Re: Did I finally figure out the rationale?

[John Hasler]

I wrote:
> In the US no license is needed to buy, own, or use a legitimate copy of a
> book, CD, etc.  Copyright law does not enter into the matter at all.  It
> is simply the purchase of a tangible object.  A license is only needed if
> you want to make copies beyond those permitted by law.

Rui Miguel Silva Seabra writes:
> Hello? Buying the book is precisely your license to that copy

Possession or sale of copies (copies are tangible objects) is not among the
exclusive rights of the copyright owner in the US.  Therefor copyright is
not relevant to sale of legitimate copies and no license is required to
purchase or possess one.

> That's the reason why you can't legally xerox it, in most conditions,
> because then you don't have a licensed copy

No.  It is copyright infringment to xerox a book in most circumstances
because the creation of copies is one of the exclusive rights of the
copyright owner.
-- 
John Hasler 
john@dhh.gt.org
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA