Quote:
Originally Posted by calvin-c
Maybe-and maybe not. Right now there's a question, at least in my mind, how far the 'inability to read the book' extends, and that will be determined by how they implement the technology.
As one example, if I lend out a free book (not only non-DRM, but maybe one downloaded from Gutenberg) should I be locked out of reading it? Technically, maybe so, but if I download a second copy then I should be able to read that. (Which means, for practical purposes, if it's a free book why lock it? Maybe just to simplify things from the 'tracking' end. Treat each copy as a separate book even if they carry the same metadata.)
Anyway, implementing the feature at all seems a friendly thing for B&N to do so it doesn't make a lot of sense for them to put severe restrictions on it. My biggest fear isn't that B&N has locked it down to the point where I can't read any copy of a book that I've loaned out, but that they've given publishers to option to 'lock out' the lending capability, much as other systems allow for printing.
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I don't think that lending a public domain eBook is the issue here. It is the DRM method used on eReader that will enforce the lending. Just like a library book you check out the book reading will just expire. If you check an eBook from the public lending library it is protected by ADE or Mobi DRM with a time limited license. I suspect the local copy will become available again by using the clock to keep track and it will just be reenabled. If the same eBook is on another device that you own it will likely continue to work fine. eReader DRM is not locked to devices.
Dale