E-Books, the Forum & Copyright Infringement

By Howie Muir, Forum Moderator

This FAQ briefly explains a revised policy with regard to posting information about downloadable electronic books. While the Napoleon Series Discussion Forum actively encourages the exchange of information about sources of books and data about the period, as a part of the general exploration of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic era, we find it necessary to more clearly define a line of acceptable conduct on the Forum in order to protect the Napoleon Series from any inadvertent infringement of copyright law.

While participants are invited to post news about, and urls for, sites where e-books of interest may be downloaded, such sites may only be those understood to hold copyright to any of the copyrighted material offered. For example, though Google may not hold copyright to the content of a given book in the public domain, it will have copyright to the scans (the electronic medium) of a book that it makes available for download. Downloading (and encouraging downloading of) content from its site for personal use is fine. Please do not place on the Forum information that would be, or appears to invite, violation of copyright laws, which would include information on downloading e-books in the public domain from sites that do not hold appropriate rights to copyrighted scans.

While it is not a violation of law to create a hyperlink, it is a violation of copyright law to create a link that aids in the unauthorized copying of a copyrighted work, especially if the linking party knew or had reason to know of the unauthorized copying and/or having encouraged it. Since the Series' Forum is moderated, this seems likely to make the Series especially vulnerable to charges of contributory copyright infringement.

In summary, participants are welcome, even encouraged, to share information (and urls) here about internet sources from which copyrighted e-books and other materials may be downloaded legitimately. Please do not discuss on the Forum sites that do not hold appropriate rights to downloadable, copyright-protected material -- such posts will be deleted to protect the Napoleon Series from any associated legal liability.

Placed on the Napoleon Series: 11 March 2006

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