An author is paid per copy sold, regardless if it is paper or electronic. If it is for library use, they tend to get a higher percentage. Otherwise there is nothing comparative between a paper book and ebook. Someone (likely the publishers) are just finding ways to screw the public out of access to their books in electronic format, by forcing a "per copy license" of ebooks rather than allowing it to be used like it is supposed to be, as digital code to be freely distributed, free of the restrictions of physical copies. If that means the library is charged the same price as a physical book, so be it. The library at that point should be free to lend as many digital copies as they want. That is the entire purpose of having digital usage of media, not to be hampered by the same limitations of a physical item.
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Originally Posted by leebase
Don't you folks know that everything on the internet is FREE FREE FREE? If I take something from you, but you still have it, it can't possibly have been stolen. Due to digital, everything is FREE FREE FREE.
The library buys one copy of an ebook, then "lends" it to everyone in the world, FREE FREE FREE.
Nonny
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It is NOT a matter of free, but do you pay the library to "rent" a book? My library is 100% free for up to 2 items per person.
One possible modification of existing policy could be charging 10-25 cents each time an ebook is lent out without a wait, otherwise applying a physical restriction to freely distributable digital item is the dumbest thing anyone could do in this digital age.