Posted by Adam Quinan on May 16, 2014 at 03:07:47 user Adam.
In Reply to: Re: Jibbooms and Bobstays -- Re: Beckfoot posted by Roger Wardale on May 16, 2014 at 23:05:23:
The fact that Roger was able to find copies on ABE books demonstrates an interesting sidelight on modern publishing.
Amazon Publishing can only sell their new books to TARS members I believe, but once the books are in someone's collection, there is no further control over what happens to them and they can show up in the used book market available for anyone to buy. These books retain a value.
However, if they had been e-books, then they could not be sold to a second or subsequent owner due to the coding which ties them to a particular owner.
However, while it would take a bit of technological prowess to break the coding which ensures this, once broken, the e-book could be copied and distributed for next to nothing and would have essentially no second hand value.