Can someone explain something to me about licensing of electronic books?

I just got an iPhone yesterday and I must say that Logos has outdone themselves with the Logos App. Well done!

But here's something I don't understand. Maybe someone can explain it to me. I have purchased the Platinum version of Logos 4 (actually an upgrade of the Gold version of Libronix 3). Why can't I view some books that I have purchased in the iPhone? Specifically, why can't I read the NIV--one of the most widely used Bible versions out there?

I know that the explanation has been licensing or something of such. But that answer is unsatisfactory. Look at it this way ... One of Logos' big selling points is that the electronic media saves bookshelf space that is otherwise used by print books. But when I buy a print book I can read that print book wherever I take it. With print books, when I buy it, it belongs to me. Why is it that my purchase of an electronic book prohibits me from being able to read it wherever I am?

Please do not read this to be a big complaint from a disgruntled user. To the contrary I think Logos 4 is great and the iPhone App is an answer to prayer that meets my specific needs (for instance, I can take it with me to my secular workplace and have it readily available to share the gospel). I am simply a user with an honest question about something I don't understand.

Thanks.

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Comments

Frank Sauer

This is nothing but speculation... I could imagine that Logos could have publishers that would only agree to the use of their titles in the software version and not on the I-Phone app side... As long and hard as Zondervan fought before signing with Logos, it would not surprise me if it were an agreement that was very specific and minimal in what Logos had the ability to do. I would not be surprised if Zondervan would be looking for more money or auctioning a contract for the I-Phone app side of things... Again just my thoughts...

Bob

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/42063#Comment_42063

One explanation, Olive Tree has a Bible Reader app with the NIV that costs $9.99 to download. The NIV study bible is $14.00. They might not want ( be contractually able) to allow the NIV onto an iPhone outside of this arrangement.

DominicM

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/42999#Comment_42999

its like VHS and DVD, just cos puplisher allowed it on NTSC video, doesnt mean it will be allowed by licence holder to be released for use on the new platform.

Logos are working hard behind the scenes on it.

Rob Suggs

"I know that the explanation has been licensing or something of such. But that answer is unsatisfactory."

Not a matter of satisfactory as if Logos has any choice. Active publishers who own the rights to material (Nelson, Zondervan, Tyndale, etc.) aren't going to give away their products on a new medium. The usage contracts they have issued would not have included iPhone, which is brand new. Most of the resources we have on the iPhone are public domain, so there's no problem with us having them. The rest must be negotiated, and you can't expect Logos to pay high prices for rights, then give it away to us on a free app. I'm sure something will be worked out, but that might include us having to pay a little extra for extended rights to resources. I'm okay with that because I'm already getting what I paid for, which is desktop/laptop software.

Robert J Farthing

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/43168#Comment_43168

I understand why Logos is unable to give away the rights to use the NIV and other books with the "free" downloadable iPhone app. What I do not understand is why those who have already paid for those resources in a Logos 4 package cannot be allowed access to those resources in the iPhone app.

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/43177#Comment_43177

I understand why Logos is unable to give away the rights to use the NIV and other books with the "free" downloadable iPhone app. What I do not understand is why those who have already paid for those resources in a Logos 4 package cannot be allowed access to those resources in the iPhone app.

I thought Rob explained the reason very clearly. Logos does not have the right to include those resources in a new application.

Dan Sheppard

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/43203#Comment_43203

It may well be that Zondervan wants to make more money off providing their NIV access for iPhone.

But consider this: ESV is far newer than NIV and it appears to have no problem being provided in L4 and also on the iPhone!

Colin Thornby

<snip> But when I buy a print book I can read that print book wherever I take it. With print books, when I buy it, it belongs to me. Why is it that my purchase of an electronic book prohibits me from being able to read it wherever I am? <snip>

Intellectual property (and that is what specific copyrighted texts are, no matter if they're the Bible or the latest Dan Brown novel) still belongs to the owner of the IP, unless the licence is sold or delegated. In the case of a physical book, that means the IP and the copyright belong to the owner, and they allow you to use them in the form of a physical book in return for money (a licence, essentially). They don't allow you to digitise them, store them in other ways and so on. Electronic texts are just the same, really. Any electronic text you have is licenced to you for use under a specific set of circumstances on a specific platform. There's no automatic presumption that they'd be available on another platform. I imagine Logos can secure groups of licences for the iPhone for some products quite easily. For others it would be more difficult, ranging to impossible with some copyright and IP owners (where they've sold the exclusive rights to someone else, and so on).

For some the notion that a particular version of the Bible is just a text for the purposes of IP and copyright law will be vexing, but that's how it is!