My thoughts about SOPA
by Paulo Coelho on January 20, 2012
In the old Soviet Union, at the end of 1950 and 60, many books that questioned the political system began to be distributed privately in mimeographed form. Their authors never earned a cent in royalties. On the contrary, they were persecuted, denounced in official press, and sent to exile in Siberia's gulags. However, they continued writing.
Why? Because they needed to share what they felt. From the Gospels to political manifestos, literature has allowed ideas to travel and even change the world.
I don't have anything against people who make money from their books; that's how I make a living.
But look at what's happening now. Stopping piracy on the Internet (SOPA) can alter the internet. This is a real danger, not just for Americans, but for all of us, since the law - if it passes - will affect the entire planet.
And how do I feel about this?
As an author who must defend intellectual property, but I'm not one.
Pirates of the world, unite! All pirates that I've written!
The good old times, when every idea had an owner, are gone forever.
Firstly, because everything we do is recycling the same four themes: a love story between two people, a love triangle, the struggle for power, and a travel story.
Secondly, because all writers want what they write to be read, whether in a newspaper, blog, pamphlet, or on a wall.
The more often we hear a song on the radio, the sharper the CD can be acquired. It's the same with literature.
Pirates give people another book, better. If they like the beginning, they'll buy the book the next day, because there's nothing more exhausting than reading a long text on a computer screen.
Some will say:You're tasty enough to let your books be distributed for free. That's true. I'm tasty too. But was it the desire to make money that drove me to write? No, my family and teachers all said there was no future in writing. I started writing and kept writing because it gives me pleasure and makes sense of my existence. If making money were the reason, I could have stopped writing years ago and spared myself from always having to put up with negative criticism.
The publishing industry is said:Artists cannot survive if they are not paid.
In 1999, when it was first published in Russia (with a print run of 3,000), the country was suffering from a severe paper shortage. By coincidence, I discovered a 'pirate' edition of The Alchemist and published it on my website.
A year later, when the crisis was resolved, it sold 10,000 copies of the printed edition.
In 2002, it had sold over 1 million copies in Russia, and more than $12 million.
When I traveled across Russia by train, I met several people who told me they discovered my work for the first time through the 'pirate' edition I published on my website. Today, I run a Pirate Coelho website, giving links to cute books available on P2P sites.
And my sales continue to grow - nearly 140 million copies worldwide.
When you've eaten an orange, you have to go to the store to buy another one. In that case, it makes sense to pay immediately.
With an art object, you won't buy paper, ink, brush, canvas or music notes, but the idea was born from a combination of these products.
Piracy can act as an introduction to an artist's work. If you like their idea, then you'll want to have it at home, a good idea doesn't need protection.
The rest is greed or ignorance.
Source:http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?client=tmpg&hl=en&langpair=en|es&rurl=translate.google.com&u=http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2012/01/20/welcome-to-pirate-my-books/&usg=ALkJrhhLIgqssN4sLDwOSNwyjSIjz6Bh1w
by Paulo Coelho on January 20, 2012
In the old Soviet Union, at the end of 1950 and 60, many books that questioned the political system began to be distributed privately in mimeographed form. Their authors never earned a cent in royalties. On the contrary, they were persecuted, denounced in official press, and sent to exile in Siberia's gulags. However, they continued writing.
Why? Because they needed to share what they felt. From the Gospels to political manifestos, literature has allowed ideas to travel and even change the world.
I don't have anything against people who make money from their books; that's how I make a living.
But look at what's happening now. Stopping piracy on the Internet (SOPA) can alter the internet. This is a real danger, not just for Americans, but for all of us, since the law - if it passes - will affect the entire planet.
And how do I feel about this?
As an author who must defend intellectual property, but I'm not one.
Pirates of the world, unite! All pirates that I've written!
The good old times, when every idea had an owner, are gone forever.
Firstly, because everything we do is recycling the same four themes: a love story between two people, a love triangle, the struggle for power, and a travel story.
Secondly, because all writers want what they write to be read, whether in a newspaper, blog, pamphlet, or on a wall.
The more often we hear a song on the radio, the sharper the CD can be acquired. It's the same with literature.
Pirates give people another book, better. If they like the beginning, they'll buy the book the next day, because there's nothing more exhausting than reading a long text on a computer screen.
Some will say:You're tasty enough to let your books be distributed for free. That's true. I'm tasty too. But was it the desire to make money that drove me to write? No, my family and teachers all said there was no future in writing. I started writing and kept writing because it gives me pleasure and makes sense of my existence. If making money were the reason, I could have stopped writing years ago and spared myself from always having to put up with negative criticism.
The publishing industry is said:Artists cannot survive if they are not paid.
In 1999, when it was first published in Russia (with a print run of 3,000), the country was suffering from a severe paper shortage. By coincidence, I discovered a 'pirate' edition of The Alchemist and published it on my website.
A year later, when the crisis was resolved, it sold 10,000 copies of the printed edition.
In 2002, it had sold over 1 million copies in Russia, and more than $12 million.
When I traveled across Russia by train, I met several people who told me they discovered my work for the first time through the 'pirate' edition I published on my website. Today, I run a Pirate Coelho website, giving links to cute books available on P2P sites.
And my sales continue to grow - nearly 140 million copies worldwide.
When you've eaten an orange, you have to go to the store to buy another one. In that case, it makes sense to pay immediately.
With an art object, you won't buy paper, ink, brush, canvas or music notes, but the idea was born from a combination of these products.
Piracy can act as an introduction to an artist's work. If you like their idea, then you'll want to have it at home, a good idea doesn't need protection.
The rest is greed or ignorance.
Source:http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?client=tmpg&hl=en&langpair=en|es&rurl=translate.google.com&u=http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2012/01/20/welcome-to-pirate-my-books/&usg=ALkJrhhLIgqssN4sLDwOSNwyjSIjz6Bh1w
Ariel
8 comentários - Pensamientos sobre S.O.P.A. (Paulo Coelho)
Gracias por compartir.
Besos y Lamiditas !!!
Yo comenté tu post, vos comentaste el mío?
Compartamos, comentemos, apoyemos, hagamos cada vez mejor esta maravillosa Comunidad !!!
La sopa no me gusta, pero esta perra esta hermosa
Arielita, delujo como siempre 🤤 🙎♂️
gracias por compartir LONELY 😉
Que bueno leer ese texto de Coelho... Excelente post...
buena la mina!