If they're selling an ebook, I'm pretty sure that counts as in-print. You don't have to finance that. We don't need to kill trees to read, just like at one point we stopped killing goats to read.

> That's why current copyright status should be the bar --- that or granted permission from the copyright holder.

Copyright terms are nearly infinite at this point.

Some were pushing for it to be literally infinite.

Mary Bono, speaking to the House of Representatives:

> "Actually, Sonny wanted the term of copyright protection to last forever. I am informed by staff that such a change would violate the Constitution. I invite all of you to work with me to strengthen our copyright laws in all of the ways available to us. As you know, there is also Jack Valenti's proposal for term to last forever less one day. Perhaps the Committee may look at that next Congress."

7 Oct 1998 Congressional Record, Vol. 144, page H9952.

> As you know, there is also Jack Valenti's proposal for term to last forever less one day.

The absolute contempt for the constituion required to even propose this is stunning.

Life plus 70 is scarcely "nearly infinite", and since Disney didn't try to extend the Sonny Bono copyright extension so as to keep "Steamboat Willie" in copyright, this doesn't seem likely to change.

It's also the result of an international consensus:

http://copyright.nova.edu/copyright-duration/

Life plus 70 years means the things you grew up with will most likely be never released in your lifetime. It's really not that far from an infinite term in the effect it has.

Do you have any data to back that up? Wouldn’t something being highly pirated indicate that there’s a lot of interest in a reprint?

When _Traditional Archery from Six Continents_ went out of print, the price quickly got to 4 digits (feedback loop from Amazon pricing algorithms), so I put up the money for a second print run --- before I picked up the printed copies someone put up an illicit, unauthorized PDF copy --- it took several years for me to sell out the print run and get my living room closet back.

Sounds like you could have just put up a PDF copy yourself.

That was not a distribution mechanism which I negotiated or paid for.

while it is also true that it is harder to get money for any print if there is anything else available at all.

It makes it beneficial to not reprint anything or otherwise be available.

With the goal being that one would get things back in print so as to compensate the author.

yes, that should be the goal. They don't fully align with the publisher who seeks his own compensation.

Given typical author contracts what mechanism is there for a publisher making a book available w/o compensating the author?

They can promote a newer book that appeals to a larger audience and/or has better margins. Simple choices have to be made some how.