I have and account and checked out the emergency library and totally agree.
vhttps://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/03/authors-fume-as-online-library-lends-unlimited-free-books/
@jason_s_dodd you agree with the authors's league?
@Matter Yes. Not only that, I tested it. This is wrong.
@jason_s_dodd Hmm ok, I might agree it's not great for works less than 20 years old, and it doesn't seem they filter for that (?)
@Matter well...
I went to the emergency library, searched for harry potter because i don't like the genre and wouldn't be tempted to read it, and was able to download all hp books without drm. didn't ask me to check them out.
then i looked for other books that would normally have a waiting list because they are new and popular. was able to check out several meaning that the same version was checked out to more than on person, which can't normally happen in a library. issues abound with the IA
@jason_s_dodd first three harry potter books should be out of copyright anyways, but new books being there isn't OK
DRM shouldn't exist of course, so it's good that you didn't get that
@Matter I thought copywright on books lasts 70yrs past the death of the author @jason_s_dodd
@obi @jason_s_dodd I said should, copyright should last at most 20 years
@Matter ahh, gotcha. Sorry @jason_s_dodd
@Matter I've often thought about that, and have gone back and forth on what I consider "right".
@obi one thing I'm sure off though: death + 70 years is not right. Maybe right after death could be justified. I think 20 years strikes the balance between the artist's and society's interests though.
@Matter Yeah, it's just hard for me to decide what's right. I mean if you built a house with your bare hands and left it to your family, shouldn't your family still own it forever or until they sell it? Or creatively, should an artist have rigths to their creative work forever (not sure about that one). Should a scientist have rights forever to a breakthru? Some of these are yes, and some of these are no. Just hard to say when private ownership should stop, or if it ever should. Problem is, even when it loses copyright, more people sell it, and profit. Maybe copyright death should require non-profit control?
