ebooks gone

[KitsuneMarie]

Thanks... you should stick around! I think we're a pretty nice bunch!

[Azguard]

 well... now the lurkers appear. XD

[Nomad Frog]

Please don't confuse what I'm about to say with anger - I'm not angry about this, I actually completely understand why scholastic feels the need to do this, I know how copyrights work and all that, and if I ever get my own novel done and looked at by someone, I would want them to protect MY best interest and honor my copyright.  That said....as some have said, I'm surprised the ebooks lasted as long as they did. However...from the fan perspective, there are a few points I'd like to share.

I have to agree with mike there on the "thanks but no thanks" comment, as an animorphs fan from the beginning - I own *most* of the series but not all, and while I totally respect copyrights, I don't think this was the best way to do it - now if I want one of the books I don't have, I either have to spend a fortune on ebay (which doesn't go to scholastic either, mind you), wait for the reprint (can we say twenty years?), or download it illegally off another site (which I honestly don't feel safe doing!).  Y'know...its been way over ten years on these, they could lighten up just a little, it won't kill them, and if they change the references to make them more modern, how can they complain if people have or still want the originals? Its a horse of another color!

But that's not really what I have the biggest problem with - I can still get around the ebooks thing for a while. 

What I have the problem with is that they say "no, you guys aren't affiliated with us, you have to say that on the front page".  You don't want the largest, most loyal animorphs community, the ones who paid your paychecks with as many animorphs books as we all bought, to be mistaken for scholastic?  No doodie we're not affiliated with you guys, I don't think anyone who's even just browsed our posts has ever gotten confused about that one.  Its kinda ridiculous when, on the front page, we all know it's RICHARD'S animorphs forum.  It doesn't say scholastic animorphs forum. 

From a legal perspective, I completely understand it and I'll respect it, but from the point of view of that girl who picked up an animorphs book so long ago, this is kinda like being kicked off the team without any real reason.

Aren't they to take some responsibility here as well?  They've all but scorned the people who wrote the series they're making money off of, and do they know what other kind of stuff is out there online?  Ebooks here should have been the very least of their worries - they should work on shutting down things with a slightly higher level on the scale, like websites promoting acts against animals that will result in a felony charge - like the feeding kittens to snakes website, or puppy mills - or those websites that involve illegal acts with their target demographic - children.  Worry about something larger, god forbid they really make a difference in this world.

[Kamiyay]

Ha ha, yeah I am quite the lurker. To be honest, while I was here lurking pretty early for Everworld ebooks, I eventually just bought the set. Back then everyone was still working on getting book 2 or 3 out and I just needed more.

Not that Scholastic got a cent of that money. I bought them used on amazon.

[Red]

Scholastic sound like douches. I mean, I'm sure there have been loads of people become fans of Animorphs via the books. Shouldn't only books 1 and 2 be taken down? I doubt they'll be reprinting the whole series 

[Chad32]

Aren't they to take some responsibility here as well?  They've all but scorned the people who wrote the series they're making money off of, and do they know what other kind of stuff is out there online?  Ebooks here should have been the very least of their worries - they should work on shutting down things with a slightly higher level on the scale, like websites promoting acts against animals that will result in a felony charge - like the feeding kittens to snakes website, or puppy mills - or those websites that involve illegal acts with their target demographic - children.  Worry about something larger, god forbid they really make a difference in this world.

What does animal abuse have to do with a book publishing company?

I am disappointed that they don't want any affiliation with us, but those are the breaks I guess.

[LisaCharly]

Yeah, animal and child abuse and the like are not the jurisdiction of a publishing company. That's government agencies and maybe, maybe non-profits.

[Gafrash]

I don't really get it. They are letting fears get the best out of them and seem to be poorly marketting this re-launch. So far the only way I've heard of this re-launch was through the efforts of fan base.

Here at RAF, we are an explicit fan base of their franchise. They were e-books!!!! BY THE FANS and c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y non-profitable.
What better way could they want to divulge the re-launch of their product than through this big fan support base?!?!?!

The material is good, and readers will want the real hard copy if they get to these cyber facsimiles first.
The ONLY reason I could see for them to cut it off is for premise spoilers, which any of the new generation fans are going to get through some unwitting previous fan.
Word of mouth is the marketting way of the 21st C!!!

Please don't confuse what I'm about to say with anger - I'm not angry about this, I actually completely understand why scholastic feels the need to do this, I know how copyrights work and all that, and if I ever get my own novel done and looked at by someone, I would want them to protect MY best interest and honor my copyright.  That said....as some have said, I'm surprised the ebooks lasted as long as they did. However...from the fan perspective, there are a few points I'd like to share.

