Who Can Inherit Your Ebooks and Digital Music?

So much has been written about the growing ebook revolution over the past couple of weeks that it’s tough to keep up. For example, did you know that the explosion of ebook sales in Great Britain has created a notable reduction in bookshelf space? U.S. observers aren’t surprised. Some estimate that the U.S. has only half the shelf space that was available in 2007, due to the closure of Barnes & Noble and many independent stores.

Another article says that available Brazilian ebooks have grown from 11,000 to 16,000 in a short period of time, and a press release from Amazon Media Room now boasts over 100 million books downloaded through their Kindle exclusive program. This is with a catalogue of only 180,000 tittles! Here’s the release, which names some of their bestsellers, http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1729200&highlight=

An article in Marketwatch.com poses a really interesting question: Who inherits your digital ebook and music collection? If you answer, “it’s complicated” you’re on the right track. Bequeathing your print books and CDs is one thing, but doing the same with your iTunes and ebook collection is another matter, partly because of ownership problems. When you purchase a book or CD it’s yours, but if you purchase a digital book, you’re not buying the right to own it but a license to use the digital files. Legally, this is a big difference!

Also, Apple and amazon.com grant “nontransferable” rights, which means you can’t give your downloads to others. Furthermore, Apple only grants licenses to account holders, so what happens when the account holder dies? The potential for legal fallout is huge, as the law hasn’t really begun to address these issues. The article goes onto say that there are ways to inherit ebooks and digital music, which you can read at http://www.marketwatch.com/story/who-inherits-your-itunes-library-2012-08-23

By the way, today and tomorrow, Sept. 3^rd are free days for my first Alex Bellamy mystery, TAXED TO DEATH. If you enjoy whodunnits with a little romance and humor, then meet Alex, the tax auditor who doesn’t have a clue, when it comes to murder.  

http://www.amazon.com/Taxed-Death-Bellamy-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B001RIZEJG/ref=

Thanks!