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Friends - let& #39;s chat.
"Public Lending Rights" (or, PLR) is a scheme to compensate authors & creatives for their books and works being in circulation in libraries. https://twitter.com/asauthors/status/1298494535857664001?s=20">https://twitter.com/asauthors...
"Public Lending Rights" (or, PLR) is a scheme to compensate authors & creatives for their books and works being in circulation in libraries. https://twitter.com/asauthors/status/1298494535857664001?s=20">https://twitter.com/asauthors...
It& #39;s an amazing program that acknowledges the hard work that goes into creating *art* (books, films, music etc.) and allows some monetary compensation for potential loss of income for works being made free and readily available in libraries. It& #39;s great!
BUT: in Australia, we do not get lending rights compensation for e-books or digital audiobooks.
Yup.
Right now, authors can get PLR only for their physical books - but not that same book in digital format via audio or ebook.
Yup.
Right now, authors can get PLR only for their physical books - but not that same book in digital format via audio or ebook.
(Does this sound a little ridiculous *especially* in the Year 2020 when many libraries have physically shut their doors, but highlighted their *incredible* digital libraries on offer?! Yeah. Pretty much everyone in the Arts thinks so too.)
. @PaulFletcherMP doesn& #39;t think such a scheme is a priority. Which is pretty weird since he& #39;s been asking for suggestions on how he can help The Arts. He even created a taskforce to brain-storm this kind of stuff (oh, publishing isn& #39;t represented tho): https://www.paulfletcher.com.au/media-releases/media-release-new-taskforce-to-steer-the-arts-to-recovery">https://www.paulfletcher.com.au/media-rel...
And it& #39;s even weirder because places like @asauthors and the Agents Assoc have been asking for an expansion of ELR/PLR for a *really* long time (like ... since e-books and audiobooks became a *thing* and have been on the rise). So weird @PaulFletcherMP!
But nah, according to this press release - https://www.asauthors.org/news/government-refuses-to-commit-to-dlr">https://www.asauthors.org/news/gove... - @PaulFletcherMP; & #39;... the Minister has merely committed to monitoring the situation with no timeline for change.& #39;
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How much more proof would he like that e-books and audiobooks are - y& #39;know - popular?
How much more proof would he like that e-books and audiobooks are - y& #39;know - popular?
So do you know what would *really* help out your favourite Aussie authors? And would just be a good roadmap to post-COVID recovery for the Arts generally in this country? Reading this @asauthors press-release and following the directions at the bottom; https://www.asauthors.org/news/government-refuses-to-commit-to-dlr">https://www.asauthors.org/news/gove...
Write to your local MP ( @asauthors have a template letter!). Tweet at @PaulFletcherMP too, quite frankly (maybe every time you loan out an e-book or digital audiobook? Just to help him "monitor the situation"). And just stay aware of this stuff; https://www.asauthors.org/news/government-refuses-to-commit-to-dlr">https://www.asauthors.org/news/gove...
You& #39;d really be helping out Australian authors, making our society more equitable generally, AND - most important of all - you& #39;d be signalling that you *value the Arts and artists* and want to see it acknowledged as valuable to society and community too. That& #39;d be amazing.
I know @Tony_Burke is also probably across this because he& #39;s fab and a great supporter of the Arts and Artists https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="đ" title="Thumbs up" aria-label="Emoji: Thumbs up"> but if you& #39;re in a book club, writing group, if you run a #LoveOzYA BookTube or #LoveOzMG blog or *anything* - spread the word! Please!
