I have been expecting something like this.
One thing is doing it like the Project Gutenberg does: scan a copyright-free book, convert it to text, proof-read it and post only the text (or text with some kind of formatting).
A copyright-free book (because the author died 75 years ago or more, or something similar, according to country) is only copyright-free for the text, someone created the cover and formatted the book with that type of letter, spacing, etc.
That work is not copyright-free unless the publisher gives it away, so they really have the right for their own copyright, not over the text but over the book's general look.
PS: I have seen copyrighted materials on the Internet Archive and have wondered when they would be a victim of lawsuits.
PPS: this weak, in Portugal, we got the news that last year more books were sold and that they were mostly bought by younger people.
One thing is doing it like the Project Gutenberg does: scan a copyright-free book, convert it to text, proof-read it and post only the text (or text with some kind of formatting).
A copyright-free book (because the author died 75 years ago or more, or something similar, according to country) is only copyright-free for the text, someone created the cover and formatted the book with that type of letter, spacing, etc.
That work is not copyright-free unless the publisher gives it away, so they really have the right for their own copyright, not over the text but over the book's general look.
PS: I have seen copyrighted materials on the Internet Archive and have wondered when they would be a victim of lawsuits.
PPS: this weak, in Portugal, we got the news that last year more books were sold and that they were mostly bought by younger people.
