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Will Your Books and Music Die With You?

Posted by timothy on from the entire-universe-dies-with-me-actually dept.

theodp writes "Many of us will accumulate vast libraries of digital books and music over the course of our lifetimes, reports the WSJ, but when we die, our collections of words and music may expire with us. 'I find it hard to imagine a situation where a family would be OK with losing a collection of 10,000 books and songs,' says author Evan Carroll of the problems created for one's heirs with digital content, which doesn't convey the same ownership rights as print books and CDs. So what's the solution? Amazon and Apple were mum when contacted, but with the growth of digital assets, Dazza Greenwood of MIT's Media Lab said it's time to reform and update IP law so content can be transferred to another's account or divided between several people."

5 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. Too personal to be widely desirable by petes_PoV · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Since everyone has their own collection of (digital) words and music, it's unlikely that you will suddenly develop a taste for someone-else's just because they've died and left you theirs. You may have a brief look through it, to see if it contains anything you've missed from your own collection, or you may hang on to it as a way to handle your grief.

    However you may also decide to delete the whole lot, unseen, just in case it contains the sort of "material" you'd prefer not to remember your departed loved one by.

    --
    politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
  2. Yes, this is a valid problem by ThorGod · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...and just one of the many reasons I have hundreds of CDs lying around. I've bought some music and videos from iTunes. I prefer buying CDs because they're physical and tangible. Google or Apple can't decide to "close the service" and take all of my CDs away.

    For that matter, there are still recordings only to be found on vinyl. There's either too weak of a modern interest in certain albums or "not enough profit" for record companies in re-releasing them. Either way, I don't see physical media going away anytime soon.

    --
    PS: I don't reply to ACs.
  3. Re:You don't "own" anything any longer by thegreatemu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    copyright law?

  4. Re:Not all of us. by jamstar7 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But what about your porn????

    --
    Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
  5. Buy hard copies. by suprcvic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is why I buy hard copies of any book I really like. Partly to show off that I've read it but also to pass along to my children or others who may be interested.