Pocket PC eBooks Watch - eBook and beyond  
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Digital Reality Check
The Rights and Wrongs of the Doctrine of First Sale
For years, we have taken for granted the idea that if we like what we buy to read, we can loan or forward it to a friend, give it away or sell it. It has become a fundamental part of how we share information, and, no matter how difficult or how polarized the views, we should find a way to translate that into the digital age
...It is also interesting to note that in the case of used book sales over amazon.com and other web sites (which, so far, is a digital way of selling a print item), there have been heavy arguments by authors both for and against such practices. Some authors argue in favor of it, going back to the 1909 idea that authors benefit from the distribution because it spreads their work. Other authors argue that almost as soon as the retail copy of their work is available, used copies are also widely available at cheaper prices, thereby undercutting the total sales of new copies. The motive for these arguments in both cases, however, is related to sales and income, not to the fostering of new knowledge.
Further study of this issue is most definitely called for. Various perspectives can be found among the comments filed in response to the Copyright Office Report (Pdf)

posted by Jerry permanent link