Advertisments

A premier publishing services firm

Independent Publisher on Instagram

Are Libraries the Next Napster?

TIME article says publishers and libraries are worried — and trying to adapt copyright law to the electronic age.
"Now that Napster has been digitally hobbled, what's next? Maybe your public library," says Katherine Bonamicci in a recent TIME article. "It's not books, but electronic content like E-Books, that has publishers worried. Libraries, like the rest of us, have long been governed under the "First Sale" doctrine, which basically allows the purchaser of a book free rein - you can sell it, loan it out, or use it as kindling. But you can't make multiple copies for distribution. And as digital publishing becomes more common, the duplication of content keeps getting easier and more practical. Instead of standing at the photocopier for hours to make an illicit copy of a John Grisham novel, you can in theory now just copy a file and email it to thousands of your close personal friends - and Mr. Grisham and his publisher wouldn't see a dime."

Read full article.


Comments