Libraries and Ebooks: A Copyright Story

Electronic books (Ebooks) have become a popular form of literary media in recent years. Even though they have existed for decades, Ebooks increased popularity can be attributed to electronic carriers developed exclusively for reading Ebooks, such as Kindles. A Kindle allows its readers to rent or buy books. These small hand-held electronic devices became a phenomenon because they allow avid readers to carry their entire book collection in the palm of their hand; accessible to them at all times at the touch of their fingertips.

As a result of their growing popularity, libraries wanted to incorporate Ebooks as a part of their digital collection. However, copyright laws revolving Ebooks are complex and publishers have much more authority over what consumers can and cannot do with their electronic product.

By purchasing a print book, as opposed to purchasing an eBook, an owner can donate, resell, or lend it forward because they are in fact the owner of that copy according to the “first-sale” doctrine of copyright law.

However when you buy an Ebook, what you are really buying is an aforementioned license, which enables “publishers the ability to set different prices for different customers” (Vacarro). This is the main threat to the flourishing of Ebooks in library settings because publishers take advantage of this usage and charge libraries obscene amounts of money for a year license, or make libraries buy the book again after the Ebook has been checked out a limited number amount of times.

In the past few years, steps have been taken to amend this problem libraries face, specifically libraries that have an already restricted budget. For example, Hachette publishing company sells “new Ebooks at a much higher price to libraries than to consumers, but doesn’t put limitations on the borrows — and takes it a step further by dropping prices after the Ebook has been on the market for a year” (Vacarro).

Although it is not an ideal solution, it is a step in the right direction. With time, hopefully better and more viable solutions will arise that will benefit all parties involved.

Works Cited

“Understanding the Basics of Copyright Laws.” 1stWebDesigner. 1stWebDesigner, 03 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/copyright-laws-understanding-basics/

Pellé, Arnaud. “The Slow Rise of E-books.” Research Information. Research Information, Oct.-Nov. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. http://www.researchinformation.info/features/feature.php?feature_id=235

Vaccaro, Adam. “Why It’s Difficult For Your Library to Stock Ebooks.”Boston.com. The New York Times, 27 June 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/2014/06/27/why-difficult-for-your-library-stock-ebooks/rrl464TPxDaYmDnJewOmzH/story.html