(I had to change up the font as we are talking about that as well this week)
As I was reading the NYTimes article I started to get a little offended for authors. How could we just take their ability and "steal" it creating poverty in the industry. I got to the end where a lawyer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation warns that "parents everywhere should be on the lookout for legal papers haling them into court for reading to their kids." and I couldn't believe he would belittle the authors guild for fighting for what they had earned. The second time I read it I started thinking, if you bought the book you have (theoretically) paid royalties on the book. Does it matter if you have a computer voice stating the words instead of reading them off the page? (although I must question the listening ability of anyone who, voluntarily, can actually stand that computer voice talking to them much less reading a book).
I then go to our second article from the legal match law blog. I found this blog answered some of the questions I came up with in the first article. You've paid the royalities when you bought the book. Then there is the optomistic thought that this will continue to escalate as new technologies come into play.
I don't blame the authors guild for trying to get money they feel they deserve. However, I think they should look at the big picture, pick your battles and fight the ones that need to be fought. Perhaps this has started now because of upcoming technology and they are just setting the tone for the industry to pay attention to their rights as they come out with new options.
Cited works:
www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/opinion/25blount.html
http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2010/05/04/digital-storytelling-copyright-law-and-e-book-audio-readers/
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/03/kindle_2_the_re.php
Pick your battles, I love it. I think that authors should get the money that they deserve, they work hard for thier work, but lets be real. TImes and technology has changed so much and will continue to change. I think it is about time that they need to look at new options so authors can get paid for so there wont be another silly law suit.
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