Z-library founders arrested in Argentina

Post by stubish » Fri, Nov 18, 2022, 12:12 AM UTC

Balgair wrote: post #264

josh_fyi wrote: post #111

I was delighted when my book showed up on Z-library! I of course was never paid for authoring that book; indeed I paid a subvention to publish it with Harvard University Press. At some point, the rights were sold to the giant publisher Brill, which was charging $30 per chapter for a book that has no value by chapter. Luckily, some kind soul at University of Marburg uploaded it and Library Genesis still has it. https:…

Reminds me of how Orwell preferred to write introductions to 1984 only for illegal reprints behind the iron curtain. I can't find the exact quote but he said that he'd write it for that audience alone as he knew without a doubt that they would read his introduction. If I ever actually write a book, I hope I have enough courage to do the same and only write introductions for cracked copies. You know the audience actua…

Post by charlieyu1 » Fri, Nov 18, 2022, 12:13 AM UTC

null_object wrote: post #9

I know this won't be a popular take on HN, but while I can understand and to a certain extent sympathize with pirating movies (the intentional friction and arbitrary geographic limitations on access imposed by the multinational movie-industry conglomerates), I can't see stealing some poor author's work in the same light. Sure, people get hung-up about DRM (which can easily be removed by widely-accessible tools), but…

Post by odysseus » Fri, Nov 18, 2022, 12:16 AM UTC

connorgutman wrote: post #146

aliqot wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not free at the library, the book was purchased with your taxes.

It was purchased a single time, just like the original e-book that you pirate.

Post by atyppo » Fri, Nov 18, 2022, 12:21 AM UTC

dredmorbius wrote: post #388

hggh wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Z Library is still alive, as a TOR Hidden Service: http://zlibrary24tuxziyiyfr7zd46ytefdqbqd2axkmxm4o5374ptpc52...

How long that remains the case with at least two of its principals arrested may be somewhat uncertain. Any present operator(s) and site(s) would have to remain outside the reach of US or other Western jurisdiction and extradition treaties.

Post by john-radio » Fri, Nov 18, 2022, 12:28 AM UTC

stubish wrote: post #401

Balgair wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reminds me of how Orwell preferred to write introductions to 1984 only for illegal reprints behind the iron curtain. I can't find the exact quote but he said that he'd write it for that audience alone as he knew without a doubt that they would read his introduction. If I ever actually write a book, I hope I have enough courage to do the same and only write introductions for cracked copies. You know the audience actua…

The dynamics are completely different to printed books, which need to be purchased by the reader. Cracked e-books are downloaded in bulk and often never read or replaced by another 'free' book when the first few pages don't engage sufficiently. It isn't unusual for someone to get an ebook reader, have a mate fill its storage with best sellers or a genre dump, and never ever download a new title or even know how.