Jason ScottAug 13, 2023
Show thread[ Jer moved instances ]Aug 13, 2023
@textfiles alt text:

A screenshot of an article in the New York Times.

Headline: "The Dream Was Universal Access to Knowledge. The"

The page is then cut off by a large banner that says: "Thanks for reading The Times. Create your free account or log in to continue reading."

They couldn't even display the entire headline before cutting off non-subscribers.
Show threadMichael Reeder LCPCAug 13, 2023

Rather obnoxious and somewhat ironic. The full title is "The Dream Was Universal Access to Knowledge. The Result Was a Fiasco."

Gift link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/13/business/media/internet-archive-emergency-lending-library.html?unlocked_article_code=hGGS0ql60G4QlQeAyx4kFm-yhl65mxbz8iY-PbFgBJ_UsHeNdy1I22TT7W9jFjv_hb1ixpH4ZIKzg6FEZ9jX5sU9okUCw0gabABzafHSffh64VVdxXkOKEwBgkZVSB1IXa6H9qgL6TY50XUna9RHXaYFo437mOxtI0ROKS0ES1iweNtSzVnPEOdyRZjtdlnjvw2nch3-31CSu-1BRBYJ-3XWl7BTvjx5iAdWI-ZCfug967LrUhKxteXdwYMd9OR6Z5YKrH_UG7Ihzxy6oq8hvoPIC7Sgg1EmvQVFq5KnPlMleKU9iWClTgmXWGVR4mabVVkZcDzRHC1NRPgb5nyl4z8U4M2lTiotsZZVKlS9zfkGaVFGmZ5CbFarRA4&smid=url-share

@nyquildotorg @textfiles

The Case of the Internet Archive vs. Book Publishers

In the pandemic emergency, Brewster Kahle’s Internet Archive freely lent out digital scans of its library. Publishers sued. Owning a book means something different now.

The New York Times
Show threadTim GatewoodAug 14, 2023
@admin @nyquildotorg @textfiles Interesting read. As much as I despise the current situation where a handful of companies control publishing in the USA, as a writer, I support copyright. At the time this court decision was announced, I said there really wasn't any other way it could have gone because what the IA was doing clearly violated copyright. I hope the appeal will clarify things on the academic side.
Show threadMichael Reeder LCPCAug 14, 2023

The version of this in which a library buys one copy of a work, then gets to lend out one copy at a time seems to me the fair compromise.

NOT the extraordinarily expensive digital subscription model that publishers have been forcing on libraries. NOT the digital version being far more expensive than the paper version. NOT special "library editions" either (again far more expensive).

I do think the library is in the wrong when they buy one copy, but then loan out several copies at once. If the library wants ten copies to loan, then buy ten copies. Here is where mass digital licenses might make sense, but not in the forms that gouge libraries.

@timgatewood @nyquildotorg @textfiles

Show threadTim GatewoodAug 14, 2023
@admin @nyquildotorg @textfiles That sounds reasonable. Alas, it's not likely to happen as long as a tiny number of companies control publishing. And corporate raiders KKR buying both Overdrive / Libby (which is how libraries lend ebooks) and one of the big publishers recently is not going to help. It's just more enshittification, to use the term from Corey Doctorow.
Show threadTim Gatewood
@admin @nyquildotorg @textfiles The other part of this is you sign up on Overdrive or Libby with your local library card. You don't just register on a website, which is far easier to fake. And there's no easy way to copy the ebook on Libby, so you can't then share it yourself. Can the same be said about IA ?
Aug 14, 2023 at 4:51amWeb