Amazon has begun shipping the international version of the Kindle this week, and the local market is already responding nervously. But if the device does succeed in making e-books more palatable, will it also lead to a rise in piracy?
Finlo Rohrer at BBC News examines the issue, and suggests that while book piracy is quite widespread, it’s unlikely to reach the same levels as movies, TV shows and music, if only because the conversion process for existing titles is so much fiddlier. As Graeme Neill from the Bookseller points out:
Somebody has had to sit there and scan it. Quite a lot of effort goes into creating the first pirated copy.
Nonetheless, the book industry is likely to suffer many of the same convulsions as other content creators if the Kindle and other devices take off. To avoid accusations of skulduggery, check out our guide to how to save money on books.
Are we due a wave of book piracy? [BBC News]
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