"A danger to democracy itself": Authors fight back against limiting libraries' digital rights | Salon.com

"These are but a handful of the writers who have signed their names to an open letter released Thursday by a nonprofit group concerned with digital rights issues, Fight for the Future. The letter, titled "Authors for Libraries," expresses disheartenment about "the recent attacks against libraries being made in our name by trade associations such as the Association of American Publishers and the Publishers Association."

The letter calls for libraries to be able to "permanently own and preserve books, and to purchase these permanent copies on reasonable terms, regardless of format." That seems like a typical right of libraries, but the books in question are specifically e-books. Currently, libraries must pay to rent, not own, e-books from publishers, and the prices, according to the letter, "are often likened to extortion." This, despite e-books often being cheaper to manufacture than print books and more accessible. ..."