California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 2426, a new law that requires digital marketplaces to make clearer to customers when they are only purchasing a license to access media. The law will not apply to cases of permanent offline downloads, only to the all-too-common situation of buying digital copies of video games, music, movies, TV shows or ebooks from an online storefront. The Verge spotted the development, which could see marketplaces facing fines for false advertising in the state if they don't use clear language to explain the limitations of what access entails. In other words, you won't be seeing language like "buy" or "purchase" once the law takes effect in 2025. The move to digital storefronts has raised new parallel concerns about ownership and preservation for media in the modern age. Ubisoft's move to delete The Crew from players' libraries after the game's servers shuttered is one of the most recent examples of how customers can suddenly lose access to media they felt they owned. The new California law won't stop situations like The Crew's disappearance from happening, and it won't stop those losses from hurting. But it does make clearer that ownership is a pretty rare and intangible thing for digital media. Governor Newsom is having a busy week. He also signed the state's "click to cancel" bill yesterday and last week signed two bills with protections against unwanted AI likenesses of actors, both living and deceased.This article originally appeared... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-09-26 20:30:54 UTC ]
A group of Louisiana libraries block cultural displays, including Pride, Black and Woman's History Month, and others. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-02 22:08:33 UTC ]
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If you use Amazon’s Kindle app on Android, you may have noticed the software doesn't offer the option to buy and rent ebooks or subscribe to the company’s Kindle Unlimited service anymore. Amazon announced the change last month and more recently began notifying customers of the move via email.If... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-31 16:17:08 UTC ]
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The NFL's rumored streaming service could debut in JulyDyson, the company that’s recently branched out into hair curlers, air-purifying headphones and not cars, has revealed it has an entire division secretly developing robot prototypes for household chores.The company didn't detail any of the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-26 11:15:21 UTC ]
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If you’re about to bite the bullet on a blazing-fast multi-gig internet deal, you might just have to upgrade your PC’s storage drive and CPU too. I know this because besides having to upgrade my networking hardware, which was too slow for my new Sonic 10Gb internet, I discovered that parts... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2022-05-18 10:45:00 UTC ]
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Available at indies bookstores and local libraries everywhere! * Phil Klay, Uncertain Ground (Penguin Press) “An introspective collection of essays … Klay’s reassuring voice offers truth, hope, and ways forward during a challenging, polarized period in America.” –Booklist Maggie Shipstead, You... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-05-17 13:43:51 UTC ]
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The Read Harder challenge, library style! These books will help you not just Read Harder, but discover more about libraries and librarians. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-05-16 10:30:00 UTC ]
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When it comes to retro portable gaming, even the better handhelds usually only emulate the original PlayStation and N64 era. But if you’re a fan of the GameCube or PS2 libraries (and you should be), the number of handhelds capable enough, well-made enough and reasonably priced enough is... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-13 11:15:33 UTC ]
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These were the most popular, in-demand books in US libraries from January to March 2022. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-05-10 14:19:48 UTC ]
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It only took about 15 years, but Amazon’s Kindle will finally support the ePub format. First spotted by Good E-Reader, Amazon updated its Kindle section with the news that the Send to Kindle function will convert ePub files to a format that can be opened on the e-reader. The update is scheduled... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-03 00:25:01 UTC ]
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In Texas, where libraries are a political battleground, the Texas Library Association recently convened its annual convention in person for the first time since 2019—in the district of a state representative Matt Kraus eager to ban books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Last Thursday's Independent Book Publishers Association's “The Battle for Free Expression: Indie Publishers and Libraries in the Fight Against Censorship.” panel offered insights from digital media, public libraries, academic research, and online education on the rise in book banning. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In a move that has alarmed library leaders, Kentucky bill SB 167—which came back from the dead last week with a veto override—will empower local politicians to “appoint whomever they want to library boards and block major library spending.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A pandemic might close a library, but it can’t stop librarians. They were still finding new ways to remind us that libraries are about connections and experiences, writes Heidi LM Jacobs. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-04-17 08:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Public Library made four banned books available nationwide on SimplyE, its free-reader app. The titles include Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and Catcher in the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-04-13 23:48:05 UTC ]
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The UnBanned Books initiative will give anyone in the U.S. between 13-21 a free eCard, giving them access to frequently challenged ebooks. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-04-13 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Writers for Democratic Action, an organization of some 2,600 authors, is mobilizing its membership in a campaign called Book the Vote. WDA will facilitate nonpartisan voter registration for the 2022 midterm election, working with authors, bookstores, and libraries to educate voters about their... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Nearly three years after it first announced a 90-day embargo to libraries on its newly published audio titles, Blackstone Publishing this week announced that it is changing course. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Because we can never resist adding another line item to the eternal ledger of what we owe libraries: Californians can now use their library cards to get free entry into state parks! The three-year pilot program will give libraries (including mobile libraries) at least three passes to California... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-04-08 15:54:11 UTC ]
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Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, plans to hold a hearing April 7 to examine the wave of attempted book bannings in schools and libraries across the country. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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ALA kicked off National Library Week with the release of its annual State of America's Libraries report, and its "Top 10 Most Challenged Books" list. The 729 challenges tracked by ALA in 2021 represent the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling its list 20 years ago,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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