sharing ebooks

[Laz116]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Libraries that I've visited only let a person check out 2-5 books at one time (depends on the library, of course).

What I'm trying to say is that the analogy to a library does not quite correlate.

Don

hmm, there seems to be quite a difference in how libraries work in different countries. Here in Denmark you can borrow as much as you want and renew the loan as often as you like as long as noone else requests the book.

Still the libraries are going through a tough time (perhaps headed towards extinction) partly because books as a media doesn't seem to interest that many anylonger, partly because english literature is so cheap. Why would I wanna pay the busfare twice to loan and hand in a book (4 pound sterling) when I can buy the book including delivery for maybe 6 pound.

I still think it's a shame though, there was something about going discovering in the vast columns of books at the local library. That physical presence of the written word seems to be a dinosaur... if not extinct, then on the brink of extinction.

On the other hand, I almost only read digital books for leisure (and I'd probably never read "real" books if they were available in an adequate digital form).

My take on all this discussion about lending and copyright restrictions is that the only way forward if we are to preserve some sort of income for other than the top 20 best selling authors is a subscription system where you pay an annual fee for access to a vast catalog of digital books. That dream is probably a few years away.