UK government extends library scheme to e-books
The UK government has extended a fund that compensates authors for loaning their works for free to public libraries.
The changes to the Public Lending Right (PLR) scheme will be introduced to the Digital Economy Bill, which has yet to be approved, allowing authors of e-books and e-audiobooks to be eligible for payment in the same way as owners of physical books.
Rob Wilson, minister for civil society and responsible for libraries, said in a statement released on Friday, February 24: “This important change will put e-book authors on the same footing as those writers, illustrators and photographers whose physical books are borrowed for free.
“This legislation fulfils a manifesto commitment and underlines our support for the growing e-book sector, while ensuring that appropriate protections for rights holders are maintained.”
The PLR scheme is managed by the British Library on behalf of the government. Each year, payments worth about £6 million ($7.46 million) are made to 22,000 authors, illustrators, photographers, translators and rights owners.
Roly Keating, chief executive of the British Library, said: “With the rapid rise in popularity of e-books and e-audiobooks in recent years, it’s fantastic news that authors’ PLR payments will now reflect remote e-book loans of their books from public libraries as well as the borrowing of hard copies.”
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