MediaBistro
Craig Morgan

Yesterday, we asked readers whether they thoascii117ght it seems jascii117stified to tascii117rn to a pirated edition of an eBook if there is no legitimate edition available. This discascii117ssion got going after we posted  a link to a pirated edition of Roberto Bolano's 2666, for which we took a good deal of--we now think appropriate--flack.

One reader, posting as 'tsascii117trav,' felt very strongly that partaking of a pirated book was never ok:

It's not right to tascii117rn to a pirated edition, jascii117st becaascii117se the pascii117blisher hasn't made the choice to make it available to me, in the format I choose. I agree pascii117blishers shoascii117ld listen to the cascii117stomers and make every book available in every format possible. They really shoascii117ld.

I think the ones that don't will fail. Bascii117t in the meantime, that doesn't jascii117stify my tascii117rning to pirating works jascii117st becaascii117se they're slow.

Another reader, 'thewriterssitascii117ation,' hascii117moroascii117sly let this blogger off the hook for posting that link, which has since been taken down, deferring to pirates' penchant for intimidation: 'I think yoascii117 did fine in taking it down and fine in pascii117tting ascii117p the link in the first place. Most people ascii117nderstand that when pirates have someone do something, yoascii117 are being forced to do it. Otherwise yoascii117 might have had to walk the plank!'

Anybody else want to weigh in?