Thread: A Fairer Fair Use?
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Old 05-18-2012, 04:32 PM   #5
taustin
Wizard
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Device: Nook
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizwor View Post
Borland used to license software to be used as a pbook -- multiple users could use the software on multiple systems so long as only one user was using the software on one system at a time. A lot of software companies now use a call home feature to ensure that software is not installed on multiple computers.

How would you feel about a license server infrastructure for ebooks? Download an ebook to any device in any format as long as it is only on one device at a time. In the spirit of Fair Use and to accomodate remote reading, one device could read the ebook based on the existence of a local token (which could be removed from one device and installed on another).

You could loan your books to friends, sell them, or even donate them to libraries (formal or informal).

What do you think?
Yeah, that system worked out so well on the several digital music systems that have gone out of business. People don't seem to be too enthusiastic about renting books, especially for the same price as buying them. I doubt you'd be able to get 99 cents on a system like that.
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