Harry Potter book available online (illegally)


Not that anyone wants to read this page-turner in an electronic format, but if you did, then CNet is reporting you could find copies on the internet as people have scanned them (all 850+ pages) and put them into electronic book formats.

Industry analysts point out that this isn't yet a big threat to the publishing industry, as they face a much more credible problem from print pirates in countries such as Malaysia and most users can't/don't/won't use electronic books.

Fortunately for the authors and publishers, books are about the right price and size for the level of enjoyment they provide and amount of time they are useful. Whereas a CD contains one hour of "enjoyment" (assuming you like all of the songs and the artist has filled the disk), a paperback book can provide the average reader with five or more hours of enjoyment for about one-half to one-third the price of the CD.

Although the form factor is likely a more compelling barrier to copying books, the music industry should put some thought into the value proposition as well.