The electronic library debate continues
July 8th 2010
Cousin Jon emailed me David Pogues’ recent blog on copyright, with an observation on digital libraries.
The science and technology world has an interesting analog to the paper vs electronic print music debate. In our world, the problem crops up with professional papers. My own attitude is clear: if I have the choice between downloading a free copy of someone’s paper I find on-line, or purchasing a copy from the professional society, I grab the free copy.
Partly this is because the original author doesn’t get a penny from publication sales. In many cases the author is lucky if the association prints the paper for free, without requiring “page charges.” Another reason is that, in most cases, the paper is actually made available on-line by one or more of its authors.

