Theos-Talk Archives (November 2008 Message tt00497)

Hi friends,

Copyright actually protects publisher's rights or interests rather 
then Author-rights as we live in a society where creative work is to 
great extend abused for making profit. For instance, out of 12 
published translations my share covered work for 2-3 translations 
while publisher made few thousands euros of extra profit cleverly 
violating the contract. When I went on self-publishing e-books guess 
what happened, out of nearly 2000 copies of one title downloaded only 
1 was paid. There are some objective reasons why people here don't 
want to use online payment systems but the main reason is still that 
they want things which are online for free.

On the other hand I probably could never present my work and 
theosophy if there would not be internet as maintaining the web site 
costs only about 100 dollars a year. All hours of work are paid only 
by readers' attention. If four years ago you typed in the Google 
search word "teozofija" you got about 150 returns, now you get nearly 
18,500 of them. They certainly can not be all contributed to the 
presence of my website but it for sure made some difference.

Theosophical organizations could have done a lot to support scanning, 
translation and self-publication but till now they didn't show much 
or any interest; they actually only made things harder. When years 
ago I refused to be "initiated" in a privileged group I was told that 
I will finish as a beggar. It seems therefore that search and work 
for truth goes along with poverty, but one really can not do much 
when there is such inner urge present.

Best regards,
Anton


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Drpsionic@... wrote:
>
> The reality is that copyright is virtually dead.  It is almost  
impossible to 
> effectively enforce and thus those of us who could previously  
depend on it 
> have to find work-arounds to maintain an income.
>  
> Chuck the Heretic
>  
>  
> In a message dated 11/25/2008 6:59:04 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
> mkr777@... writes:
> 
>  
>  
>  
> The question of compensating the author in the issue of print vs on-
line  is
> a real one and there should be a long-term solution to it.
> 
> The  parallel I can see is the issue of free vs commercial 
software. There
> are  many very useful and powerful "freeware" computer users use 
everyday.
> Some  of them suggest that if the user feels the software is useful 
to them,
> then  the users are encouraged to donate whatever they can.
> 
> In some cases, it  has been very successful and the authors 
continue to
> enhance their software  for better productivity. In other cases, 
whole suite
> of programs are  supported and enhanced by users who have skills.
> 
> The current laws  covering copyright and other protection for 
printed or
> electronically  stored material still does not guarantee that the 
author is
> not cheated by  the user by not paying for it.
> 
> We will have to wait and see how the  financial support issue gets 
resolved
> in the  future..
> 
> MKR
> 
> THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH
> 
> On  Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 5:18 PM, danielhcaldwell
> <_danielhcaldwell@danielhca_ (mailto:danielhcaldwell@...) >wrote:
> 
> >  Theo,
> >
> > I hope all Theos-Talk readers will read and re-read your  post 
below.
> >
> > It is all true.
> >
> > Someone pays a  price!!!
> >
> > A researcher/writer/ A researcher/writer/<WBR>author -- 
> > writer/researcher or an academic/scholar --- has to make  a
> > living...that is, pay for food, a place to stay, etc. etc. just  
like
> > everybody else!!
> >
> > So while it is good that there  is FREE material on the Internet,
> > someone has to pay for it, ie. pay  for the research and the 
writing
> > of it, and the cost of publication  either in printed form or on 
the
> > web.
> >
> > Take my own  research on Madame Blavatsky... Take my own  
research 
> > the  sheer love of it. Never intended to make money off of it. But
> > it took  money to do all the research I did. Every article in my
> > Blavatsky  Archives cost money. For example, one article was so 
rare
> > that it took  me 20 years to track it down. I finally discovered 
it
> > in the British  Library but only after I had to pay for lots of
> > microfilm, etc. So  that one article probably cost me hundreds of
> > dollars to obtain. Of  course then it had to be converted into a
> > webpage format -- either  typed or scanned, etc. etc. That's 
going to
> > cost money to! Now anyone  in the world can read the article for
> > free....
> >
> > Other  researchers, authors, scholars, etc. do similar things and
> > incur all  sorts of expenses.... incur all  sorts of expe
> >
> >  Oftentime people forget all of this or never even considered  it.
> >
> > Daniel
> > _http://hpb.cc_ (http://hpb.cc/) 
> >
> > --- In _theos-talk@yahoogrotheos-t_ (mailto:theos-
talk@yahoogroups.com)   
> <theos-talk%theos-talk%<WBthe>, Theo
> > Paijmans  <th.paijmans@th.>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > As a  published author, here's the downside on all this 
freeloading.
> > >  Research into arcane and esoteric topics, often of very high
> > >  scholarship, mostly comes from outside academia. Meaning: 
authors
> >  and
> > > researchers who pay for the expenses, time and effort of  their
> > > endeavours themselves, instead of relying on grants, funds  and
> > stipends
> > > to cover the costs.
> > >
> >  > Have you any idea just how much research costs in these so-
called
> >  > 'enlightened times'? From personal experience I know that  
precisely
> > > those files or documents that we search, are not  always
> > automatically
> > > stored in the right and easily  accessible archives. It costs 
time,
> > and
> > > money too, to  trace and access these important historical 
source
> > materials.
> >  >
> > > Then one writes a paper or a book. It may take years, years  of 
hard
> > > labour, of study and contemplation, with little monetary  
award. So
> > one
> > > gradually lives in ever more sober  circumstances, almost like a
> > monk.
> > > Clothes, food,  commodities as tv and radio, mobile phones, 
these
> > are
> > >  commodities on which is saved.
> > >
> > > Then the day arrives.  The book is published. The writer has 
poured
> > his
> > > or her  heart into it. Every droplet of sweat and every ounce of
> > toil.
> >  > The writer sits back and awaits the response. At least, the
> >  courtesy of
> > > people actually buying the book because the writer  hopes that 
they
> > are
> > > as interested in and passionate about  the subject as he or she 
is.
> > >
> > > And while they did not  write the book themselves, the writer 
did it
> > for
> > > them,  and they in return support the writer. I know of many
> >  excellent
> > > researchers who have quit for that reason. And the  above is 
what
> > they
> > > told me as being the reason. Again, as  a published author, I 
have
> > > sympathy for their feelings.
> >  >
> > > regards,
> > >
> > > Theo
> > >
> >  > Augoeides-222@ Augoeides
> > >
> > > >  Daniel,
> > > > I totally agree the web is a virtual limitless  cornucopia of
> > knowledge
> > > > that continues to amaze  me!!! Google "Books" is another 
amazing
> > > > resource. One can  use it two ways. The first you use the 
website
> > of
> > > >  Google Books and can perform searches by Author Name, Title 
or
> >  Topic.
> > > > The second wonderful way is on Google Earth which one  can
> > activate by:
> > > > 1. Initializing Google  Earth
> > > > 2. Clicking on "Gallery" in the "Layers" section on  the left
> > sidebar
> > > > 3. Scroll down the drop down  Gallery contents menu and
> > locate "Google
> > > > Book  Search"
> > > > 4. Place a check mark in the empty box
> > >  >
> > > > Now whenever to zoom in close on Google Earth little  gold 
Book
> > Icons
> > > > will be seen, place your cursor on  an icon and the Title will
> > appear,
> > > > there is also a  "more" option and a link to the PDF file. 
Many of
> > the
> > >  > books are rare historic works that appear over the nation 
they
> >  speak
> > > > of. many are free to download as shown by "Download"  at the 
top
> > right
> > > > corner of the page for the  Book.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >  John
> > > >
> > > >
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