Does your will include gifting your ebooks? - Page 5

Lynx-lynx · 01-08-2015, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murg

Actually, I did have an interesting thought from all of this.

Assuming that ebooks are transferrable (at least to governmental bodies), could you leave your ebooks to your local library and could they then loan them out?

Remember, that government can write the laws to exclude themselves from any restrictions...

murg I also wondered along these lines .... and the giving of digital collections say to registered charities is another example ....

If it would otherwise go to the State then I would prefer to 'gift it' legally. (Yep, I know this could only occur after it's established that it's legal to do so)

burnafterreading · 01-08-2015, 06:50 PM

assuming the earth is flat, how come we have seasons?? we shouldn't have them - everyone should have the same temperature.

Lynx-lynx · 01-08-2015, 07:16 PM

eh? ....

speakingtohe · 01-08-2015, 11:17 PM

My ebooks are on my desktop, my laptop and on my Surface Pro 3 tablet. ALso I have 6 readers with quite a few books on each.

I am not likely to get up from my deathbed and wipe the contents, I will, if able be trying to squeeze in a few last books.

So my ebooks will go to my sister who doesn't read, or to some younger friends who are not likely to inherit even a few dollars from their parents. They don't much read either unless you count texting.

The readers will most likely go to the Salvation Army with books intact. Whatever computers I have will either be kept or sold or donated.

The people I know that read have their own ebooks or books and have expressed no interest in acquiring mine. Even if they did I have no wish to pass on something with a moral dilemma attached.

But I also feel no need to ensure everything gets wiped when I die.

I am sure that as time passes many people be leaving their readers as part of their general estate and these will find their way into thrift stores or estate sales or auctions or second hand shops.

Even if the estate goes to the government, will they take the time to make sure all files are wiped before auctioning them etc.? From computers maybe, but from ereaders?

I expect it will become a problem soon enough with so many people ordering online and having automatic logins to Amazon etc. enabled it almost seems like open season for the unscrupulous if they get hold of their computer.

My question is: What provisions can be made to thoroughly wipe licensed only material after your death and how many of us have made them?

I don't feel a strong moral obligation to do so as I doubt anyone will be leaping gleefully on my ebooks but maybe I should.

Helen

GlennD · 01-09-2015, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The issue with digital goods is the fact that they are licensed, not sold, and the contract you have with the supplier says that the licence is not transferable. Ie it's a matter of contract law, not copyright.

So if the other signee of the contract is already gone (ie, the seller goes out of business), what happens to the contract? If the seller is no longer able to uphold their end of your mutual agreement (you can no longer download from them), what is the status of the contract? Or is this more grey area?

chookie2 · 01-09-2015, 01:36 AM

yep my will leaves my digital library in the form of backup hard drive and flash drive copies to my named recipients - that's the way I want it - some family are readers and some not so those that are will get my full e library plus what print books they want.

burnafterreading · 01-09-2015, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennD

So if the other signee of the contract is already gone (ie, the seller goes out of business), what happens to the contract? If the seller is no longer able to uphold their end of your mutual agreement (you can no longer download from them), what is the status of the contract? Or is this more grey area?

if one of the parties ceases to exist and there's no clause in the contract that dictates who steps in to replace said party, then the contract ceases to exist. and thus does the license. no more contract, no more license to read the book, no more access to the book. how are (some of) you people not getting this!?!?

if someone is worried about what happens to a $3.99 ebook, then they clearly aren't leaving much else so they've led a pretty meaningless life. if someone is saying they've got tens of thousands of dollars tied up in this, then maybe they should have paid more attention to what they're buying or had a more suitable contract drafted.

DiapDealer · 01-09-2015, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

if someone is worried about what happens to a $3.99 ebook, then they clearly aren't leaving much else so they've led a pretty meaningless life.

I don't care about what happens to $3.99 ebooks, but I DO find the notion that someone who doesn't leave much behind must therefore have led a "pretty meaningless life" to be fairly sad and small-minded.

eschwartz · 01-09-2015, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

if one of the parties ceases to exist and there's no clause in the contract that dictates who steps in to replace said party, then the contract ceases to exist. and thus does the license. no more contract, no more license to read the book, no more access to the book. how are (some of) you people not getting this!?!?

Oh, I think we all *get it*...

Quote:

if someone is worried about what happens to a $3.99 ebook, then they clearly aren't leaving much else so they've led a pretty meaningless life. if someone is saying they've got tens of thousands of dollars tied up in this, then maybe they should have paid more attention to what they're buying or had a more suitable contract drafted.

And your logical fallacy of the day is... the fallacy of judgmental language!

speakingtohe · 01-09-2015, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

if someone is worried about what happens to a $3.99 ebook, then they clearly aren't leaving much else so they've led a pretty meaningless life. if someone is saying they've got tens of thousands of dollars tied up in this, then maybe they should have paid more attention to what they're buying or had a more suitable contract drafted.

But don't they give the complacent something to be complacent about?

What in your opinion makes a life meaningful? A fortune, a legacy, or a smile in the face of adversity and the willingness to help others even if you are not overly advantaged yourself?

Helen

burnafterreading · 01-09-2015, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

But don't they give the complacent something to be complacent about?

What in your opinion makes a life meaningful? A fortune, a legacy, or a smile in the face of adversity and the willingness to help others even if you are not overly advantaged yourself?

Helen

if it's just smiles and helping others, a will is irrelevant and discussing who gets ebooks and other digital goods is a spectacular waste of time for that person, n'est pas?

nearly any joe / joanne can amass thousands of ebooks and mp3 files (or licenses for them as the case seems to be). it takes no great personal effort to do that and 99.99999% of the times the item isn't even rare. there's no real personal mark on that.

speakingtohe · 01-09-2015, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

if it's just smiles and helping others, a will is irrelevant and discussing who gets ebooks and other digital goods is a spectacular waste of time for that person, n'est pas?

nearly any joe / joanne can amass thousands of ebooks and mp3 files (or licenses for them as the case seems to be). it takes no great personal effort to do that and 99.99999% of the times the item isn't even rare. there's no real personal mark on that.

