▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁first - s ale ▁doctrine ▁and ▁fair ▁use ▁law . ▁The ▁Open ▁Library ▁own s ▁a ▁physical ▁copy ▁of ▁each ▁book ▁that ▁they ▁have ▁made ▁available , ▁and ▁thus ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁l ending ▁out ▁of ▁one ▁digital ▁scan ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁a ▁controlled ▁manner ▁falls ▁within ▁the ▁first - s ale ▁doctrine , ▁a ▁practice ▁known ▁as ▁Control led ▁Digital ▁L ending . ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁launch , ▁the ▁Open ▁Library ▁has ▁been ▁accused ▁of ▁mass ▁copy right ▁viol ation , ▁via ▁the ▁system atic ▁distribution ▁of ▁in - print , ▁in - copy right ▁books ▁by ▁numerous ▁groups , ▁including ▁the ▁American ▁Auth ors ▁Gu ild , ▁the ▁British ▁Society ▁of ▁Auth ors , ▁the ▁Australian ▁Society ▁of ▁Auth ors , ▁the ▁Science ▁F iction ▁and ▁Fant asy ▁Writ ers ▁of ▁America , ▁the ▁US ▁National ▁Writ ers ▁Union , ▁and ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁ 3 7 ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁organizations ▁of ▁" writ ers , ▁transl ators , ▁photograph ers , ▁and ▁graph ic ▁artists ; ▁un ions , ▁organizations , ▁and ▁feder ations ▁representing ▁the ▁cre ators ▁of ▁works ▁included ▁in ▁published ▁books ; ▁book ▁publish ers ; ▁and ▁reprodu ction ▁rights ▁and ▁public ▁l ending ▁rights ▁organizations ". ▁The ▁UK ▁Society ▁of ▁Auth ors ▁threatened ▁legal ▁action ▁unless ▁the ▁Open ▁Library ▁agreed ▁to ▁ce ase ▁distribution ▁of ▁copy right ed ▁works ▁by ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁Ind ividual ▁authors ▁reported ▁that ▁Open ▁Library ▁had ▁ignored ▁multiple ▁DM