sharing ebooks

terra_ferma

I've been reading free ebooks using various devices, mobile, tablet, pc etc.

There are some more expensive books (£5-6) that other family members are also interested in reading (DD, OH), but if we all buy a copy it's going to cost a fortune, (our local library has a tiny and uninteresting selection of ebooks).

Is it possible to share ebooks with other family members? How do you do that? Is it legal? What platform would be best?

(don't know if this is the right section, but I know people here are very knowledgeable about all kind of devices and apps...)

Dave_C_2

Can't speak for other e-readers but this is "built-in" to the Amazon Kindle system. Provided that all kindles (or Kindle Apps) are registered to the same Amazon account then all books on the account can be shared.

For instance, on my Amazon account we have My Kindle and SWMBO's Kindle and all of our books can be read on either Kindle.

Dave

G42

Is it possible to share ebooks with other family members? Yes.
How do you do that? Use Calibre.
Is it legal? Probably not unless it's only for yourself to use on another platform.
What platform would be best? Calibre outputs them in whatever format you need.

terra_ferma

G42 wrote: »

Is it possible to share ebooks with other family members? Yes.
How do you do that? Use Calibre.
Is it legal? Probably not unless it's only for yourself to use on another platform.
What platform would be best? Calibre outputs them in whatever format you need.

I've heard of Calibre, will check it out.
Has anyone had their account closed, or any action taken against them because Amazon found out more than one person was reading the book.

I think it's such a pity that they can't be shared, I love borrowing/lending books, it's such a great way of learning about new authors, sharing interesting ideas etc.

macman

If e-books could be copied/loaned without restriction, then you wouldn't have any new books or authors, because they would have no royalty income, and no incentive to write for a living in the first place.
There are thousands of copyright-free e-books available via The Guteneberg Project etc.

debitcardmayhem

macman wrote: »

If e-books could be copied/loaned without restriction, then you wouldn't have any new books or authors, because they would have no royalty income, and no incentive to write for a living in the first place.
There are thousands of copyright-free e-books available via The Guteneberg Project etc.

Of course but c.f. paperbacks which have no such restrictions and are often cheaper than eBooks but then again how much revenue do authors get from boot sales, charity shops or skips? Also do you have to buy spectacles from Specsavers , rather than Vision Express/Boots/your local Optician to read that book .... totally unmanageable outdated model for marketing.

terra_ferma

macman wrote: »

If e-books could be copied/loaned without restriction, then you wouldn't have any new books or authors, because they would have no royalty income, and no incentive to write for a living in the first place.
There are thousands of copyright-free e-books available via The Guteneberg Project etc.

It's a silly argument, you make it sound like writers are receiving more money through ebooks as they can't be shared. Ebooks are fairly new while books have existed for centuries, and writers have always had and income and kept writing.
As you pay only slightly less for an ebook than a paper book which you can share freely, your argument is flawed. If the price of an ebook was the equivalent of a book divided by the number of average readers per copy minus the additional costs of printed v. digital, I'd agree with you....

Using ebooks illegally is not that difficult, but if I was after advice on how to hack DRM files, I'd hardly be asking on the MSE's forum...
I'm more interested in achieving maximum value through legal means (or as close as possible IYKWIM).