Don't Read That Book Out Loud

[Andara Bledin]

Belgian collecting society and would-be copyright thug is contacting Belgian libraries to inform them of their intent to collect copyright fees from any location that chooses to have volunteers who read books out loud to children.

article at TheNextWeb
article at TechDirt
article at TorrenFreak

This group is despicable. After failing to force ISPs and websites to do their jobs for them, they're now going after a group that isn't nearly as likely to have the legal resources to put their case down like the sick dog it is.

^-.-^

[anakhouri]

Daaaaamn...I spend at least 45 minutes a day reading to Khan. When we go to the library and sit down and I read to him, other kids tend to gather around (I do good voices ). I'd be broke paying royalties.

Look, the library already bought the stupid book, you got your cut from that!

[crashhelmet]

Please tell me this is a ploy to establish a precedent that helps people tried in "piracy" cases?

Otherwise, this is just too damn ridiculous to comprehend.

What's next? Going into classrooms and fining teachers that make their students read out loud?

[bara]

Please tell me this is a ploy to establish a precedent that helps people tried in "piracy" cases?

Otherwise, this is just too damn ridiculous to comprehend.

What's next? Going into classrooms and fining teachers that make their students read out loud?

Damnit, stop giving them ideas!!!

[Ginger Tea]

What next going after families who watch a DVD together and only own one copy not a mulitple viewer licence like they need for oil rigs etc?

[SongsOfDragons]

Sorry, your paperback novel is only good for three readings to be used twelve months after purchase. To read it again, please purchase a license.

[Rageaholic]

And I thought SOPA was scary.

If we're going to have a war on piracy, we need to establish reasonable boundries of what is considered piracy before big brother gets involved.

[Seshat]

I'm a content creator. Specifically, an author. Here's what I want out of the copyright system:

* The ability to sell rights to my work; in a way that gives me a reasonable income. Reasonable being a 'skilled labour' level of income, for the average writer/artist/whatever. (Highly skilled: better paid. Less skilled: lower pay.)

* The ability to give away rights to my work, should I choose to. (EG: Open Source Software, Open Content/Open Publishing writing and art.)

* The ability to pass on the rights to my (hypothetical) children, as an asset.

* And yes, eventual expiration of the rights, so that the culture as a whole can benefit once I - and my hypothetical children - no longer need income.


Here's what I don't want:

* People being scared to use my work in reasonable ways. EG: reading to children; sharing a copy among a family.

But:

* I also don't want someone else taking my work and profiting from it; or taking my work and using it in a way that prevents me from making a profit (ie, a reasonable living!) from it.



Sometimes finding that balance is a pain.

[HYHYBT]

To me, this is a character thing. It's probably legal, but there's nothing that says they *have* to do this. I don't think it's even a particularly smart move financially; it discourages the reading of *your* books in favor of someone else's.

[Silverharp]

I don't see how this could be legal. There's no disclaimer or preface "Warning! Reading the book out loud violates the Copyright of Asshat Publishing, and you WILL be sued!"
I see it dying a horrible death very quickly

[bara]

Well, my mom read to me all the time growing up. As I learned to read she would often listen to me read as well.
Today I still LOVE reading. I buy a lot of books. I dont think Im alone. Children who are read to often and are then themselves encouraged to read seem to develop a love for it and are then more likely to purchase books themselves later in life.
As always, business wants to see short term profits for long term losses.

(The obvious benefits of generations wanting to read aside)

[Andara Bledin]

Technically, reading a book out loud in a public place constitutes a "public performance" and would be subject to copyright issues.

The fact that these assholes are going after public libraries that have volunteers reading books for them (because they can't afford to pay for their time) is just a sincerely douchetastic move.

Plus, considering the fact that the vast majority of leisure entertainment interests are passed on through friends, acquaintances, and sharing, they're actually destroying an advertising vector by so doing.

^-.-^

[blas87]

Pretty soon, the men in black will be busting down the door of a 5 year old's birthday party, because it's copyright infringement to sing "Happy Birthday"

[anakhouri]

"Happy Birthday" is actually in the public domain. Thank heavens.

[bara]

"Happy Birthday" is actually in the public domain. Thank heavens.

I can imagine an MPAA/RIAA guy in a 10,000 dollar suit rubbing his hands together saying 'for now, muahahahhah".