Some IA News: A Favorable View in LAT and an Upcoming Event

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Chris Freeland from the Internet Archive points out a business column by Michael Hiltzik in the LA Times commenting on Brewster Kahle’s recent post on the ephemerality of digital books. Platform creep and format obsolesence do indeed make ebooks strikingly short-lived—a reason why ReadersFirst has long advocated against proprietary formats, even knowing no format is forever. The article is well-worth a read by librarians, but in summary Hiltzik rightly notes the following:

“As digital books mature from a novel technology into a quotidian one, there is no reason why the rights conferred by ownership should be materially different from those that come with a book one can hold in one’s hands. None, except that publishers and distributors have been able to get away with quietly shrinking those rights.”

The “quietly” part is perhaps open to question—we’ve even passed a state law about it, and have many more planned—but not the “get away with quietly shrinking those rights.” Thanks, Mr. Freeland and Kahle, for your continued advocacy for libraries, and Mr. Hiltzik for pointing out (again) that is it way past time to reform copyright for the digital age.

Coming from the IA in 2023:

The Best Things in Life Are Free: Public Domain Day 2023
January 19 & 20

The moon belongs to everyone, so says the 1927 hit musical composition, “The Best Things In Life Are Free.” We agree! In January of 2023, a treasure trove of new cultural works will become as free as the moon and the stars, and we at Internet Archive, Creative Commons and many other leaders from the open world plan to throw a party to celebrate!

January 20: In-Person Film Remix Contest* Screening Party