Rules regarding reusing files from the Library?

[klmmc13]

Greetings All !

I've looked thru the wiki, read all the FAQ's, and attempted several searches and still have not found any answer.

The Question is this -- ARE there any rules / recommendations regarding use / re-use or distribution of work product available in the Patricia Clark Memorial Library?

Some of the books, say, Swiss Family Robinson or the Mark Twain books for example, I'd like to re-work in a workbook style for a Literature class, others, just be able to provide the book from a blog or website (no, I would NOT be charging for work I did not do myself).

As a Home-schooling mom we frequently share materials in discussion groups or emails. Often we put together a set of materials and make them available to others.

Old Fashioned Education, Ambleside, Robinson Curriculum, A-squared, are just a few of the current curriculums that are teaching from "Living Books" in the Public Domain and challenging our readers, instead of dumbing it down for fear they might not comprehend it.

Naturally, If the particular book used doesn't have the "new logo" for MR, I'd be more than happy to credit the member who contributed the work, the URL where it is available, and apply the logo on either the title page, cover or both, depending on requirements by MR, the contributor, etc.

Thanks,
Kathy

[HarryT]

If a book is in the public domain in your country (and check that it is - not all the books in the library are in the public domain in all countries) you can do whatever you want with it.

[eschwartz]

Well, some scumbags in the past have uploaded the hard work of the members here to e.g. the Kobo store, and tried charging money.

But other than that, you should be fine.
Accreditation is always good.



Note: Most books in the MR Library are Public Domain, but they don't have to be. I believe that the rules allow someone to upload their own work -- and then MobileRead is naturally permitted to distribute, but others are not.
As HarryT said, just because something is PD according to the rules & location of the MR Library, does not automatically mean it is PD in your location as well. But that is not a MobileRead-specific problem.

[Barbara1955]

NO you are getting the ebooks from a Public Library in the US! So the Answer is NO!

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Katie1

NO you are getting the ebooks from a Public Library in the US! So the Answer is NO!

I have no idea what you think you mean by this.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Well, some scumbags in the past have uploaded the hard work of the members here to e.g. the Kobo store, and tried charging money.

Which is unethical, but not illegal. I don't like to see people taking advantage of the fruits of my labour (and that of many other people) this way, but we do have to accept that if a book is in the public domain, people can do anything they wish with it, including reselling it.

[cromag]

Not to delve too far into the esoteric, but if an MR member contributes some intellectual property to the ebook -- say, an indexed table of contents -- wouldn't that affect the "public domain" status of the ebook?

[klmmc13]

Well, as I originally stated, IF I used someone else's work from MR, It would either be presented FOR FREE to other HomeSchool families without any changes, or I would be crediting the original presenter, and making additions of materials to create a student workbook.

Part of the reason I bring this up NOW, is so that I can determine if:
There are "unspoken but assumed" Creative Commons type conditions on the works here;
If I need to seek specific approval from each individual presenter or if I need to start from scratch in formatting / proofing a new edition, so as not to infringe on anyone else's work.

I personally wouldn't want anyone using materials that I had created without my permission, knowledge and agreement with the new usage.

Katie, as you so vehemently object to my usage of any materials, I will be extra careful as to not include any of your presentations in my endeavors.

Thanks for your responses all. Any more Opinions or even Questions regarding how I plan to USE these materials?

Kathy

[klmmc13]

Originally Posted by cromag

Not to delve too far into the esoteric, but if an MR member contributes some intellectual property to the ebook -- say, an indexed table of contents -- wouldn't that affect the "public domain" status of the ebook?

Cromag - Technically, Yes it does IF the contributor states that they are claiming copyright on the material they have ADDED to the PD materials. (If I understand all this copyright regulations correctly)
Thanks,
Kathy

PS - Love the turtle

[klmmc13]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If a book is in the public domain in your country (and check that it is - not all the books in the library are in the public domain in all countries) you can do whatever you want with it.

Harry, I'm sure that this is covered elsewhere, but exactly how DO I go about verifying whether or not a specific book is in the Public Domain for the United States (in my case), or other countries, in the case of a few HS moms I'm acquainted with from Australia?
Thanks.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by cromag

Not to delve too far into the esoteric, but if an MR member contributes some intellectual property to the ebook -- say, an indexed table of contents -- wouldn't that affect the "public domain" status of the ebook?

A "creative" element is required in order for something to be subject to copyright protection, so a simple table of contents wouldn't quality. If someone were to add an introduction or notes to a book, that would quality for copyright protection, but only those elements would be protected by copyright, so someone could freely make a copy of the book, remove the protected components of it, and still re-use the actual book text, which would remain in the public domain.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by klmmc13

Harry, I'm sure that this is covered elsewhere, but exactly how DO I go about verifying whether or not a specific book is in the Public Domain for the United States (in my case), or other countries, in the case of a few HS moms I'm acquainted with from Australia?
Thanks.

Basically, in the US, an item is in the public domain if it was first published prior to 1923. If it's published in 1923 or later, it's unlikely to be in the public domain.

Australia has a "life+70" copyright law, so it's in the public domain if the author died in 1945 or earlier (with a few complications due to changes in copyright term length in the past).

At the end of the day, as with any other aspect of life, it's the individual's responsibility to be familiar with the laws of their own country.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by klmmc13

Well, as I originally stated, IF I used someone else's work from MR, It would either be presented FOR FREE to other HomeSchool families without any changes, or I would be crediting the original presenter, and making additions of materials to create a student workbook.

Part of the reason I bring this up NOW, is so that I can determine if:
There are "unspoken but assumed" Creative Commons type conditions on the works here;

There might be, I don't know if anyone has ever gone through every upload and checked.
So it would be a good idea to double-check.

If I need to seek specific approval from each individual presenter or if I need to start from scratch in formatting / proofing a new edition, so as not to infringe on anyone else's work.

I personally wouldn't want anyone using materials that I had created without my permission, knowledge and agreement with the new usage.

You don't need to ask the uploader, simply because they are (mostly?) Public Domain.
But also because, by uploading it here the user is (by design) agreeing to share it with anyone who comes along. Of course, accreditation is always polite, but you can't really anger the uploaders here unless you decide to become a scumbag -- which is quite unlikely.
(HarryT -- that is the reason I called that guy a "scumbag", not a "thief".)

Katie, as you so vehemently object to my usage of any materials, I will be extra careful as to not include any of your presentations in my endeavors.

You are safe there, I don't believe @Katie1 has ever uploaded a book to the MR Library.

Thanks for your responses all. Any more Opinions or even Questions regarding how I plan to USE these materials?

Kathy

Just double-check the copyright status of the book, since the MR Library allows Life+70 uploads but you live in the US which is more restrictive (you can only be sure something is PD if it was published before 1923).

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

You don't need to ask the uploader, simply because they are (mostly?) Public Domain.
But also because, by uploading it here the user is (by design) agreeing to share it with anyone who comes along. Of course, accreditation is always polite, but you can't really anger the uploaders here unless you decide to become a scumbag -- which is quite unlikely.

This.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Katie1

NO you are getting the ebooks from a Public Library in the US! So the Answer is NO!

Katie1,
She was referring to the Patricia Clark Library here on Mobileread.
She was not referring to a County Public Library.
Big difference.