My opinion agrees with yours in that passing on a lot of books electronic or not, is not the big favour people seem to think it is. It could even be a burden as the legatee might feel obligated in some way to read them and not want to. Plus as the law stands in most countries they cannot sell them.
Not only that, but those that do so are passing on a moral dilemma as well, and which few will thank them for. Imaginary case. I was left $20,000 worth of ebooks by my aunt/mother etc. How can I legally sell them? Answer you can't.

If one is determined to leave ebooks to others do it before you die and explain the legal consequences. Much fairer than to leave your beneficiaries thinking they got something they could use legally or could sell legally. Man up.

So yes I agree up to a point. But the people who care and obsess upon this topic may have substantial physical property to bequeath and even if not, many have probably led meaningful lives.

Helen

burnafterreading · 01-09-2015, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

My opinion agrees with yours in that passing on a lot of books electronic or not, is not the big favour people seem to think it is. It could even be a burden as the legatee might feel obligated in some way to read them and not want to. Plus as the law stands in most countries they cannot sell them.
Not only that, but those that do so are passing on a moral dilemma as well, and which few will thank them for. Imaginary case. I was left $20,000 worth of ebooks by my aunt/mother etc. How can I legally sell them? Answer you can't.

If one is determined to leave ebooks to others do it before you die and explain the legal consequences. Much fairer than to leave your beneficiaries thinking they got something they could use legally or could sell legally. Man up.

So yes I agree up to a point. But the people who care and obsess upon this topic may have substantial physical property to bequeath and even if not, many have probably led meaningful lives.

Helen

Physical property is a non-issue. This thread and the ton of confusion is about nonphysical property, specifically digital licensed "things".

HarryT · 01-09-2015, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

Physical property is a non-issue. This thread and the ton of confusion is about nonphysical property, specifically digital licensed "things".

Given, though, the fact that intangible items can be passed on in a will (eg shares in a company, or royalty income from a copyrighted work), it's a perfectly reasonable thing to want to discuss.

leebase · 01-09-2015, 08:12 PM

What I find amusing is the very mechanism that would allow passing on ebooks as an inheritance is DRM. An unencumbered digital file is infinitely copyable. One need not "will" it to heirs as anyone with access to Dearly Departed's computer can just make copies for everybody. Or load them online for the whole world.

The mechanism that would enable a digital file to act like a physical book that can only exist in one place in time...is DRM. With appropriate DRM the book you buy could truly be "your" book. If you give it away, DRM would allow the publisher the security that it was no different than giving a physical book. You couldn't give someone a copy while keeping your own file. You couldn't give the same book to everybody.

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01-08-2015, 06:50 PM	#62
burnafterreading Groupie Posts: 192 Karma: 1237440 Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Ottawa, Canada Device: Kobo Glo, Arc7HD/10HD, smartphones	assuming the earth is flat, how come we have seasons?? we shouldn't have them - everyone should have the same temperature.

01-08-2015, 07:16 PM	#63
Lynx-lynx Treachery of images ... Posts: 4,122 Karma: 93720365 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Australia Device: Sony 650, Kobo Glo, H2O, Aura One, Forma, Libra 2, Libra Colour	eh? ....

01-08-2015, 11:17 PM	#64
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	My ebooks are on my desktop, my laptop and on my Surface Pro 3 tablet. ALso I have 6 readers with quite a few books on each. I am not likely to get up from my deathbed and wipe the contents, I will, if able be trying to squeeze in a few last books. So my ebooks will go to my sister who doesn't read, or to some younger friends who are not likely to inherit even a few dollars from their parents. They don't much read either unless you count texting. The readers will most likely go to the Salvation Army with books intact. Whatever computers I have will either be kept or sold or donated. The people I know that read have their own ebooks or books and have expressed no interest in acquiring mine. Even if they did I have no wish to pass on something with a moral dilemma attached. But I also feel no need to ensure everything gets wiped when I die. I am sure that as time passes many people be leaving their readers as part of their general estate and these will find their way into thrift stores or estate sales or auctions or second hand shops. Even if the estate goes to the government, will they take the time to make sure all files are wiped before auctioning them etc.? From computers maybe, but from ereaders? I expect it will become a problem soon enough with so many people ordering online and having automatic logins to Amazon etc. enabled it almost seems like open season for the unscrupulous if they get hold of their computer. My question is: What provisions can be made to thoroughly wipe licensed only material after your death and how many of us have made them? I don't feel a strong moral obligation to do so as I doubt anyone will be leaping gleefully on my ebooks but maybe I should. Helen

01-09-2015, 01:36 AM	#66
chookie2 Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 648694 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: ipad mc7 16gig	yep my will leaves my digital library in the form of backup hard drive and flash drive copies to my named recipients - that's the way I want it - some family are readers and some not so those that are will get my full e library plus what print books they want.

01-09-2015, 08:12 PM	#75
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,960 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	What I find amusing is the very mechanism that would allow passing on ebooks as an inheritance is DRM. An unencumbered digital file is infinitely copyable. One need not "will" it to heirs as anyone with access to Dearly Departed's computer can just make copies for everybody. Or load them online for the whole world. The mechanism that would enable a digital file to act like a physical book that can only exist in one place in time...is DRM. With appropriate DRM the book you buy could truly be "your" book. If you give it away, DRM would allow the publisher the security that it was no different than giving a physical book. You couldn't give someone a copy while keeping your own file. You couldn't give the same book to everybody.

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