Students download term papers from the Internet and wonder why teachers get upset when they find out. The old monks did, of course, but that was a long time ago. If you have a copy, you don't need to read it, at least not right now. It's always there if you need it. If you have a copy, you're legally protected.
Rumors are the dwindling echoes of facts, Xeroxes of Xeroxes of Xeroxes.
The very act of hearing and spreading a rumor gives the rumor a life of its own. It doesn't have to be true, just copied. So The Culture of the Copy is a pretty good book. I plan to finish it one of these days, then pass it on to friends. Or a copy of it, anyway.