Controlled Digital Lending: UK’s Society of Authors Demands Internet Archive Stops Lending Books ‘Stops Lending Books ‘Unlawfully'”

UPDATE January 22
Internet Archive’s Ebook Loans Face UK Copyright Challenge (via The Guardian)
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END UPDATE
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From The Bookseller:

The Society of Authors has demanded the Internet Archive’s Open Library stops lending books “unlawfully” online in the UK, arguing the US practice of Controlled Digital Lending is a breach of copyright.

In an open letter, the trade body urged the San Francisco-based Internet Archive to immediately discontinue the practice of lending scanned copies of physical books on its site. “There is no legal basis for the practice of scanning books without permission or lending them in the UK,” said the SOA. “Despite this, users in the UK are currently able to borrow scanned copies of physical books from Open Library. That is a direct and actionable infringement of copyright.”

The SoA, which represents 10,500 writers, has condemned the practice, saying: “If widely adopted this form of ‘lending’ could destroy the e-book market and make it even harder for authors to make a living from their work.”

Read the Complete Article

Full Text of Open Letter

Background

Libraries and Library Organizations Sign-On to “Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books” Position Statement & “A White Paper on Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books” & “Position Statement on Controlled Digital Lending” (September 28, 2018)

ControlledDigitallending.org

Will ‘Controlled Digital Lending’ Spark the Next Big Copyright Lawsuit? (by Andrew Albanese, PW)

The Implications of the ReDigi Decision for Libraries (by Jonathan Band, via ARL Policy Briefs)

Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Digital Preservation, Journal Articles, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users