Pirates now into comics!

[Greg]

A little article discussing digital piracy of comic books.

Digital piracy hurting comics industry
LOS ANGELES, May 29 (UPI) -- Declining sales and digital online piracy of comic books are threatening small U.S. publishers, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Although not as pervasive as music sharing, an informal Web poll of 4,621 readers from December 2004 to December 2005 by Comic Book Resources, an online magazine, found more than 30 percent had downloaded a comic book at least once, and 12 percent said they downloaded comic books regularly.

Robert Burnett, whose Los Angeles production company, Ludovico Technique, launched the "Living in Infamy" series last year about a witness-protection program for super-villains. Burnett said he publishes about 2,000 to 5,000 copies per issue, and so far isn't aware of any of his titles being shared online.

"Comic-book piracy for us would be a problem," Burnett said. "Our retail price is $3. Every book that we sell matters."

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060529-094353-7217r


I didn't know that people were doing this, so I figured I would share.

[marvelguy]

That sucks! I had seen comics online if it's offered by a company like Marvel or Oni Press but pirated comics, what's the point of looking at a comic book online if you don't have it in your books. I like mine in my hands, not on CD or DVD..you get the point.

[camper49]

I concur MARVELGUY, but CGC, PGX, etc. would still give the on-line book different grades. :D

[rowand]

I can only wonder if they were including our downloading of golden age books worth $250,000 or more in those figures! If there are 9 known copies in the world and the dentists slab and safety deposit box 8 of them, are the rest of us supposed to pass around the one extant copy?

Downloading recent comics is horrible and those responsible should be sent to jail!