Quote:
Originally Posted by barryem
As I understand it the Open Library is basing it's actions on a legal precedent that allows them to lend a single scan at a time of any book they own in paper form. It's been a while since I read it so I don't recall the exact details but they are basing what they're doing on existing law.
There are groups that are protesting and there are some lawsuits to determine if what they're doing really fits that law. Those cases are pending and until they're decided it's simply wrong to call their actions piracy. The law that they're basing it on does exist.
Now with the Corona virus they've taken an additional step of lending unlimited copies of those books. My guess is that won't be found to be legal but at the same time we're in the kind of situation that seems to justify it and my guess, and it's only that, is that they've decided they're willing to take a hit if that's found to be unlawful, which it probably will be. I applaud their courage in doing this.
During non-Corona virus times Archive.org is NOT a pirate site. They're a legitimate organization that does good work. Maybe that argument is different now. I'm not a lawyer so I don't really know. But the courts will decide that and I think we should avoid name calling till they do.
Barry
|
CDL is not a precedent, it's an untested legal argument that has not been tried in court