LongPen: What do you make of this?

[James]

Its main feature is so that US celebs can do 'book signings' in the UK without being there. The stores are then selling them as handsigned, which they aren't. :neutral:
I think it affects the 'very seroius' collectors who have been doing it for 20 or so years, and who know alot more about autographs.

[MW1221]

The stores probably will be selling them as autographed, or authentic, but I doubt "handsigned".

[James]

The stores are selling them in the UK as 'signed by the author', which they're not. :neutral:

[Chris102]

I heard about this thing a few years ago. It's pretty much a glorified Autopen.

Hopefully this just won't gain much popularity.

[Atomic ant]

You can see a short video, showing the long pen in action on http://www.longpen.com

It's been floating around, the last few years, and looks a bit more "authentic" then the autopen, in that it's not really that shaky. But still a fake

[MW1221]

The author is still holding a pen in hand to sign these books, it's just that they're several hundred miles away.

They are technically "Signed by the author"

[Atomic ant]

I would rather them, be a couple of feet away, signing it in front of me.

That reminds me, if I'm feeling up to it in about 14 hrs, there's a book signing only a few miles from me.

Noone that famous, unless you like English Jazz, and are at least 45.

[RuleroftheWorld]

The author is still holding a pen in hand to sign these books, it's just that they're several hundred miles away.

They are technically "Signed by the author"

No, they're not.

"Signed by the author" is the author holding a pen, putting pen to paper, and signing their autograph.

Writing on an electronic pad and having a computer duplicate it with a pen does not equal "signed by the author".

[Atomic ant]

Absolutely right James {thumb2}

Long pen is just a cop out, because the person, cannot bother to be there, in person

Sorry, but if your not there, in person, I for one am not the least bit intrested, in buying your book, thank you very much. (not)

[whosurdaddy]

The only thing being hand signed is the pad the author writes on. As far as the books, no matter how you look at it, it is a mechanical arm that is signing the signature. However unlike autopens, The Longpen creates a legal signature. Signatures are not stored, so every autograph transmitted over the system is unique. What I have read so far is most the people who are getting books signed are there more out of curiosity and seeing how it works than actually believing they are actually getting a hand signed, authentic signature. What autograph collector in their right mind is going to go to one of these believing their getting an actual authentic autograph.