clearly had provided the Head of Clothing Supply with an opportunity to vent his favourite subject.

'Corporate Wear is a critical part of our identity – it's often the only way we can distinguish our people from enemy agents attacking alone, often weapon-less and statistically out-numbered. If we allow our people to wear any clothing they feel like we'd be slower spotting lone intruders wearing dry suits and snorkels or safari suits. Lord knows we have enough difficulty as it is when we are all wearing Corporate Wear, but to be fair the enemy agents do tend to leverage the natural camouflage provided by our monorail and golf trolley systems,' he added. Another hand shot up.

'What's with the bars on your lapel?' asked the public sector guy, predictably concerned about status. He had the natural public sector obsession with meaningless stratification of purpose, whereas the private sector is generally obsessed only with financial rewards, a subject that affects less than one percent of public sector people meaningfully. Rank, however, obviously was something O'Feld personnel gave a flying shit about, judging by the Head of Clothing Supply's response.

'No bars means you're a worthless, good-for-nothing cannon fodder moron. One bar means you're assumed to be capable of pushing a no-bar moron in front of you when the bullets start to fly. Two bars means you're assumed to be capable of persuading a one bar moron that he doesn't have a bar if the no-bar he wants to push in front of him has a more important business purpose such as absorbing bullets the two bar might have to absorb otherwise. Three bars means he has paperwork to fill in when the shit hits the fan, leaving the two bars to do whatever they have to do to ensure the paperwork is complete and unstained with three bar blood.

‘After that we have three bars and a number. The higher the number, the higher the status and generally the lower the degree of common sense and/or accountability. Research has shown that common sense has no place in management and accountabilty is inversely proportional to rank. It's a tried and trusted method developed by the British military. All you have to do is remember that if you don't have a number you're probably right but will be over-ruled; if you do have a number then it depends on the number assigned to the person you're working with whether you'll be taken notice of.' He looked around to see if anyone had managed to follow any of the explanation, discounting the henchmen automatically. Seeing that no-one looked like they had a clue he clapped his hands together and declared the induction to be complete. Brian, public sector guy and the other three survivors filed out of the room.

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The characters, companies and places referred to in Project: Evil are fictitious and any resemblance to people, companies, businesses or places is entirely coincidental

If you've enjoyed this chapter of Project: Evil then check out the blog every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday as the story unfolds and, if you haven't done so already, why not follow the blog.

If you know someone who has a warped sense of humour please pass them the link to my blog so that they can enjoy 'Project: Evil'.

I can be followed on Twitter too - @RayASullivan
Visit my books on Amazon (for Kindle owners) and Smashwords (for access to all other formats and access to Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Sony, WH Smith, Kobo and many other good ebookstores

For quick access to the various Kindle, Kobo, WH Smith and Smashword links please use the table below to view my books

To View My books In....

Thursday 26 January 2012

Casio G Shock Mobile Phone - Trend or Fad?

Casio are one of those manufacturers we've all owned something of in our lives - calculators and wristwatches spring to mind. But now they're making some waves with the latest release in their tough watch range - a watch that's also an Android smart phone.

The thought that springs to mind first is the early Star Trek programmes, or perhaps the Cold War movies with spies speaking into their watches. But is the concept a bad idea?

One clear advantage I can think of against a separate mobile phone is that once you've strapped it to your wrist, you've got it with you. No more leaving it on the office desk or buzzing away on silent in a jacket pocket unfelt when there's a critical call trying to get through. It also leaves both hands free - sure you'd have to hold your watch hand up to your face to use it, but you could still be holding something while you did that - ever struggled to juggle a phone and stuff you're carrying out to the car?

I can't find much in the way of specification apart from some ruggedness criteria being lauded over the net, and if this is a first generation model perhaps it's best to let the early adopters shake it down while waiting for version 2.

My hopes for such a device is built in WiFi - OK web surfing is going to be a little limited on a watch sized screen, but on your wrist is a - er -handy place to to keep such a device. Bluetooth would be useful, so that a hands free headset (sorry about the references - perhaps this is a technology that's just waiting to be launched) could be used.

And some internal storage, so that a few eBooks could be stored, perfect for those commutes. You can read your novels while clutching your ticket ready for the conductor.

Aesthetically, to me, it looks a little clumsy, but I haven't found an image that gives a decent perspective of scale yet - but within the limitations of a wristwatch there is the potential to make an attractive device. Watch this space - it may not be a ruggedised version, but I suspect an Android driven, eBook displaying wristwatch may be the must have present next December.

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I can be followed on Twitter - @RayASullivan

email me on raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com

To View My books In....

Can Internet Piracy Be Stopped Using Laws?

