From: lars@beagle-ears.com   
      
   On 2025-12-29, Carlos E.R.  wrote:   
   > On 2025-12-29 06:27, rbowman wrote:   
   >> I get digital books from the library in two ways. Most current titles go   
   >> through Amazon and are delivered to my Kindle. When I am through reading   
   >> it I go to the Amazon site and 'return' the book. There's also an   
   >> expiration date but while I 'have' the book it can't be lent to someone   
   >> else. It's the same model as hardcopy books.   
   >>   
   >> The other was is a 'libby' app on my tablet.   
   >>   
   >> https://sfpl.libanswers.com/faq/129917   
   >>   
   >> I don't know why some books use one or the other.  I did notice something   
   >> skimming the SFPL description. Amazon, and now I think libby, keeps a list   
   >> of what I have checked out. Several years back the library structured the   
   >> process for physical books so they only had a record of who had the book   
   >> when it was checked out. They did not keep any record of who had checked   
   >> out a particular book. When the Feds showed up and asked who had ever   
   >> checked out 'Bomb Making Simplified' they could answer 'We don't know'   
      
   As with email archives, that weakens a lot when they get motivated enough   
   to subpoena the backups.   
      
   > But I was wondering whether a person can legally transfer, temporarily   
   > or permanently, an ebook he purchased to another person. Same as we do   
   > with paper.   
      
   From a practical perspective, I am pretty sure the Amazon system only   
   allows a temporary loan. As to the legality, I am pretty certain that   
   you don't own the book, but have a permanent, non-exclusive,   
   non-transferable *license* to use the intellectual property that is the   
   "book". Anything else would be too messy to describe in the chain of   
   contracts from the author to the publisher to the e-book "seller".   
   --   
   Lars Poulsen - an old geek in Santa Barbara, California   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)