ALA Speaks Out Against Sale of .us Domain

The ALA has joined the howl of protest against the National Telecommunications and Information Administration\’s plan to sell off the .us domain to the highest bidder:

Libraries, in particular, are worried about the repercussions. Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association\’s Washington office, is concerned about restrictions a private company might place on the sites. She fears they might face problems with sharing copyrighted information provided through databases or get into costly legal battles over providing library users electronic-books. \’\’They have to answer to their stockholders,\’\’ she said of the bidders. \’\’They\’re going to make a decision that makes business sense to them.\’\’ (More from the Boston Globe.)