Publishers Win Preliminary Injunction in Library E-Book Fight

The Association of American Publishers Inc. convinced a federal court that it has a strong case for showing a Maryland law requiring the distribution of electronic works to libraries is preempted by the Copyright Act, winning an order temporarily blocking the law.

Any works that publishers license to the public must be also be licensed to libraries on “reasonable terms” according to the Maryland law. The measure conflicts with the federal Copyright Act by interfering with the publishers’ right to distribute works, Judge Deborah L. Boardman wrote in an opinion for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. ...