Bill > HB5279

This bill, titled the Digital Library Protection Act, aims to prevent publishers from imposing unfair restrictions on libraries when licensing electronic literary materials, such as e-books and digital audiobooks. It clarifies that publishers cannot enter into contracts that prevent libraries from performing their usual operations, like licensing materials from other publishers, using technology to manage loans, making preservation copies, or lending through interlibrary loan systems. Furthermore, publishers cannot restrict libraries from lending materials to patrons, setting their own loan periods, or acquiring licenses at prices higher than what the public pays, nor can they impose excessive per-circulation fees or limit the number of times an item can be loaned if there's already a time limit on the license. The bill also prohibits contracts that hinder a library's ability to virtually present content to patrons and prevents publishers from restricting libraries from sharing contract terms with other libraries in the state or forcing them to violate the Library Records Confidentiality Act, which protects patron privacy. Any contract that includes these prohibited provisions will be considered void and unenforceable, and violating this Act will be treated as an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, allowing the Attorney General to enforce these protections.

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=5279&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104