3 ms·

IMO (having worked at a public library) the vast majority of inventory is donated second-hand books.

• Psyladine 4y ago
  Careful there, you might burst the libertarian-leaning conceit behind the "difference" between libraries & unregulated e-books: if libraries didn't already exist today with centuries of tradition in their foundations, the very suggestion of an institution like them would be met with howls of the inevitable destruction of the written word and bankrupting of our already starved wordsmiths.
• tintor 4y ago
  But for ebooks there is no such thing as second hand.
  • bentley 4y ago
    If I give a friend a copy of a DRM‐free copyrighted ebook, delete all of my own copies, and he pays me, isn’t that equivalent? It may be impractical to verify that all my copies are gone, but is there any reason it wouldn’t hold up under first sale doctrine? Any 17 U.S.C. § 109(d) experts in the house?
    • deafpolygon 4y ago
      I'm pretty sure that the law does not permit you to re-sell digital copies. As when you purchase a digital book (DRM or not), you don't own the digital copy - you're only granted a license to use it for your own use. This license does not extend to reselling it (what your suggestion would be doing). Physical books fall under a 'property purchase' model while ebooks fall under the 'license based' model. A good (albeit basic) read: https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/this-is-the-big-reason-why-we-dont-own-ebooks https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/this-is-the-big-rea...