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RE: Requoting other companies' docs in your own docs
Subject:RE: Requoting other companies' docs in your own docs From:"Michele Marques" <marquesm -at- autros -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 22 Jan 2001 11:54:57 -0500
Bevan Mccabe writes:
> I've been asked to write an installation manual for 2 other software
> products (a web server and some kind of java browser
> modification/scripting
> thingimy) which are necessary to install before installing my company's
> software.
>
> Neither of these products is sold with our software. Both of
> these products
> come with their own installation manual.
Bevan considers copying the relevant portions of the installation manuals
(but wonders about the legality of this) or pointing the reader to the
relevant portions of the installation manuals.
There are two issues here, that I see:
1. The legality of quoting the other companies' installation manuals
2. Whether it is necessary/best to quote the other companies' installation
manuals
On the first point: it is not legal to copy the other companies'
installations manuals without their permission. They may be willing to give
you permission to quote, but their permission may include restrictions
(e.g., you must copy entire sections and not individual steps) and/or fees.
On the second point: It may not be necessary or even best to quote the
companies' installation manuals. Our company has a similar situation of
working with 3rd party software. But we write our own installation
instructions, because we want to recommend (and sometimes require) certain
settings so that the 3rd party software works properly with our software
and/or to make it easier for us to support.
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