Fwd: [AuthorsAgainstE-BookTheft] Re: November 13th deadline to comment

 From Rowena Cherry, Authors Against Ebook Theft, with permission: Yes, 
Joe, you may.Rowena Cherry
SPACE SNARK^(TM) http://www.spacesnark.com/



My email:

To  CopyrightComments2013-PVb/[email protected] ( CopyrightComments2013  AT uspto    
DOT gov

As an author, I am dismayed by the erosion of copyright protections for 
content creators.

It is just, right and fair that "First Sale" is trumped by the copyright 
ruling that prevents duplication, publication, and distribution of 
copyrighted content.

One argument we see by librarians and ebook consumers is that all they 
want is the right to "lend" an ebook the way they used to lend a 
paperback or hardback.

They already have that ability under the law. All they have to do is 
physically hand over their loaded e-reader.

Most people wouldn't lend a paperback to a close friend who lives on 
another continent because of the real world cost of mailing the work 
through the postal services. The cost of postage was a natural 
protection against the abuse of "lending". Similarly, librarians in 
lending libraries don't mail hardbacks to patrons who cannot spare the 
time to visit their local lending library.

Lending loaded e-readers ought to be fine. Making multiple unauthorized 
coies of a digital work (even temporary copies) in the course of 
transmitting a work from the party who paid for a license to read the 
work to a party who did not pay for it in order to save postage and to 
save friends the cost of buying their own license..... should not be legal.

If it IS made legal, e-books ought to cost more than the paper product 
because of the additional risks of abuse and exploitation. E-Books are a 
convenience, and consumers have always paid a premium for convenience. 
Also, service providers have traditionally been paid a premium for 
taking a risk.

Respectfully,

Rowena Cherry


WHAT HAVE THE REST of us written?

Best,
Rowena