On: The Anti-Ownership eBook Economy

[concordDance]

This is not correct. In economic terms if person A values a book at a price below the selling price and pirates it, the seller has not lost income compared to the counterfactual world where piracy was impossible.

[esafak → concordDance]

That's not true, person A could still send the author money by other means, but really in that situation a trade should not take place because it is against the seller's consent.

[concordDance → esafak]

I was assuming that the other means have transaction costs higher than the value to person A because this is the case in the real world (how many authors even have a Patreon?).

[esafak → concordDance]

So write them a check. Visit them in person and shake their hand. Too high a transaction cost? What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Let's return to the central point: transactions ought to be consensual, and pirating ain't.

[concordDance → esafak]

> Too high a transaction cost?

Yes, those transaction costs are way above the worth of the item if its already below the selling price for person A.

Note that in practice, almost all transaction costs are not money.