The demonstration by Wikipedia earlier this month in protest at legislation being debated in the US has brought an issue to the forefront of public awareness. The legislation is, to a large extent, motivated by the film industry to reduce or, possibly, stop online piracy. In the face of public objections, the SOPA and PIPA bills failed in Congress.

This can be a complex argument, one about moral rights, or perhaps the alternative view is like the Communist concept that all property is theft; or perhaps it’s what it seems – taking property from someone without their permission is theft; pure and simple. There's no doubt that the Motion Film Industry loses a considerable amount of money to piracy, as do other parts of the media. and while many individuals may think they are gaining something for nothing, or near as damn it, there's also a lot of people making a lot of money out of this, with their sole contribution being to have stolen the media.

All of us will have a stance on the subject of theft, and I guess that many reading this blog will believe that they are honest. In reality, most people have a moral compass that points somewhere near the total honesty mark and most of the time it stays there, keeping them from personal shame and out of gaol. But pass by a strong enough incentive; say a million pounds, Euros or Dollars left unattended and without any clear ownership, a surfeit of CCTV and security personnel, a handy knapsack large enough to carry the money in and my guess is that many of us will find the needle bending away from the honesty marker. But although the money is sitting there without an obvious owner, it still belongs to someone else. The same can be said of films, music and books.

Research has shown that even with our moral compass so strongly pulled (perhaps by the convenient million mentioned above) , many of us would still do the right thing which, depending on your own definition, may be walking on by or phoning the police to report the cash. It may be your religion that stops you from pocketing the money, if you have one, although I don’t believe there’s any evidence to suggest that believers in a God are more or less susceptible to succumbing to temptation than non believers. Or you may just have a good old fashioned, and reasonable, fear of imprisonment.

But streaming a film, downloading a music track or copying an eBook off the Internet for free when the owner of the item hasn’t waived his or her rights to a royalty hardly feels like theft to many people, the kind of people who wouldn't normally consider themselves as thieves. But we all know of people who obtain such material over the Internet, either by directly streaming it from illegal sites or perhaps 'buying' the goods at ridiculously low prices. I personally think that some people think that if they've paid for such goods, at prices that don't reflect the market, it must be legal. I submit that they are willingly, if unwittingly, receiving stolen goods.

Then again, there's another side to this, though. While reasonable, intelligent people can see that the receiving of manufactured media from suspect sources - be it Blu-rays, CDs, Books - is likely to be stolen goods, the same logic doesn't stack up with purely digital media - it's just ones and noughts, isn't it?

However, if you check out eBay for eBooks and you will find compendiums of best sellers on there for peanuts, compiled from material 'in the public domain' and 'not infringing anyone's copyright, in line with eBay policy'. My view is that these claims are poppycock. Just because someone posted a copy of Dan Brown's latest book on the Internet, for free or for a payment, that doesn't mean it's a legal copy or that Mr Brown has waived his intellectual property rights. And shame on eBay for failing to police such sales.

However, book companies, like record and film companies, aren't making it too easy for the moral compass to stay pointing at 'honest'. Take a look at this screenshot from Amazon:

It doesn't take a genius to see where I'm going with this; I have a preference to promote electronic books and a real desire to read this particular book. OK, the hardback version is being discounted because they printed too many - I've ranted on about the failure of the long established and well educated book marketers to predict book runs on several blogs previously. I know that if I wait a couple of months I'll get this book in The Works for about a fiver and my hunch is that with all the manufacturing costs, shipping, storage etc, they'll still make a pound a book profit then, even after The Works have taken their slice off the top. So where is the £12.99 for a stream of ones and noughts going to? Will Walter Issacson get an enhanced royalty from those sales? I doubt it.

I mention this because I know this book is one of the books available 'not infringing anybody's copyright in line with eBay policy' on eBay, on a CD with thousands of other such 'public domain' books, total bundle price: a couple of quid. I won't buy them, I'm not a thief and I don't knowingly receive stolen goods. But the industry - whether it is the film, music or print industry - could do more to make honest ownership easier, still make a profit and could avoid introducing laws in the US that somehow manage to affect law abiding people in countries they should have no right to legislate against. (I would protest against UK legislation that affected legitimate rights of US residents in their own country, too)

If the various industries price their products fairly then there will be less incentive for people to steal their property. It won't solve the temptation of thousands of books for a couple of pounds on eBay, so there will still need to be some improved sanctions (and I think that the likes of eBay could do a lot more than they do to manage this - just accepting a legal statement isn't diligent enough by any means), but laws don't stop crime, they only provide a mechanism to punish those who choose to break them. Fairness, however, disincentivises broadly honest people from turning to crime.

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I can be followed on Twitter - @RayASullivan

email me on raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com