Legality of DVD novel collections?

[Four Lights]

I've been a long time fan of trek on TV, but up until now I've never properly attempted to get into the novels.
This however is something I thought I should make an attempt to rectify.

Because from what I know of the current publications a lot of them are carrying forward developments from previous books, I thought I might be better off getting some of the older and smaller self contained titles to start me off gently. As a lot of those books are are now out of print, I decided a job lot on eBay might be the answer.

During my searches though I came across this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262798107605?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Question: Is it actually legal to buy something like this? The blurb on the page seems to say it's OK, and the seller looks reputable.
eBay haven't taken down the listing either....yet.

If it is, it sounds too good to be true. Can someone advise me please?

Thanks

 

[Phoenix219]

It is a back up of your books. You are only allowed to read the ones that you already have paper editions of. Its pretty much the same gray area legality as out of print gaming ROMS., especially 80s and 90s ones. You can't really buy them anymore; they technically might belong to someone, but no one is really caring enforcing or paying attention anymore.

You as a buyer are totally in the clear. If you were to sell it, or reproduce it, or make it available for download, or something, then perhaps you could have legal issues.

 

[Idran]

It's not a backup of your books, and there's no grey area. You're allowed to do whatever you want to a book so long as you maintain ownership, but you're not allowed to distribute a copy (and exactly the same applies to ROMs, by the way). That's definitely infringing copyright.

Of course, you wouldn't be violating the law by buying that, they would (the illegal act is distributing a copy, not receiving one). But it's still not a legal product, no.

 

[Phoenix219]

Which is the gray area that I'm referring to - if you maintain ownership, then these copies are completely legal for your personal use.

 

[Avro Arrow]

The blurb on the page seems to say it's OK

Well, of course it does.

Just because the person selling the item puts "THIS ITEM DOES NOT INFRINGE ANY COPYRIGHT" in big red letters, doesn't actually make it true.

(Well, unless copyright laws in the UK are vastly different than I'm used to.)

If you're OK with ebooks anyway, you can get most of the back catalogue through legitimate means, but granted you're going to pay a lot more than six pounds.

 

[F. King Daniel]

That would be someone trying to make £6 a pop selling something he has no right to.

Basically, pirate ebooks.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I'd avoid it like the plague.

 

[Idran]

(Well, unless copyright laws in the UK are vastly different than I'm used to.)

Interestingly, they actually are, but not in a way that's relevant for this; while details vary, UK copyright law tends to be more restrictive than US on the whole. Their equivalent of fair use, "fair dealing", is an explicitly legislated list of allowed usages rather than a set of general principles to be applied by the courts. For a time, even ISPs caching data to improve access time was technically a violation of UK copyright law.

In fact, copying things for archival purposes is actually not legal in the UK since that falls outside of fair dealing, which I didn't realize, so even that doesn't apply here @Phoenix219.

 

[Four Lights]

Thanks for the insights. Much appreciated.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

In fact, copying things for archival purposes is actually not legal in the UK since that falls outside of fair dealing, which I didn't realize, so even that doesn't apply here @Phoenix219.

IIRC, it remains illegal in the UK to rip CDs to MP3 format, as an example.

 

[DimesDan]

IIRC, it remains illegal in the UK to rip CDs to MP3 format, as an example.

Well isn't that something!

 

[Kor]

I really don't think the GNU can be used for this type of content, despite what the listing says.

The listing claims, "Your purchase will be delivered on DVD so you have a physical backup of your books ready to load onto your choice of reader." This is a nonsensical disclaimer to make it sound like it's an archival backup for people who already own the books... all 828 of them.

Kor

 

[Avro Arrow]

The listing claims, "Your purchase will be delivered on DVD so you have a physical backup of your books ready to load onto your choice of reader." This is a nonsensical disclaimer to make it sound like it's an archival backup for people who already own the books... all 828 of them.

And you can totally confirm before ordering that you *do* own all 828 of them... what with the listing not mentioning a single title and all...

 

[tomswift2002]

And you can totally confirm before ordering that you *do* own all 828 of them... what with the listing not mentioning a single title and all...

Also, does that claim of "all" just mean what was printed on paper, or does it also include E books that have not seen a physical printing, in which case this person would probably be using hacked, pirated copies of ebook files. So in this case I wouldn't even trust this.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Buying this product will not benefit the authors or S&S.

Someone was maintaining a website/blog, a few years ago, in which new electronic copies of Trek novels were being uploaded every few days. I reported the site to Simon & Schuster and the blog vanished within days. It is definitely illegal to "buy" or gve away digital copies of Trek novels in this way. If you want eBook versions, pay for them individually through the correct channels and the authors will/may ultimately earn their royalty payment.

 

[DimesDan]

Buying this product will not benefit the authors or S&S.

Nor does buying second hand books from either second hand book shops, Amazon market place or charity shops. Although the latter does help fund many a good cause.

 

[Jedman67]

Nor does buying second hand books from either second hand book shops, Amazon market place or charity shops. Although the latter does help fund many a good cause.

The profit's been made and the royalties earned on the original sale. Reselling originals after you're done with it is fine. Copying the book and selling the copy would fall under the same category as pirating ebooks.

 

[DimesDan]

The profit's been made and the royalties earned on the original sale. Reselling originals after you're done with it is fine. Copying the book and selling the copy would fall under the same category as pirating ebooks.

I'm working on the assumption that at somepoint the individual has paid for the ebooks and then made a copy because money would already have been generated for the original sale.

 

[Jedman67]

I'm working on the assumption that at somepoint the individual has paid for the ebooks and then made a copy because money would already have been generated for the original sale.

If you buy a "single copy" ebook and then resell it, you're fine. If you duplicate an ebook and sell it (or otherwise redistribute it without permission) that's pirating, no?

 

[Idran]

It's still up in the air whether you're fine or not; the question of how first-sale doctrine applies to electronic works isn't settled law yet. Especially given that most eBooks are technically licensed, not sold.