Final Word from Wednesday, May 25, 2011
With an average internet speech, stealing a movie takes about an hour (or so we aretold). That means it takes about half as long to steal it as it does to watch it. In contrast,stealing an electronic book (once you find it) takes about two seconds, becausethe file is so very small. Given that a book costs about the same as a DVD yet takes alot longer to read and will generally be read only once, stealing an electronic book isone of the most efficient processes from the standpoint of pirate economics. All youneed is an e-book reader, unless you don't mind squinting at a computer or a smartphone.Now, just as sales of e-book readers are taking off in the CR, Finance MinisterMiroslav Kalousek intends to raise the VAT on books. That's terrible news forauthors and book retailers, but wonderful news for the pirates. The more books cost,the greater the incentive for people to expand the illicit book-downloading market.
Glossary of difficult words
pirate economics - used here to mean a comparison of the costs and the time involved;
to squint - to look at someone or something with one or both eyes partly closed in an attempt to see more clearly or in reaction to strong light;
illicit - forbidden by laws, rules or custom.