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| Thread ID: 37115 | 2003-08-29 00:24:00 | User manuals | rowen (4415) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 171322 | 2003-08-29 00:24:00 | I am considering putting user manuals in pdf format (for vhs decks, camcorders etc) on my website but am unsure if manufacturers allow re-distribution in this manner. Does anyone know whether or not companies would mind me doing this? I don't really want to have to contact every manufacturer to ask permission if I don't have to. Thanks all, Richard |
rowen (4415) | ||
| 171323 | 2003-08-29 00:36:00 | Do the manuals state that they are copyright, or that they may not be copied without permission? If they infer copyright then you have no choice but to seek permission . In fact I would go further and suggest that unless they state that copying and distributing is permitted, assume copyright applies . I agree with your ideals, but it would be a shame if you were taken to the cleaners for doing a service . |
godfather (25) | ||
| 171324 | 2003-08-29 02:48:00 | None of the ones I've looked have any copyright info in them. I assumed that permission would be needed to re-distribute them, however after looking into it, I find they are available everywhere online, for free download. I know this doesn't mean it is legal, but I thought it might have been one of those things that that everyone overlooked. After all, it IS free advertising for the companies, isn't it? |
rowen (4415) | ||
| 171325 | 2003-08-29 03:28:00 | They don't have to have "copyright information". They have protection under copyright legislation simply by existing. :D Some publications explicitly state that they are in the "public domain", and may be freely copied. Some are under the GPL or variants, which say they can be copied, and even modified, but they can't be "copyrighted" in the new from, and must give full credit to authors. The PDF files which manufacturers provide for free downloads can probably be made available on your site without problems ... the idea of the PDF system is that the form in which the manufacturer provided it will; always be the form in which it is available. It is "probably" a breach of copyright to do it, but I agree that the manufacturers wouldn't mind. Where you might get into trouble ("possibly") is if you started scanning printed manuals (which might have a sale price) and1 making them into PDF files, or making them available publicly in other forms. But why do it? The manufacturer's sites probably have faster lines ... and are paying for a fast line. You might be creating an expensively popular site, by hitting upload limits, and getting large MB charges. |
Graham L (2) | ||
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