FREE/BARGAIN - Science Fiction, Fantasy - 2016

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Fbone

The Internet Archive/Open Library is a licensed non-profit library based in California and as such they are given exemptions.

Can you elaborate on this?

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can you explain how you ascertained that these items were in the public domain in your country? It would be extremely useful for other people to know. They plainly aren't in the "life+70" public domain, since many of the authors involved as still alive.

I simply decided to take the Internet Archive's offer at face value, since they're in the US too. They should know what they're doing, since they're not some small fly-by-night organization.

Now I did opt not to post the deal in this thread myself, but that was due to worries about the copyright status in other countries. I knew they weren't restricting downloads in Germany(1), and figured they weren't blocking them anywhere.

1: I have a dedicated server there and used it to grab the PDFs, since it downloads much faster.

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by Manabi

I simply decided to take the Internet Archive's offer at face value, since they're in the US too. They should know what they're doing, since they're not some small fly-by-night organization.

One thing to keep in mind about the Internet Archive is that while its rules are intended to ensure that IA isn't legally liable for copyright infringement, the rules aren't specifically crafted to keep infringement from happening. Much of the material in the archive is uploaded by "users", so as long as the IA responds to DMCA requests, it can claim a "safe harbor" defense against copyright infringement liability. The available material can still be infringing, but it isn't legally IA's infringment.

Additionally, the Internet Archive seems to have a much broader idea of what constitutes "fair use" than many rights holders. Rights holders have thus far been reluctant to sue, though, so no court has tested the limits of IA fair use. IA has again avoided liability (even if only temporarily), but it is possible (or even likely) that some of IA's actions would be considered infringing if brought before a court.

The short of it is that if I find something on the Internet Archive, I assume that it infringes someone's copyright unless I find a clear statement of permission from the rights holder (like this book, for example) or it's clear to me that the work is in the public domain.

[Difflugia]

Aliens: The Official Movie Novelization by Alan Dean Foster is $.99
B&N
Amazon

Spellsinger, also by Alan Dean Foster, is $1.99
B&N
Amazon

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can you elaborate on this?

I don't know the particulars. You would need to review the court cases that IA has won.

My opinion, from what I remember, is that as a registered library they are entitled to exemptions for scholarly study. It's been established that they can post an ebook for lending if they have a print version. Other books can be available for online viewing only. I may be wrong about this as I didn't delve too deep into the matter.

The library designation is important. For example, a library is a government entity and as such is treated differently than say a torrent site or even Gutenberg. The example being that a copyright holder demanding IA or OL to remove their book would be the same as them walking into the New York Public Library and demanding their books be destroyed. Would the government agree to their demands?

This doesn't excuse the copyrighted uploads from the general public.

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by Fbone

The library designation is important. For example, a library is a government entity and as such is treated differently than say a torrent site or even Gutenberg.

This is a pure invention. There are private libraries and libraries owned by private universities. The NYPL may be entitled to state legal immunity but I would wish to see an analysis of that.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Fbone

It's been established that they can post an ebook for lending if they have a print version.

But they aren't lending anything. They're making copyrighted material available for unlimited download. In all honesty I can't see how this constitutes a loan.

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Alas, Babylon - $1.99
http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-Harper...dp/B00CD360ZQ/

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (Harper Perennial)

Cross posted from General Fiction

$1.99 in US only

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

This is a pure invention. There are private libraries and libraries owned by private universities. The NYPL may be entitled to state legal immunity but I would wish to see an analysis of that.

I was referring to public libraries not private collections.

And a tax supported library may respond differently to a demand to destroy books in its inventory. Whether they are immune, I don't know. They fact that IA and OL have existed for 20 years despite legal challenges may be due to its official library designation in California. They are eligible to receive Federal funding.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But they aren't lending anything. They're making copyrighted material available for unlimited download. In all honesty I can't see how this constitutes a loan.

They do lend books. Their Open Library project has an extensive collection.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I don't know the particulars. You would need to review the court cases that IA has won.

My opinion, from what I remember, is that as a registered library they are entitled to exemptions for scholarly study. It's been established that they can post an ebook for lending if they have a print version. Other books can be available for online viewing only. I may be wrong about this as I didn't delve too deep into the matter.

The library designation is important. For example, a library is a government entity and as such is treated differently than say a torrent site or even Gutenberg. The example being that a copyright holder demanding IA or OL to remove their book would be the same as them walking into the New York Public Library and demanding their books be destroyed. Would the government agree to their demands?

This doesn't excuse the copyrighted uploads from the general public.

If libraries are allowed to lend ebooks just because they have the same book in print, OverDrive would be out of business and libraries wouldn't be having budget crises.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Fbone

They do lend books. Their Open Library project has an extensive collection.

Sorry, we're talking at cross-purposes. Yes, they do of course do ADE loans, as you say, but I was meaning these IF magazines. Available for unlimited download, when they are very clearly still protected by copyright. That's not a loan.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, we're talking at cross-purposes. Yes, they do of course do ADE loans, as you say, but I was meaning these IF magazines. Available for unlimited download, when they are very clearly still protected by copyright. That's not a loan.

Sorry, my mistake. I don't know what the copyright status is for the IF magazines. They were uploaded between Aug 2013 and Dec 2015. That's plenty of time for a copyright holder to send IA a signed affidavit.

[alee]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I don't know the particulars. You would need to review the court cases that IA has won.

My opinion, from what I remember, is that as a registered library they are entitled to exemptions for scholarly study. It's been established that they can post an ebook for lending if they have a print version. Other books can be available for online viewing only. I may be wrong about this as I didn't delve too deep into the matter.

The library designation is important. For example, a library is a government entity and as such is treated differently than say a torrent site or even Gutenberg. The example being that a copyright holder demanding IA or OL to remove their book would be the same as them walking into the New York Public Library and demanding their books be destroyed. Would the government agree to their demands?

This doesn't excuse the copyrighted uploads from the general public.

A copyright holder has no right to demand the destruction of any kind of physical copy that was legally obtained, which is generally the case for library collections. I thought that libraries are free to lend out their physical copies as they see fit under the first-sale doctrine, which doesn't apply to digital copies, since you're actually copying the bits when you lend them out.

I believe that the first-sale doctrine is also why Redbox, which runs the DVD and Blu-ray rental kiosks, is able to advertise that they have movies that won't be available for streaming for a long time, because they can legally go to a store, buy a DVD or Blu-ray at the regular price, and then rent it out as they see fit, while streaming video services have to negotiate licenses.

The NYPL actually isn't a government entity; it's a private non-profit organization. Most of the funding for the circulating neighborhood branches does come from the city government, but the research libraries, including the main library on 42nd Street (the one with the lion statues in front) get nearly all of their funding from private donations. The NYPL also only operates in three of the five boroughts of NYC (Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island), while Queens and Brooklyn have separate public library systems, which are also private non-profit organizations.

[Little.Egret]

UK Amazon Deal of the day has (today, 1st March 2016)

Gardens Of The Moon: (Malazan Book Of The Fallen 1) by Steven Erikson for 99p

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gardens-Moon...dp/B0031RS64G/