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posted by md
on Thursday December 12, @11:36AM
from the dept.
Weighing in with his substantial authoring and publishing experience, everyone's favorite geek book publisher Tim O'Reilly has recently posteda piece that offers thoughts and solutions about on-line copyright issues. Among the insights that O'Reilly shares is that "obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy."
Further, O'Reilly's says about copying of his own company's works, of which many are available in electronic format: "While these pirated copies are annoying, they hardly destroy our business. We've found little or no abatement of sales of printed books that are also available for sale online." O'Reilly goes on to say that his company's anti-piracy efforts are primarily customer driven and are usually solvable with a polite letter.
Most of his books can also double as documentation. I like to carry several volumes on CD when I go onsite. Of cocurse I have the hardbound copies on my desk. Having the book in two formats for convenience is perfectly legal as long as no one else reads it while I am away from my desk.
Everyone preety much agrees that having a purchased book in two formats for convenience is perfectly legal -- the author has been paid. If I were to sell or give one away, the other would have to be destroyed.
I am looking for the day that a PDF format CD is included inside the back cover of the bound edition so that it can be added to my electronic library.
Carrying five books is awkward, carrying a single CD when I am traveling is very convenient.
TOM
Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be
lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.
- Isaac Asimov
GrepLaw
