Please report any possible copyright violations

HarryT · 06-16-2007, 12:05 PM

If you think that any book that's posted here is in violation of copyright law, please report it by sending an e-mail to abuse@mobileread.com and we will investigate and take any necessary action.

Please note that copyright laws differ all over the world, and that a book which is still under copyright in one country may very well be in the public domain, and hence legally downloadable, in another country. Before downloading a book, please check whether or not it is legal for you to do so, based on the copyright laws of your own country.

Thank you for your cooperation in this.

RWood · 06-16-2007, 06:43 PM

It should also be noted that sometimes the original book is out of copyright but not a specific translation of that book. This is true for some of the texts used in the Harvard Classics series. Thankfully, all of the translations used there are in the public domain.

Likewise, even if a book is completely out of copyright but is electronically published by a company, they still have the rights to that presentation of the book and it cannot be posted to MobileRead without the permission of the company. We could of course go to Project Gutenberg (as an example), get the same text, convert it to a form for upload at MobileRead, and then upload it to MobileRead without permission from the company that published the other version of the public domain text.

Patricia · 06-23-2007, 06:32 PM

It occurs to me that there is another copyright issue too. We probably have copyright in our own editions of lrf books. Some of us have spent a lot of time editing and reformatting them.

I'm entirely happy to post up my own books for other people to use freely for their own use, or to share with others. After all, I got them freely from PG and elsewhere. And I've been using vvv's splendid (and free) Bookdesigner.

But were anyone to download them, then sell them for profit then I would consider my copyright to be infringed. But I may be wrong about this...?

Robert Marquard · 06-24-2007, 12:50 AM

If you donate your work as public domain then you have to live with it. anyone can then make a profit from it.
If you do not want this you have to keep your copyright and use a permissive license like one of the Creative Commons licenses.

HarryT · 06-24-2007, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Marquard

If you donate your work as public domain then you have to live with it. anyone can then make a profit from it.
If you do not want this you have to keep your copyright and use a permissive license like one of the Creative Commons licenses.

I think personally that this is a complete "non issue".

If the posted book contains the PG licence agreement, then that agreement states what can and cannot be done with the book.

If the book doesn't contain the PG licence agreement, then it is protected by copyright law even if you don't put a copyright notice in it, and you have the absolute right to control its distribution and copying.

This applies in every country which is a signatory of the Berne Copyright Convention - ie practically every country in the world.

Anais9000 · 06-24-2007, 06:56 AM

I think Patricia would find it hard to defend her inherent copyright without a copyright statement, or any other mark of identification, present in the work. Moreover, anyone (for fun or profit) can assert that they created Patricia's work, and ask you to remove it from the forum.

HarryT · 06-24-2007, 07:37 AM

Oh I agree with you - if you WANT to control distribution it makes sense to put a copyright statement in the book. Technically speaking, however, it is not required, and one could, if challenged, provide evidence such as the source from which the book was created.

However, I think we all create books here specifically to BE re-distributed, so "copyrighting" our work seems a little unnecessary.

Alexander Turcic · 06-24-2007, 08:20 AM

We could always offer the converted books under a Creative Commons copyright. Would that be an option?

Robert Marquard · 06-24-2007, 08:27 AM

As i said the donor should state the license of the work on upload. Acceptable should only be a Creative Commons license or Public Domain. Alternatively like on LibriVox all donors accept Public Domain by doing the upload.

HarryT · 06-24-2007, 08:27 AM

Certainly, yes!

Alexander Turcic · 06-24-2007, 08:29 AM

I don't know if it's easily feasible (from a programming point of view), but we could have something like "This work is protected under a Commons Creative license" automatically show up under each first post in the Upload sections, to prohibit others from selling the work.

NatCh · 06-24-2007, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anais9000

Moreover, anyone (for fun or profit) can assert that they created Patricia's work, and ask you to remove it from the forum.

Of course the date on the post, which pre-dated their possession of the work they claimed to have created (which they just swiped from here) would tend to dilute such claims a bit.

Anais9000 · 06-24-2007, 09:41 AM

May I respectfully suggest you let people protect their works in the way and to the extent they wish, rather than imposing a system. Patricia can insert a copyright statement, or statement of origin, or CC license into her ebook if she likes. I prefer to use a copyright statement, which in my understanding allows the uses I wish to permit (viewing, reading, downloading -- implied by the act of posting) and blocks uses I don't (all others, eg. reposting, republishing, including the work in disk compilations etc.)

I don't really understand NatCh's point. Pardon me for misstating it, if I do, in the interest of having it clarified. He seems to say that it would easy for Patricia to prove that her edition of Villete, marked 05/06/2007 by BD, was not created, say, by me, on May 6th, acquired by her several weeks later, and posted without permission on June 5th.

