I wrote earlier this week about new proposals from HarperCollins which would mean that library copies of eBooks expire after 26 loans. Today I’ve done a short news piece for RegisterHardware.
Since it was only a brief item, and there wasn’t space to include the HarperCollins UK statement in its entirety, I’m reproducing it below:
HarperCollins has always been a firm supporter of libraries in the UK, working hard to ensure that our books are available in both physical and digital form. We also work closely with The Reading Agency and include libraries as a regular element of all author tours. With a rapidly changing digital market, establishing the right arrangement for lending e-books, which supports the interests of both readers and authors while providing a sustainable future, is not straightforward and many models may need to be tested before we reach the optimum outcome. The deal which HarperCollins US have struck involving a cap of 26 consecutive circulations on a “one copy, one reader” basis, is one potential solution, and preferable, we believe, to simply prohibiting ebook library lending as some publishers in both the UK and the US have done. We continue to work with the PA on this issue, with the aim of reaching an industry-wide solution.
Update: I’ve asked HC to clarify whether or not – as OverDrive told me – the 26 loan limit will apply in the UK, as their statement isn’t 100% clear on that. I’ll update when I hear more from them.
