"If libraries were invented today, Publishers would make sure they were illegal"
the Internet Archive's appeals-court loss to Big Publishing is a disaster for everyone but the cartel of companies and a tiny number of A list authors.
The publishers will tolerate libraries only as long as they can control everything about how books can be loaned.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/4/24235958/internet-archive-loses-appeal-ebook-lending
I'm torn. Physical libraries can only lend as many copies of a book as they have purchased. This is an injunction for lending unlimited digital copies of a work.
Their prior lending scheme limited loans to the number of physical copies that the Internet Archive had in its possession. It appears it was the unlimited lending that got the publishers riled up.
I agree that scanning a book and making it available only for as many copies as they physically possess should be legal.
@sfleetucker @Kinnison The things that get to me are:
1. Publishers charge libraries a very high amount for digital media
2. Libraries can only lend those digital files x number of times or for a set time limit (like, 2 years, whatever comes first) before they have to BUY THEM AGAIN.
Totally kills the desire to buy digital media.
Plus, hardcopy library books are at least double what you would pay at a bookstore. You don't have to wonder why libraries have funding issues *all* the time.
@kismatt @Kinnison Yeah. That is problematic. They couldn’t do that with a physical book.