10/27/05



I do object to having my published/copyrighted works made available to the public via the Google Print Library Project.



This is a high-tech literary version of the initial version of music sharing, Napster, which was eventually found to be in violation of copyright law, and which eventually dealt a near death blow to the music industry. And while there might be a few people who instantly see only good in this situation, I would ask those of you in that camp how you would feel if in needing a particular service, say, gas for my car or food for my kitchen, if I decided it was better if it was free and just took it. And insisted, as you starved, that it was my right to have it.



This is how I react to people wanting my book for free.



Don't think I don't have a Communist or Socialist tendency in my lefty, lefty body. But I'd wait until I lived in a society that took care of me justly for my contributions, and not start now, inside a capitalist machine that bleeds its citizens of income until they don't have money for things like music or books, and so they start to imagine in their hunger what it would be like to get music or books for free.



Imagine an American economy where people have enough money for books. Our political leaders currently do not.



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