JSWolf · 06-24-2007, 09:57 AM

Your copyright in the book will not stop reposting. I've seen the books posted here in Sony format reported on Usenet. So no, just because you say mo, doesn't make it so.

HarryT · 06-24-2007, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Your copyright in the book will not stop reposting. I've seen the books posted here in Sony format reported on Usenet. So no, just because you say mo, doesn't make it so.

But the Usenet eBook groups exist primarily for the purpose of distributing illegal, copyrighted material. One can, with the use of appropriate copyright message, prevent more "legitimate" re-distribution by people re-selling one's eBooks.

06-16-2007, 12:05 PM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Please report any possible copyright violations If you think that any book that's posted here is in violation of copyright law, please report it by sending an e-mail to abuse@mobileread.com and we will investigate and take any necessary action. Please note that copyright laws differ all over the world, and that a book which is still under copyright in one country may very well be in the public domain, and hence legally downloadable, in another country. Before downloading a book, please check whether or not it is legal for you to do so, based on the copyright laws of your own country. Thank you for your cooperation in this.

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06-16-2007, 06:43 PM	#2
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	It should also be noted that sometimes the original book is out of copyright but not a specific translation of that book. This is true for some of the texts used in the Harvard Classics series. Thankfully, all of the translations used there are in the public domain. Likewise, even if a book is completely out of copyright but is electronically published by a company, they still have the rights to that presentation of the book and it cannot be posted to MobileRead without the permission of the company. We could of course go to Project Gutenberg (as an example), get the same text, convert it to a form for upload at MobileRead, and then upload it to MobileRead without permission from the company that published the other version of the public domain text.

06-23-2007, 06:32 PM	#3
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,505 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	It occurs to me that there is another copyright issue too. We probably have copyright in our own editions of lrf books. Some of us have spent a lot of time editing and reformatting them. I'm entirely happy to post up my own books for other people to use freely for their own use, or to share with others. After all, I got them freely from PG and elsewhere. And I've been using vvv's splendid (and free) Bookdesigner. But were anyone to download them, then sell them for profit then I would consider my copyright to be infringed. But I may be wrong about this...?

06-24-2007, 12:50 AM	#4
Robert Marquard Delphi-Guy Posts: 285 Karma: 1151 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: iLiad, Palm T3	If you donate your work as public domain then you have to live with it. anyone can then make a profit from it. If you do not want this you have to keep your copyright and use a permissive license like one of the Creative Commons licenses.

06-24-2007, 06:56 AM	#6
Anais9000 Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 326 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: PRS-500	I think Patricia would find it hard to defend her inherent copyright without a copyright statement, or any other mark of identification, present in the work. Moreover, anyone (for fun or profit) can assert that they created Patricia's work, and ask you to remove it from the forum.

06-24-2007, 07:37 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Oh I agree with you - if you WANT to control distribution it makes sense to put a copyright statement in the book. Technically speaking, however, it is not required, and one could, if challenged, provide evidence such as the source from which the book was created. However, I think we all create books here specifically to BE re-distributed, so "copyrighting" our work seems a little unnecessary.

06-24-2007, 08:20 AM	#8
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	We could always offer the converted books under a Creative Commons copyright. Would that be an option?

06-24-2007, 08:27 AM	#9
Robert Marquard Delphi-Guy Posts: 285 Karma: 1151 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: iLiad, Palm T3	As i said the donor should state the license of the work on upload. Acceptable should only be a Creative Commons license or Public Domain. Alternatively like on LibriVox all donors accept Public Domain by doing the upload.

06-24-2007, 08:29 AM	#11
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	I don't know if it's easily feasible (from a programming point of view), but we could have something like "This work is protected under a Commons Creative license" automatically show up under each first post in the Upload sections, to prohibit others from selling the work.

06-24-2007, 09:41 AM	#13
Anais9000 Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 326 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: PRS-500	May I respectfully suggest you let people protect their works in the way and to the extent they wish, rather than imposing a system. Patricia can insert a copyright statement, or statement of origin, or CC license into her ebook if she likes. I prefer to use a copyright statement, which in my understanding allows the uses I wish to permit (viewing, reading, downloading -- implied by the act of posting) and blocks uses I don't (all others, eg. reposting, republishing, including the work in disk compilations etc.) I don't really understand NatCh's point. Pardon me for misstating it, if I do, in the interest of having it clarified. He seems to say that it would easy for Patricia to prove that her edition of Villete, marked 05/06/2007 by BD, was not created, say, by me, on May 6th, acquired by her several weeks later, and posted without permission on June 5th.

06-24-2007, 09:57 AM	#14
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,858 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Your copyright in the book will not stop reposting. I've seen the books posted here in Sony format reported on Usenet. So no, just because you say mo, doesn't make it so.