Re: Copyright infringement

[Carolyn Palo <carolynpalo -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Thank you everyone.  Your responses solidify my stance on the matter.  I'm
dealing with a mix of naivete, ignorance and cavalier attitudes.
I deflected to the legal department as a matter of education, in the least,
and exposure to some thinking.  The software engineer is from India, the
product manager is from here in the states, the manual is from Finland.

My conscience -don't do it.  It is a big legal risk, and to add some color,
I once managed the book distribution of an "elite software company."  My
background is book publishing.  Some of their technical books went OP
(out-of-print) and were sitting in the warehouse.  They are typically
destroyed unless the author wants them or authorizes a remainder sale. It's
illegal to sell them as the rights have expired.  The "elite software
company" didn't want to pay to have the OP books destroyed, "We can sell
them!" they said.  We said, "No."  "Yes, we can!" they said (sales).  I
explained
to my liaison there, "Nope, legal problems will happen and you will be
sued."  They insisted.  We sold them on their behalf with a big warning.
They thought they
made a lot of money and were "disrupting the system."

Then they were sued multiple times by the authors who wrote the books.


*Carolyn Palo*
*Professional Writer *
Phone:  617-491-0551
Email:   carolynpalo -at- gmail -dot- com






On Fri, Mar 3, 2023 at 6:39 AM Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net> wrote:

> I can believe it. There are several possible motives:
> - Lazy or sloppy management.
> - Naive - "The information wants to be free."
> - Scary deadline, no time to make it right.
> - Underhanded. There is a hidden agenda.
>
> It usually comes down to money. Cui bono?
>
> On 3/3/23 04:44, Keith Hood wrote:
> >   I can't believe anyone could be so cavalier about what could be such a
> horrendous legal risk. I've worked in this field for more than 30 years and
> I've never heard of something like this. I think the people you are working
> for are not solidly in this world.
> >           Keith Hood
> >
> >      On Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 11:15:12 PM CST, Gene Kim-Eng<
> techwr -at- genek -dot- com>  wrote:
> >
> >   Structurally, perhaps, but it does not relieve you of the need for
> clear
> > copyright on all your topics.
> >
> > Gene Kim-Eng
> >
> >
> > On 3/2/2023 6:51 PM, Tony Chung wrote:
> >> Isnât that the whole use case behind DITA?
> >>
> >> -T
> >>
> >> On Thu, Mar 2, 2023 at 14:05 Carolyn<carolynpalo -at- gmail -dot- com>  wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hello - wondering what experience anyone has with copying manuals?
> >>> Specifically, taking an existing manual and changing the name only -
> from
> >>> one company to another?
> >>>
> >>> My stance is it is plainly copyright infringement.  Iâm told âyeah but
> no
> >>> one cares we do it all the time in the software world.â
> >>>
> >>> Really?  Anyone?
> >>>
> >>> Carolyn Palo
> >>> 617 491-0551
> >>> âDonât find fault, find a remedy.â - Henry ForD
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