NY Gov. Hochul Vetoes Library E-Book Licensing Bill

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) vetoed AB-5837 Wednesday, drawing praise from publishing advocates. The measure would have required publishers to license e-books to libraries under “reasonable terms,” including limits on the number of users who could simultaneously have access to particular titles and for a particular number of days. AB-5837 “would have forced authors, publishers, and other copyright owners to involuntarily grant licenses to New York libraries for their digital works on terms decided by the state of New York,” CA CEO Keith Kupferschmid said Thursday in a statement. “The bill was clearly unconstitutional, based on a campaign of misinformation, and in violation of federal copyright law.” Association of American Publishers President Maria Pallante thanked Hochul for "taking decisive action to protect the legal framework that has long incentivized the American private sector to invest in, publish, and distribute original works of authorship to the public, in service to society. The bill that she vetoed was rushed through the state legislature in response to a coordinated, misinformation campaign supported by Big Tech interests and lobbying groups that are notorious for wanting to weaken copyright protections for their own gain."