Bill Text: NY A06980 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits publishers from limiting the number of copies of e-books available at public libraries in New York.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to consumer affairs and protection [A06980 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A06980-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6980

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                       May 9, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Consumer Affairs and Protection

        AN ACT to amend the general business law,  in  relation  to  prohibiting
          publishers  from limiting the number of copies of e-books available at
          public libraries

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
     2  338 to read as follows:
     3    § 338. E-books.  1.  For  the  purposes of this section, the following
     4  terms shall have the following meanings:
     5    a. "E-book" shall mean a book published in  or  converted  to  digital
     6  format for display on a computer screen or handheld electronic device.
     7    b.  "Public  library" shall mean a library, other than a professional,
     8  technical or public school library, established for free public purposes
     9  by official action of a municipality or  district  or  the  legislature,
    10  where  the  whole  interests  belong to the public, or any other library
    11  maintained for the benefit and free use on equal terms of all the people
    12  of the community in which such library is located.
    13    2. No person, partnership, limited partnership, unincorporated  joint-
    14  stock association, or corporation publishing a book for sale in New York
    15  state  in an e-book format shall, in any way, limit the number of copies
    16  of such e-book which may be made available  for  rental  at  any  public
    17  library in New York state.
    18    §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    19  have become a law.


         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07788-03-3