Theft of Intellectual Property: Why Readers Should Care
Here is some news shred from Science Fiction Writers of America that should be of concern especially to writers but also to readers. When books are stolen, writers lose income, and that makes it less possible for them to continue writing -- and THAT should be of concern to readers. Readers can help: Do not read purloined books. Find the publisher and acquire a legitimate copy. HOW TO USE A PANDEMIC TO LEGITIMIZE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT The Internet Archive's Open Library Project--a huge repository of scanned print books available for borrowing in various formats--justifies its existence with a novel (and disputed) legal theory called Controlled Digital Lending, which it claims allows it to create new digital editions of in-copyright books without seeking owners' permission. In March, as the coronavirus pandemic was taking off across the world, the IA abandoned one of the key provisions of CDL to create the National Emergency Library--basically, the Open Library with res...