copyright question

[bizbozblezch]

Copyright question

I want to start a library on the internet which would entail customers buying memberships to borrow books from my own personal library. Is this okay to do?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Re: Copyright question

I want to start a library on the internet which would entail customers buying memberships to borrow books from my own personal library. Is this okay to do?

My response:

As long as you're not charging money for the service; e.g., a rental fee, then there's nothing wrong with loaning books.

However, when you loan a First Edition of "The Last of The Mohicans" to someone in California, and they fail or refuse to return the book to you, how then are you planning to enforce the contract to get your book back?

IAAL

 

[bizbozblezch]

so you're saying

So are you saying it's okay to sell memberships to my library as long as I don't charge rental fees?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Re: so you're saying

So are you saying it's okay to sell memberships to my library as long as I don't charge rental fees?

My response:

Sure, you can sell memberships.

Now, can you answer my question?

IAAL

 

[bizbozblezch]

Go ahead

What's your question?

 

[bizbozblezch]

Sorry, I remember your question now

They only way a person could borrow more books is if they return the ones they borrowed to begin with. If the book is still not returned then their membership would be automatically cancelled. Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

Have you thought carefully about your business plan; e.g., how much are your memberships (yearly, biannually, monthly), and how the "loans" are supposed to work; e.g., who pays for postage or other delivery charges?

Also, let's take a potential worst case scenario - -

You have one copy of "The Last of The Mohicans." You have two members, one in California and the other in Florida. The Florida member has the book, and the California member wants to borrow the same book. The Florida member has, after repeated attempts, failed to return the said book. The California member is threatening cancellation and wants to rescind their contract with you.

What are you prepared to, or going to, do about the Florida member, the missing book, and the California member?

Another scenario - -

After months of begging, cajoling, threatening and crying to the Florida member, the Florida member has returned the book to you. However, you come to discover that the Florida member's 5 year old has ripped out pages 127 through 145. Obviously, the book is now ruined, and you can't possibly send the same to the California member.

What are your plans in that regard?

How far along are you in your thought processes in this endeavor?

IAAL

 

[bizbozblezch]

Good questions

You bring up some good questions. There is a library online called freebooks.com and they are doing the membership monthly for customers to borrow paperback books. They charge $14.99 a month for the platinum membership, and the price goes down from there. People are able to check out as many as 6 books at a time, and once they return the books they can check out more. They even pay shipping both ways. I don't know how they handle no-return problems. I'm trying to come up with some ideas to deal with all the worst case scenarios that you mention. I don't know if I could charge the customer the price of the book for no returns. Any suggestions?