Copyright issues in online libraries

Imagine all literary and academic publications and all forms of books, periodicals and articles on every conceivable topic in the world available to everyone at the click of a button. All published books would be preserved for eternity—not in a physical form or in a musty, remote library, but in digital format for the world to access at any time from any place. The objective is commendable and the task, mammoth. Should such a plan be successful though, it would make all knowledge available to everyone regardless of their status.