Re: consortium to discuss electronic storage

Another way of looking at this is to imagine going into a book store and being charged to the right to browse. Of course, one can't copy the book while browsing. With the electronic media one can copy while browsing so some protection is needed. Many museums take the precaution of not allowing cameras or concert halls that bar recorders. There is nothing intrinsicly inappropriate with the publishers of electronic media wanting to protect their property.

I suspect that ultimately we will pay a fee for the right to browse that will include the right to copy. In that sense it will be like belonging to a library to which one has to pay a fee. The amount realized on any one sale will be significantly smaller than that realized on the sale of a hardcopy but the numbers sold will be much larger. If this does not make sense to certain publishers, like publishers of very popular trade books, etc. then they just won't make their works available in this form.

--Don Berman Received on Thu Sep 16 1993 - 23:45:41 GMT