Why can these materials not be added to the collection?
Copyright legislation exists to protect the intellectual property of creators. That is, to ensure that authors, directors, illustrators, and publishers benefit from their creative works. Reproducing copyrighted materials is illegal, as it often means that authors are not being fairly compensated for their work. Pirated books and DVDs are not produced by the author/publisher, and therefore cannot be added to library collections.
Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) are unique. These books are distributed by authors and publishers with the intention of generating interest in a title, prior to its release date. They are perfectly legal to own, or to give away for free, and libraries may occasionally receive them as donations. However, they cannot be sold, or added to library collections, as this takes away from the authors' potential earnings.
How can you avoid buying pirated materials?
Here are a few tips to help you avoid buying pirated materials:
- Buy from approved vendors (e.g. ULS) whenever possible.
- When shopping on Amazon, make sure your item is sold directly by Amazon, or is "Fulfilled by Amazon". Avoid marketplace sellers!
- If an item seems too cheap to be true- it probably is!
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