Editing BookCrossing (section)

==Controversy and criticism==
In 2003, BookCrossing was criticized by the astrologer and novelist Jessica Adams, who claimed that books were being "[[devalued]]" by the website as BookCrossing could lead to lower sales of books and, therefore, the reduction in [[royalties]] being paid to authors.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/books/if-authors-love-books-then-they-should-set-them-free-1-1293703|title=If Authors Love Books, then they Should Set Them Free|last=Crummey| first=Andrey| date=2003-09-13|work=Scotland On Sunday |access-date=2008-12-30}}</ref> Most BookCrossers dispute this argument, however. They claim that the website introduces readers to authors and genres that they have not read before, that the website encourages more people to take up or reclaim reading as a [[hobby]], and that some members, having read a book that they have enjoyed, will buy extra copies to distribute through BookCrossing.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.bookcrossing.com/faqs| title=BookCrossing - Frequently Asked Questions| access-date=2010-11-18}}</ref>{{not in source|date=May 2024}}

In March 2005, Caroline Martin, [[managing director]] of the [[publishers|publisher]] Harper Press, said in a speech that "book publishing as a whole has its very own potential [[Music piracy#Arguments over legality|Napster crisis]] in the growing practice of bookcrossing".<ref name="anov">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/10/16/cclife16.xml|title=A Novel Idea Has Led to Best-Sellers Turning up in the Strangest of Places|access-date=2008-03-27|date=2006-10-15|author=Andrew Cave|work=The Telegraph | location=London}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>  BookCrossers rebutted the link to Napster, saying that while music file sharing involves duplicating audio files countless times, BookCrossing doesn't involve duplicating books (and also does not involve violating copyright, as books can be sold or given away freely without permission of the publisher being needed; copyright, the intellectual property, still remains with the creator or publisher). 

When BookCrossing was first launched, the founder of BookCrossing, Ron Hornbaker, originally wondered if people would make this comparison.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2003/feb/20/books.shopping|title=Finders Keepers|access-date=2008-03-27|date=2003-02-20|author=Clint Witchalls|work=The Guardian | location=London}}</ref>