March 22, 2021
AAP Testimony to the Maryland Legislature Regarding Maryland State Senate Bill 432
Today, the AAP submitted testimony to the Maryland legislature regarding Maryland State Senate Bill 432, which would force publishers to license digital works to all Maryland public libraries under so-called “reasonable terms” if the digital works in question have been otherwise made available to the public. In its statement, AAP affirmed the fundamental importance of libraries as customers for a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction books offered by publishers and authors in a variety of formats, including eBooks and audiobooks, but noted that the legislation would undermine the long-established and unambiguous federal legal framework enacted by Congress to govern the distribution of copyrighted works. AAP notes that the bill is preempted by federal law and is likely unconstitutional. AAP’s testimony is available here.