Can You Lend or Give Away eBooks to Friends?
With paper books, lending or giving them to friends was simple. However, this is not the case with eBooks. Here, we summarize the methods for lending eBooks to friends or giving them to others.
Modified at: 2025.9.11Posted at: 2022.8.18
Purchasing eBooks Means Buying "Usage Rights"
With regular paper books, it is easy to share, lend, or even give them away as used books to friends. However, this is not the case with eBooks.
Unlike paper books where you purchase "ownership," eBooks are only about buying "the right to view and use that eBook on a specific platform." Since you do not own the actual eBook data, you cannot lend or give away your eBooks. None of the platforms allow the transfer of usage rights either.
How to Share or Lend eBooks to Friends
If you want to share or lend the eBooks you purchased to friends, the only method is to lend the device itself (eReader, smartphone, or tablet with the eBook app installed).
However, some platforms such as Amazon prohibit sharing eBook data not only with friends but also within family members. It is important to check the terms and conditions beforehand.
Some platforms allow multiple devices to be logged in with the same account. In that case, you can simply install the eBook platform’s app on your friend’s smartphone or tablet, log in, and share the contents. Just be cautious not to leak your login ID or password.
How to Give eBooks as a Gift to Friends
Since you are only purchasing the "right to view and use" an eBook on a specific platform, you cannot directly gift your purchased data as an eBook present.
However, some eBook platforms allow you to gift digital credits (gift cards) that can be used within their system. For example:
- Amazon Gift Card
- Apple Gift Card
- Google Play Card
These let you specify the amount of credit to send as a present. If you want to gift an eBook, the general solution is to give your friend a gift card for the platform they are using.
However, keep in mind that what you are actually gifting is "credit (money)." You cannot control whether the recipient will purchase the specific eBook you intended.
Blockchain Could Enable eBook Gifting or Reselling
Currently, blockchain technology is mainly used in cryptocurrencies, but its application to digital assets like eBooks is being explored.
Since blockchain records the ownership of data, it would allow you to purchase true ownership, not just usage rights.
This means if blockchain is adopted in eBooks, in theory, it will become possible to gift eBooks directly or even resell e