The model where you rent something rather than own it outright is not unique to eBooks - we see it everywhere from software to video to music to the turn signal on your BMW. But it's particularly telling when it comes to books, because you could buy one, own it outright, put it on your shelf, sell it if you desired, and never risk losing it unless you dropped it into your bathtub. No more. "Just as platforms control our tweets, our updates, and the images that we upload, platforms can also control the books we buy, keeping tabs on how, when, and where we use them, and at times, modifying or even deleting their content at will." I still consult my textbooks from my university days, many years ago - and because I've kept my own library of digital content, I can go back to a lot of more recent work as well. But I don't buy eBooks - if I can't keep a copy, there's no point reading the content. Anyhow, this article is a long and authoritative documentation of that trend - and if you want to keep it in your library, just download the 57 page PDF. Via Scott Leslie.
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