Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
No it doesn't. In most countries, libraries pay the author whenever a book is borrowed. Look up "Public Lending Right" (PLR).
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This sounds like a nice idea at first glance, but, coming from a country where it is not implemented, I can see some arguments against it:
-- If a library has a fixed book budget, whether paper or eBook, having to pay PLR expenses is not going to change the amount they spend on books, just how they distribute it. So it doesn't really affect the degree to which I, a lifelong taxpaper and library addict, am a book freeloader.
-- The benefits will overwhelmingly go to prosperous authors who get a lot of readers. The less popular authors who get a large portion of their meagre income from library purchases will be harmed because, after the libraries pay PLR to PD James and JK Rowling, they won't be able to buy as many less popular books.
Where you hopefully agree with me is in saying that when you borrow a book from the library, you have compensated the author from your taxes (or university tuition charges), and thus are not freeloading.