tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post5849473128335276220..comments2024-03-21T19:08:05.737-07:00Comments on Genealogy's Star: Free Samples -- a model for copyrightJames Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989059644120454647noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-7441878017602405932012-03-01T12:01:09.652-07:002012-03-01T12:01:09.652-07:00The problem with the comparison is that at the sup...The problem with the comparison is that at the supermarket, if one week there's a deal for buy one apple, get one free -- you might like the apples so much you come back the next week and buy them at full price.<br /><br />However, if you download a movie, song, or book for free...are you going to come back the next week and pay full price for the same book, song, movie you downloaded for free the week before? You've already got it.<br /><br />Time-limited software demos also don't translate well, as you only need a few hours to watch a movie. It might work with e-books if the time restriction is one day, though that's long enough for some people. If it's software you want or need you will be using it for years.<br /><br />The media industries do understand the marketing idea, and they have an equivalent to the disabled version of software. Movie trailers, sample chapters, and the song fragments you find on Amazon and the like give you a little free taste beforehand. <br /><br />Most authors and musicians today have a blog, or other web presence, and readers will often find free samples there as well. But usually it will be short fiction that has already been published in a magazine for payment (or the blog posts themselves) Sometimes musicians don't mind giving away free music if they make most of their money through touring, but not all of them do.Johnhttp://blog.transylvaniandutch.comnoreply@blogger.com