PM Press Sells Ebooks to the Internet Archive for CDL

The Internet Archive has tweeted and posted on its blog that PM Press is selling its books to the Internet Archive to circulate through Controlled Digital Lending.

Like any commercial publisher, Ramsey Kanaan wants to make money and have as many people as possible read his books. But he says his company, PM Press, can do both by selling his books to the public and to libraries for lending – either in print or digitally.

While most publishers only license ebooks to libraries, PM Press has donated and sold both print and ebook versions of its titles to the Internet Archive to use in its Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) program. By owning the copies, the Internet Archive ensures that the press’s collection of publications is available to the public and preserved.

“We’re not above profit making. It’s with sales that we pay our salaries.  Nevertheless, the reason we are also doing this is we actually believe in the information we are selling and we want to make it accessible,” says Kanaan.  “We want our books to be in every library.”

RF says a big thanks to PM Press. You have it right: libraries help people discover and, yes, buy your works.

We do take slight issue, however, with the IA Tweet.

it says “This shouldn't be news but it is. @PMPressOrg is actually selling its ebooks to @InternetArchive so we can loan them out, one copy at a time thru #ControlledDigitalLending. Most publishers make libraries lease ebooks, like a car. So buying ebooks? [Thumbs up] http://blog.archive.org/2020/09/21/pm-press-sells-ebooks-to-internet-archive-we-want-our-books-to-be-in-every-library/

Of course, libraries have it far worse than car shoppers.

With a car lease, at least we have the option of buying the car (admittedly at stupid prices) when the lease ends.

Imagine if car shoppers were told, “You can’t buy OUR car but you can lease it for 2 years. And, oh, if you drive it more than 24,000 miles in the two years, we’ll take it away.  And no, at the end of two years, you can’t buy it.  Only leases here.  You’ll have to lease it again for the same price for another two years if you want it when this lease ends.”

License terms that only make PM Press’ use of a perpetual license-or sale—all the more praiseworthy.

Big 5, bring back the perpetual license! We can talk money, but your current restrictive license is wrong.