Digital libraries and copyright confusion

Digital libraries and copyright confusion

An interesting debate has shaped up in the US in this context. In March, the US-based Internet Archive suspended wait-lists for the 1.4 million books in its catalogue by creating a “National Emergency Library” meant to last until the end of the lockdown. As per the Archive, this was done to give students access to assigned readings and library materials.

However, four major publishing houses sued the Archive in early June, claiming that it amounted to copyright infringement and piracy. For the uninitiated, the Archive is an NGO that describes itself as an internet library for “offering permanent access for researchers, historians and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format.” It uses a system of controlled digital lending that partly relies on the first sale doctrine, which gives the buyer of a book the right to sell, lend or dispose it.

Source | https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/columnists/digital-libraries-and-copyright-confusion.html

Regards

Pralhad Jadhav

Senior Manager – Library

Khaitan & Co.