Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

(Side note: for books and movies you DO actually own legitimately, there are certain "fair use" rights which attach to ownership; photocopying a portion of the book, e.g., tables, for your own convenience is a non-issue.)

It's also worth noting that while the core Copyright rules are becomming more universal worldwide, the fair use rules are different for different countries.

In Australia, for example, 'Fair Use' only applies to printed material, and allows you to copy up to 10% of it for personal use. We can't make back-up copies of music, PC games or movies at all.

I believe it's even stricter in the UK, were the law actually specifies that 'fair use' for copying printed material only applies for educational purposes.

Posted By insaniak on 07/19/2006 3:41 PM

(Side note: for books and movies you DO actually own legitimately, there are certain "fair use" rights which attach to ownership; photocopying a portion of the book, e.g., tables, for your own convenience is a non-issue.)

It's also worth noting that while the core Copyright rules are becomming more universal worldwide, the fair use rules are different for different countries.

In Australia, for example, 'Fair Use' only applies to printed material, and allows you to copy up to 10% of it for personal use. We can't make back-up copies of music, PC games or movies at all.


Wow thats just evil. I recommend merging with Texas immediately.  Finally we could get some decent surfing waves, and you could get quality margaritas. Together we could rule the worl...sorry.

Posted By insaniak on 07/19/2006 3:41 PM

(Side note: for books and movies you DO actually own legitimately, there are certain "fair use" rights which attach to ownership; photocopying a portion of the book, e.g., tables, for your own convenience is a non-issue.)

It's also worth noting that while the core Copyright rules are becomming more universal worldwide, the fair use rules are different for different countries.

In Australia, for example, 'Fair Use' only applies to printed material, and allows you to copy up to 10% of it for personal use. We can't make back-up copies of music, PC games or movies at all.

I believe it's even stricter in the UK, were the law actually specifies that 'fair use' for copying printed material only applies for educational purposes.

(*grumble* Silly international readership forums.)  Yes, my comments are premised around US law.  If you live elsewhere, YRMV (your rights may vary).  Also, see a lawyer in your own jurisdiction for actual legal advice.

Posted By jfrazell on 07/19/2006 3:33 PM
Ah but court cases have indeed held that I have a right to make a copy, within limits, for my own personal use in areas such as music. I cannot then re-sell or distribute said copy.

Ah, those cases.  Couple notable caveats here.  1) For software, it was limited to "backup" copies, and it's arguable whether EULAs can deny you that right; most of them try.  2) Musically, you *probably* have the right to "format shift" your collection, e.g., by putting music from a CD onto an MP3 player.

Both situations address retaining access to copyrighted material you have already secured access to, either because you "lose" the original (backup software to protect against data loss/corruption) or because you're changing the medium slightly (MP3s and CDs).  Books...are books.  They're not subject to the vagaries of floppy disks (disk failure isn't to be equated with not taking care of your books; it's more like spontaneous book combustion), nor does photocopying them change the way you access them (printed words on a page).

You could try, I suppoe, to create an analogous argument about medium-shifting (putting a paper book into an ebook format).  Sounds like a copyright law final exam question.

Posted By Janthkin on 07/19/2006 4:50 PM

Posted By jfrazell on 07/19/2006 3:33 PM
Ah but court cases have indeed held that I have a right to make a copy, within limits, for my own personal use in areas such as music. I cannot then re-sell or distribute said copy.

Ah, those cases.  Couple notable caveats here.  1) For software, it was limited to " a from to player.


You could try, I suppoe, to create an analogous argument about medium-shifting (putting a paper book into an ebook format).  Sounds like a copyright law final exam question.

Blech, all I remember is "what was the court smoking!" on the first day.  Other than learning to never, never come from a business background and take a "women and the law" course everything is a horrific haze. Now I'm having flashbacks.  Thanks a lot Janthkin

Copyright is much different in Canada.
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/copy_gd_protect-e.html

'Fair Dealing' allows for broad use of copywritten materials.
"The line between fair dealing and infringement is a thin one. There are no guidelines that define the number of words or passages that can be used without permission from the author. Only the courts can rule whether fair dealing or infringement is involved."

Some rulings seem contradictory;

"Some activities, if done in private, are not considered infringement. For example, if you give a private performance of someone else's song, or play, in your own home, this would not be infringement. Making a copy of a musical tape for private use is not infringement because a royalty payment to the owners of the song rights has been paid when the blank audio tape was purchased. On the other hand, making a copy of a videocassette movie protected by copyright is infringement, even if you only watch it in your own home."

As far as I know video tapes have the same royalties, though maybe not, I might just be CDs and DVDs that do.

Here's a nice confusing example;

"Infringement: playing records at a dance without the copyright owners' permission;

Not infringement: borrowing a musical tape from a friend to copy onto a blank tape for private use (a royalty payment to the owner of the song rights has been paid when the blank tape was purchased)"

It's not confusing as to WHAT is infringement, but really WHY one is and another isn't (even with the explanation, I am still baffled)

Somehow, in some miraculous way, the US has avoided adding the stupid "copyright tax" to blank media. It's present in Canada, and also much of Europe, but here in the US, where the RIAA and MPAA sue 70 year old ladies claiming illegal file sharing, we're still paying pennies for blank CDs.

USA! USA!

Posted By Janthkin on 07/20/2006 11:23 AM
Somehow, in some miraculous way, the US has avoided adding the stupid "copyright tax" to blank media. It's present in Canada, and also much of Europe, but here in the US, where the RIAA and MPAA sue 70 year old ladies claiming illegal file sharing, we're still paying pennies for blank CDs.

USA! USA!

Shhh!!! They may not know about it.

i own the following codexes SM, BA,DA, SW, CSM, Orks and index astertes 1 - 4. I have downloaded all these so i dont have to scan them onto my computer and when i play i take the originals with me. these codex are for the armies i have, I have downloaded the other codexes for armies i dont have such as tau, eldar, DE and Ig along with all the imperial armour books. these are soley for my reference when playing people with thoses armies as i dont know the rules and have been cheated by people as i assumed they would not BS. if I was to start playing tau i would buy the codex.

If they are available I say download them. but like most have said in this thread earliar you dont actually see people come into GW stores with a printed copy or even to games clubs.

I've always thought $30 for an paperback was a little outrageous. Of course if I'm already spending $600-800 on an army, I just don't see the point of scimping on the extra bit of money which gives you a ton of convenience. YMMV.

if GW would just get an secure online account for each user to log in and read purchaced material, then a lot of the p2p files would slowly fade away.

imagine logging into your account and reading whatever codex/armybook you wanted to. they could even keep the pages up to date without having to make new FAQ's. printable inserts in a spiral codex much like ASL does with its books.

imagine someone posting their login info on dakka, or portent, or warseer, or awc, or B&C, etc