"Let's not be naive in the first place and think that someone who obtain a bootlegged copy really intends to pay the author or anybody for that matter!"
It happens, maybe not all the time, but aside from someone growing a conscience or coming to understand things, I can see a few cases where someone with a bootleg might be compelled to pay up. 1. Item isn't available for sale in their area. 2. Shipping costs/trade exclusions prevent physical media from being able to be sent. Yes, we do have folks from Iran and other countries that routinely have regime madness and "US Sanctions" imposed. 3. Item may be out of print. I see no reason why one shouldn't contact the author if acquiring or having access to an electronic copy. Fair use and copyright law are fuzzy on this. I can see cases and instances listed above being legit. Hypothetically, if I found a scanned copy of an out-of-print Randlett book, I'd have no issue contacting the author about paying for it. The author would actually make out better in this case, since the secondhand/out of print market isn't part of the author's revenue stream. Granted, the absolutely proper way to do this would be to contact the creator, the estate, the publisher, ava anyone in the ownership and contract chain, and typically try to arrange a new printing. That can work successfully. I'm wondering what other published origami authors think in these cases. Also, what conscientious consumers consider ethical and okay. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.