I have to agree with mike there on the "thanks but no thanks" comment, as an animorphs fan from the beginning - I own *most* of the series but not all, and while I totally respect copyrights, I don't think this was the best way to do it - now if I want one of the books I don't have, I either have to spend a fortune on ebay (which doesn't go to scholastic either, mind you), wait for the reprint (can we say twenty years?), or download it illegally off another site (which I honestly don't feel safe doing!).  Y'know...its been way over ten years on these, they could lighten up just a little, it won't kill them, and if they change the references to make them more modern, how can they complain if people have or still want the originals? Its a horse of another color!

But that's not really what I have the biggest problem with - I can still get around the ebooks thing for a while.  

What I have the problem with is that they say "no, you guys aren't affiliated with us, you have to say that on the front page".  You don't want the largest, most loyal animorphs community, the ones who paid your paychecks with as many animorphs books as we all bought, to be mistaken for scholastic?  No doodie we're not affiliated with you guys, I don't think anyone who's even just browsed our posts has ever gotten confused about that one.  Its kinda ridiculous when, on the front page, we all know it's RICHARD'S animorphs forum.  It doesn't say scholastic animorphs forum.  

From a legal perspective, I completely understand it and I'll respect it, but from the point of view of that girl who picked up an animorphs book so long ago, this is kinda like being kicked off the team without any real reason.

Aren't they to take some responsibility here as well?  They've all but scorned the people who wrote the series they're making money off of, and do they know what other kind of stuff is out there online?  Ebooks here should have been the very least of their worries - they should work on shutting down things with a slightly higher level on the scale, like websites promoting acts against animals that will result in a felony charge - like the feeding kittens to snakes website, or puppy mills - or those websites that involve illegal acts with their target demographic - children.  Worry about something larger, god forbid they really make a difference in this world.

Totally behind ya on this one, Iron Frog.  


  It will be interesting to see if/when they will say anything about our other projects, (ref. Graphic Novel, Audio Book Project)?!?! "Your aesthetics are not with what we view as our trademarks, please cease and desist this project."

[Alic]

Doesn't sound like they even use the word please.

[Richard]

Doesn't sound like they even use the word please.

Oh no they did not.

[Nomad Frog]

As a children's publishing company, I would think they have a responsibility to provide a good source of role-models for young children to young adults.  I used those as examples - and examples only, that was just a "for instance", chosen almost at random to make my point that they could be doing something better with their apparently bored legal team - because what is animorphs about?  Children and animals.

[LisaCharly]

Yes, but they're a publishing company. Their legal team's job is to protect their copyright, and they do probably have the legal backing for their claim. We can argue about whether or not it's a smart move for them to make the eBooks go down, but it's their job to do so. It's not their job nor their prerogative to protect children and animals just because the series is about children and animals. That's just silly.

[patric]

As a children's publishing company, I would think they have a responsibility to provide a good source of role-models for young children to young adults.  I used those as examples - and examples only, that was just a "for instance", chosen almost at random to make my point that they could be doing something better with their apparently bored legal team - because what is animorphs about?  Children and animals.

the problem is the company part of the "children's publishing company." While i may be wrong on individuals within the corporation, the company as a whole has one goal and that is to make money. They probably don't expect to make more then a marginal profit. But, from what i can gather, they were surprised the first time around. If it hits big they want to be able to claim sovereignty over the info. How many of us looked for Animorphs info online when we were young? a decent amount, i'd guess. if your the target audience and you find copies for free online you might just take those instead. Especially as a kid with no income. And like someone had mentioned, word of mouth is one of the keys to advertising. Back in when i was first reading thesel, the moment i figured out about this every one of my friends would have known. And, i wouldn't really have gotten the whole copyright issue. They know, for a fact, that the books won't disappear from the internet, but they also hope they can offset any profit loss they have. How many kids in their target audience are heavy into pirating?  

That all being said, i still think its a douche move on their part. Especially the way they did it. I didn't see the letter, but i know enough about corporate types to assume that they probably brought up the possibility of legal action. The fact that this forum probably kept the flame going through the post publication years really doesn't bother them, as they figure we'll all buy them anyway. you know, the whole "true fan" stereotype.

[Nomad Frog]

Okay, you're kinda missing the point, I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough.  My point was that there are worse things in the world than a bunch of old kids who enjoy their very old series a little too much. 

Getting back on topic...

[cams]

This is so sad
Lucky that i downloaded all of them before as a back-up.

Hopefully they'll be back someday years and years later.
along with the 2.0 e-books.