LendInk, Author Activism, and the Need for Critical Thinking

LendInk, Author Activism, and the Need for Critical Thinking: If you've been living under a social media rock and haven't heard of the LendInk incident, here's a brief rundown.

LendInk was a website that facilitated Kindle ebook lending, matching would-be ebook borrowers with ebook owners. All of this was perfectly legal, involving legitimately purchased ebooks, lending options provided by Amazon, and lending terms set by publishers (whether the book was self- or traditionally published). Unfortunately, some authors, finding their books listed on LendInk, jumped to the conclusion that it was a pirate site. They mounted an anti-LendInk social media campaign and deluged LendInk's hosting service with DMCA notices. The result: a legitimate website was shut down.