Bad News for Authors, no PLR on e books and audio books as government revoke digital economy bill

I wrote here on 20 April that there was good news for authors with the passing of the Digital Economy Bill  through the Commons before Parliament closed for the general election.  One of the clauses in that legislation was that Public Lending Rights (PLR) was to be extended to e books and audio books. Unfortunately, the new Lib-Con Coaliton government has gone back on that and postponed it with the saving of £300,000, which I must say seems a small amount compared to the value of the government's wine cellar which stands at £864,000, with a recent purchase of wine of £18,000, but then I guess they were buying before it goes up in the Budget on Tuesday, which reminds me I must get down to Waitrose. 

But to get back to PLR (mine's a Pleasant Light Red) apparently it is to be reconsidered in the autumn, (PLR that is not the government's stock of wine) but I won't be booking a World cruise on the promise of it.  If it had gone ahead it would have meant that authors would eventually get a small payment every time their e book or audio book was borrowed from a public library in the UK and Ireland. At present the PLR on books is 6.5p per loan up to a maximum of £6,000 per annum and is welcomed by many authors.

I also stated on my blog entry of 20 April and I quote, 'I think it could be some time before I see this included in my annual PLR statement.'

How right I was.

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