Senate Bill S10678

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10678
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              August 14, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. GONZALEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the general business law, in  relation  to  establishing
   the  literary  lifecycle  management  or  LLM  act which prohibits the
   destruction of rare books
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new article
 48 to read as follows:
                                 ARTICLE 48
                 LITERARY LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT OR LLM ACT
 SECTION 1800. PROHIBITION AGAINST THE DESTRUCTION OF RARE BOOKS.
   §  1800. PROHIBITION AGAINST THE DESTRUCTION OF RARE BOOKS. 1. FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "DESTROY" SHALL MEAN THE IRREVERSIBLE
 REMOVAL OF PAGES FROM THE BOOK'S BINDING OR TO OTHERWISE RENDER THE BOOK
 PERMANENTLY INCAPABLE OF PRACTICAL USAGE BY A HUMAN READER.
   2. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON, FIRM,  BUSINESS,  ASSOCIATION,
 NON-PROFIT  ORGANIZATION,  OR  CORPORATION  TO INTENTIONALLY DESTROY FOR
 COMMERCIAL PURPOSES ANY BOOK PUBLISHED BEFORE THE YEAR NINETEEN  SEVENTY
 OR  THAT  WAS  PART  OF  A PRINT RUN CONSISTING OF LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED
 COPIES.
   3. (A) ANY PERSON, FIRM, BUSINESS, ASSOCIATION,  NON-PROFIT  ORGANIZA-
 TION,  OR CORPORATION OR AGENT OR EMPLOYEE THEREOF WHO ENGAGES IN ANY OF
 THE ACTS OR PRACTICES STATED IN THIS ARTICLE TO  BE  UNLAWFUL  SHALL  BE
 LIABLE TO A CIVIL PENALTY AS FOLLOWS:
   (I) FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A FIRST VIOLATION;
   (II) TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A SECOND VIOLATION; OR
   (III) FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A THIRD OR SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION AND AN
 INJUNCTION FROM A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION.
   (B)  A  COURT  SHALL ALSO ALLOW FOR AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF UP TO THE
 MARKET VALUE OF SUCH BOOK. VIOLATIONS SHALL ACCRUE TO THE STATE  OF  NEW
 YORK  AND  MAY  BE  RECOVERED  IN A CIVIL ACTION BROUGHT BY THE ATTORNEY
 GENERAL. WHENEVER  THE  ATTORNEY-GENERAL  SHALL  BELIEVE  FROM  EVIDENCE
 SATISFACTORY  TO THEM THAT ANY PERSON, FIRM, BUSINESS, ASSOCIATION, NON-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD16263-01-6
 S. 10678                            2
 
 PROFIT ORGANIZATION, OR CORPORATION OPERATING AS AN ONLINE RETAILER  HAS
 ENGAGED  IN OR IS ENGAGED IN ANY OF THE ACTS STATED IN THIS ARTICLE, THE
 ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY BRING AN ACTION IN THE NAME AND ON  BEHALF  OF  THE
 PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.