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Authors fume as online library "lends" unlimited free books:
For almost a decade, the Internet Archive, an online library best known for its Internet Wayback Machine, has let users "borrow" scanned digital copies of books held in its warehouse. Until recently, users could only check out as many copies as the organization had physical copies. But last week, The Internet Archive announced it was eliminating that restriction, allowing an unlimited number of users to check out a book simultaneously. The Internet Archive calls this the National Emergency Library.
Initial media coverage of the service was strongly positive. The New Yorker declared it a "gift to readers everywhere." But as word of the new service spread, it triggered a backlash from authors and publishers.
"As a reminder, there is no author bailout, booksellers bailout, or publisher bailout," author Alexander Chee tweeted on Friday. "The Internet Archive's 'emergency' copyrights grab endangers many already in terrible danger."
"It is a tarted-up piracy site," wrote author James Gleick.
Previously:
Internet Archive Suspends E-Book Lending "Waiting Lists" During U.S. National Emergency
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 02 2020, @04:52PM (1 child)
> ...IA's books are garbage scans or OCRs full of errors
Do you have some examples or a citation for this? I've used the Open Library off and on for several years and only seen high quality ebooks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 02 2020, @07:20PM
It's what IA said about the matter when people started complaining. If you're getting low-error OCRs that's impressive, since they're not doing any real work to correct them. You might be confused by my redundant use of the word "garbage." Scans waste more time than it would take me to work off the cost of a hardcopy with most readers, so that medium is simply garbage full stop.