Thread by @davidwitteveen

The new @MacmillanUSA lending model for e-books:
-On release, libraries can only buy 1 copy to lend
-There's an 8 week embargo on additional copies
-After the embargo ends, additional copies are $60 each & expire after 2 years

John Sargent: cancel the embargo. #eBooksForAll

https://twitter.com/ALALibrary/status/1154406301977518082

@MacmillanUSA ...Libraries have the legal right to lend books through the Doctrine of First Sale: copyright holders can only control the first sale of a copy. After that, the owner can lend or resell as they please.

This doesn't apply to digital items...

@MacmillanUSA ...The argument is that lending or reselling a digital item like ebooks involves making an additional copy, violating the copyright holder's exclusive right to make copies.

So digital content is "licenced" to the purchaser instead. And publishers gouge libraries on e-books...

@MacmillanUSA ...Publishers see libraries as competition, reducing e-book sales. Macmillan's embargo is designed to protect their profits at the expense of libraries and their patrons.

The real solution would be to change copyright law...

@MacmillanUSA ...In exchange for society conferring publishers the legal right to sell copies, they would have to agree that, for the social good, libraries could purchase and lend ebooks at retail prices.

This is, I suspect, utopian thinking on my behalf.

#eBooksForAll

@MacmillanUSA And for those who like references...

Here's @ALALibrary's libguide on libraries and copyright:
libguides.ala.org/copyright/firs…

And here's an explanation of why digital content is not covered by the Doctrine of First Sale: brookings.edu/blog/brookings…

#eBooksForAll

@MacmillanUSA @ALALibrary @threadreaderapp unroll, please.