This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy.

I found this notice on the copyright page of something I bought at a recent used book sale. I can't recall seeing a warning so overtly hostile to book borrowers and hope I never do again. I know about the first sale doctrine, and that this is completely unenforceable, but it still offends me. Should I contact the author for instructions on returning it unread?

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[–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 53 points 4 months ago (9 children)

I once visited the web site of an author whose series I was enjoying and was surprised by her angry insistence that selling used books is theft because the author doesn't get a cut. Never bought the rest of the series. It just felt weird.

[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 4 months ago (5 children)

I’ve had the same problem. Like books I genuinely enjoy. Then I find the authors twitter or bluesky, the author is upper middle class, yet they demonise piracy and get super mad people would dare pirate their 25$ book.

That just icks me.

Like their book was anticapitalist, but here they are blind to the fact some people can’t afford books and we shouldn’t be gatekeeping knowledge. Ewww.

[–] Khanzarate@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Pirating an anticapitalist book sounds so morally correct

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 4 months ago (2 children)

but it also kinda implies it's not a great anticapitalist book, as a truly anticapitalist author would outright make the book public domain.

[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 4 months ago

YUP.

I get it if the author is in poverty. But in the case I’m referring to they were upper middle class, maybe even liberal eliteish.

[–] Khanzarate@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

While I agree an anticapitalist author would lean that way, I don't agree with the implication that you need an anticapitalist author to write a good book.

It just means they know the truth, and decided to be capitalist, anyway. Ignorant people can be educated, but this author understood the cause and sold us out for money, instead of joining.

Naturally, I won't be supporting them.

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