What about the back issue market? I just bought New Teen Titans 1-50 for 50$. I paid for it, but George Perez didn't get a dime out of it. I've bought New Mutants 18-31 three times over, Bill never made any money out of it.

This all brings me back to a convention I attended in Minneapolis about eight years ago where Carmine Infantino was seated at a panel. 

A fan asked him about the future of comics and the industry in general.  He proceeded to hold up a comic and tell the crowd the only place you will find these in the future will be in antique shops.

I quickly discounted his comment as the bitter ramblings of a disgruntled veteran, but now I'm starting to see what a wise sage he was.

Just as digital downloading has changed the music industry the same thing will happen to comic book industry.  Comic books will still be produced, but their format and method of distribution will change radically.

If you don't believe me, let me share a little story with you.

I currently work for a big box retailer and I was talking to a much younger employee about buying a new CD.  She proceeded to roll her eyes and said, "Who buys CD's anymore?.  It's so much easier to download it from iTunes.".

Now if that isn't an eye opener, nothing is.  The comicbook industry would be wise to get ahead of the curve and embrace this change rather than fight it. 

Yes, there will always be a market for people who want to hold a paper comic book in their hands, but as industry numbers have shown, that number continues to decline.

The new generation wants their content to be accessible and portable.  They don't have the time or desire to hunt down obscure back issues at conventions or comic book stores and they certainly don't want to have to rent a u-haul to lug around their collection.

<I>If there is no profit for the Pirate, where is the Piracy?</I>
*****

If I steal from you, and give away what I have stolen, then are you suggesting I didn't steal from you?

*****

<I>And, what is the damage to the revenue of a company like Marvel or DC when you create a digital version of a comic book that is not available for many years.</I>

DCP scans and distributes books that have come out as recently as Wednesday. Hardly not readily available.

Also, if the publisher is releasing something in a collected format, than DCP is competing with that be giving away free scans of things they do not own. Marvel has gone back MANY years by releasing old Atlas comics as Masterworks.

Finally, Marvel has its own online subscription format for digital comics. Again, DCP is competing by giving away something they do not have the right to give away.

As a last thought, if they really thought they were being ligitimate, why not say who they are on their ad page?