Buying classic digital comics AND downloading them.

[Brannon]

A recent thread on comic downloads got me thinking. I have an account with comixology and have been thinking about doing something that I'd like your opinions on. Say you want Watchmen or The Dark Phoenix Saga in digital format, but dislike the current comic viewers on sites like comixology. Is there anything wrong with buying those digital comics on comixology but downloading them as well so you can read them on cdisplay or comicrack, which are both VASTLY superior ways to read comics? Comicrack, for instance, has a script that fills in each comic with the creative teams, publishers, month/year, genre, characters, etc, which allows customizable organization and the creation of thematic reading lists, not to mention a superior viewer.

The only thing wrong that I can see is that I'd be dealing with a "shady" individual that's offering them in this format, rather than taking the time to scan the comics myself for my own personal use. The reality is that I would have paid DC an Marvel for access to said comics in digital format, so nobody was "cheated" in my specific case. I guess this is one of them there "gray areas" they talk about?

I wish Marvel and DC would rethink not allowing consumers to store the comics as files on their computers. Sure, people can and will copy them, but they're doing that already. After all, they did allow the production of those DVD-ROM's in pdf format and I thought that was a fantastic move.

[Ish Kabbible]

I've been thinking of paying someone to rob my neighborhood grocery store, a store I've spent money with in the past. Thats not a crime, he'll only rob them for the amount of money I've spent. Whats the harm in that?
Don't look to me to absolve your guilt

[net06]

I've been thinking of paying someone to rob my neighborhood grocery store, a store I've spent money with in the past. That's not a crime, he'll only rob them for the amount of money I've spent. Whats the harm in that?
Don't look to me to absolve your guilt

If you could just make a copy of what you already bought from them so they don't lose any thing by your "robbing" them, nothing.

It's perfectly legal according to the "first sale doctrine" established by the supreme court over 100 years ago. You bought that intellectual property and it belongs to you. You may download it, and read it on what ever device you want, or what ever else you want as long as you don't make a copy for some one else who hasn't bought it.

It's the reason why it's legal to sell a CD with out having to ask the permission of the copyright holder, or paying them part or all of the money you get for selling said CD.

[Ish Kabbible]

You bought that intellectual property and it belongs to you.
It's the reason why it's legal to sell a CD with out having to ask the permission of the copyright holder, or paying them part or all of the money you get for selling said CD.

First of all, you did not by the intellectual property, you bought a physical copy
And if I understand this gentlemen's scenario, he would also purchase an illegal download (the shady individual).
Purchasing something legally does not wash away the the subsequent illegal transaction, which was the point of my comparason.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I don't know that you could easily find a way to download it that wouldn't involve sharing it with someone else who likely didn't buy it, that's the way most downloading schemes work. Even if you could, no, not really, not by any legal standard. Even if looks the same, the file you would be interfacing with on a downloading site is not the file you were sold, you're not "backing up" anything.

I disagree that the readers for downloaded comics are "vastly superior" to Comixology, though, at least not for tablets. Comixology offers a nice, high-res product with a lot of value added, including: cloud storage for all of your books; an easy to use search feature; an unobtrusive, gesture-based, nearly invisible reader for tablets; ways to sort your comics by titles, publishers, genre and creators; easy cloud-based portability to any iOs, PC or Android device; and the guided-view mode for zooming in.

[MRP]

If you could just make a copy of what you already bought from them so they don't lose any thing by your "robbing" them, nothing.

It's perfectly legal according to the "first sale doctrine" established by the supreme court over 100 years ago.

From what I understand, there is a case that challenges "first sale doctrine" involving a text book company that has made it to the Supreme Court, not sure if it has been heard, ruled on, or just added to the docket when the Court agreed to hear the case, but it is possible that this policy could be changed or abolished depending on how the Supreme Court rules in this case. Current legislation has not kept pace with the digital landscape where IP is concerned and IP law is a morass of contradictions anyways. To paraphrase Robert Anton Wilson, 'laws don't change behavior, they create criminals.' It is up to law enforcement how they want to enforce those laws and deal with the criminals. Right now there is very little by way of enforcement. A change in the legal landscape could create measures with more teeth, or may alter the parameters of IP altogether. Not something I care to predict, but I do watch with interest.

-M

[Brannon]

Well, I've decided to wash my hands of downloading comics, even though, as I said, I've only downloaded things I've already bought... once or twice in different formats. I deleted everything I ever downloaded. I just don't feel right about it and have found a way to convert all my DVD-ROM's to cbz files so I can use comicrack to read them in a format I prefer. I think Ish is right, even though his original analogy was hyperbole at its finest. ;) Even though I own the comics already, I would be contributing to the maintenance of the pirated comics "industry" which is primarily supported by a lot of people who never have bought any of the comics and never plan on buying any.

Comixology is a lot better than I thought, granted. I don't want to take money out of the pockets of older creators, or older creators families, by affecting the sales of collected editions down the road. So, it's comixology and trades for me from here on in.

[Ish Kabbible]

Brannon, you're my hero for today
Seriously, the comic book industry is on very shaky grounds. The amount of actual purchasers is abysmally low and we do need to support our local comic stores,on-line retailers,creators and publishers