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University libraries offer online "lending" of scanned in-copyright books:
The coronavirus crisis has forced the closure of libraries around the world, depriving the public of access to millions of printed books. Books old enough to be in the public domain may be available for free download online. Many recent books are available to borrow in e-book form. But there are many other books—especially those published in the mid-to-late 20th century—that are hard to access without going to a physical library.
A consortium of university libraries called HathiTrust recently announced a solution to this problem, called the Emergency Temporary Access Service. It allows participating HathiTrust member libraries to offer their patrons digital scans of books that they can "check out" and read online.
HathiTrust has a history of pushing the boundaries of copyright. It was the defendant in a landmark 2014 ruling that established the legality of library book scanning. At the time, HathiTrust was only allowing people with print disabilities to access the full text of scanned books. Now HathiTrust is expanding access to more people—though still with significant limits.
The program is only available to patrons of member libraries like the Cornell library. Libraries can only "lend" as many copies of the book as it has physical copies on its shelves. Loans last for an hour and are automatically renewed if a patron is still viewing a book at the hour's end. If you want to read a book that's currently in use by another patron, you have to wait until they're finished.
These limits distinguish HathiTrust's service from another recently announced "emergency library." Two weeks ago, the Internet Archive announced it was offering the general public the opportunity to check out 1.4 million scanned books. During the pandemic, the Internet Archive isn't limiting the number of people who can "borrow" a book simultaneously.
Previously: Internet Archive Suspends E-Book Lending "Waiting Lists" During U.S. National Emergency
Authors Fume as Online Library "Lends" Unlimited Free Books
(Score: 3, Insightful) by lentilla on Friday April 10 2020, @06:36PM (4 children)
"Lending" - what a daft conceit in the digital age!
I sincerely hope this is a strategy by activists to point out the absurdity of "lending" things that can be copied, at will, at zero cost, ad infinitium. And I doubly hope that this strategy does not back-fire and result in the wholesale adoption of Digital Restrictions Management.
Whilst we are on the absurdist path - perhaps instead of lending a whole book, we just lent by-the-page? Or maybe by-the-word would be more convenient?
(Score: 1, Troll) by DannyB on Friday April 10 2020, @06:49PM
Lending.
Lending copies of digital books.
I remember when WikiLeaks first happened, long, long ago. Hillary said that the digital documents should be "returned".
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday April 10 2020, @06:50PM (2 children)
How would printed scanned books have Digital Restrictions Management?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 1) by petecox on Friday April 10 2020, @07:36PM (1 child)
Laser Printer DRM.
Be wary of any future version of, say, PostScript or PCL that watermarks a document with time bombed invisible ink. "This Document has EXPIRED".
Oh crap, shouldn't give 'em any ideas.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Sunday April 12 2020, @05:19PM
It is a matter of time before the common man can build, or buy a kit, for a paper scanner and old fashioned inkjet printer. Or impact printer. How technology changes things.
Your own home made scanner would not have to obey the DRM restrictions.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.