Comment on World's largest open library calls for volunteers to scan and preserve physical books as AI companies buy, scan, and destroy them — Anna's Archive says ‘time is running out’ as ‘knowledge is permanent

• mindbleach@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  … yes, the entire idea of copyright is that owning a copy is distinct from the right to sell more copies.

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  • artyom@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Right, but we’re not talking about owning, we’re talking about selling. The AI companies are buying these books. Which means someone is selling them.

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    • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      Are you confused by the concept of a used book store?

      They’re buying old books. Books that are no longer in print. These specific copies were produced legitimately, by the rightsholders, but new copies are no longer being made. Whether the publisher could reprint them might be legally or logistically complicated. More often, nobody cares.

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