this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2024
53 points (98.2% liked)

Asklemmy

43877 readers
1374 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy πŸ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I don't mean to distribute, but to scan for myself to read digitally, am I allowed to do that legally and ethically when I buy a physical book or would that be totally unethical and illegal?

top 15 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 hours ago

I imagine it'd be the same as printing of a copy of the Mona Lisa and putting it up on your wall for your own viewing pleasure. Completely legal.

Where as printing it off and then charging other people to see it would be illegal.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 15 hours ago

who cares, do it anyway

[–] [email protected] 48 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

I did my searching based on music/CDs since the wording is a lot more clear, but the same rules apply since were still talking about copyright infringement.

As long you’re making the copy for personal use and aren’t selling/distributing, you are fully in the clear:

  • It’s okay to copy music onto special Audio CD-R’s, mini-discs, and digital tapes (because royalties have been paid on them) – but not for commercial purposes.

https://www.riaa.com/resources-learning/about-piracy/

As far as ethical, this is mostly up to you, but unless it’s from an independent artist/distributor, I personally see it as: if you were never going to be a customer to begin with, they're not losing anything. I am, however, against then reselling it yourself. Ymmv.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Oh, thanks! I have some books that is occupying too many spaces and I was wondering about it, I don't know what I'd do to the physical book afterwards though, would I still be in the clear if I donated the physical book to a public library or would be better if I somehow recycle it since it's mostly paper?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Recycling is definetly in the clear, however donating to libraries would be more meaningful; as it offers a chance for more people to read them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Would it be legal also if I had scanned it for myself only beforehand to access digitally? I also think it'd be more meaningful but the local library here gives you a form to fill if you want to donate anything so that gets me in doubt

[–] [email protected] 6 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Legal? Likely not, as you're turning one copy into two copies.

Would anyone pursue you? Likely not. No one is going to get a warrant to search your devices to see if you've photocopied your books before giving them away; unless you're sharing the digital files publically.

Do not share the digital files publically, as that is definetly not legal.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 15 hours ago

Technically speaking you’re supposed to destroy your local copy of you no longer have the original since the rights stay with the original. That being said, no one is coming to knock on your door for photocopying some books you owned and no longer own.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Not a lawyer, and I don't recommend asking for legal advice on a random forum. From an ethical standpoint, I see it as perfectly ethical as long as it's for personal use and you don't give anyone access to it. With that said, if you ever sell the physical copy of the book, I think ethically you'll have to delete all the copies you've made.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 15 hours ago

Most countries consider this "private copying" which is legal. Not a lawyer, you should check your country's laws.

Unethical? Copying is not theft.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 15 hours ago

As long as you don't distribute it it should be fine legally (in the US) and is morally correct (imo) since it is your own copy of the book.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 15 hours ago

Ethics and legality are far from the same, or even linked.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 15 hours ago

As long as you don't distribute it it should be fine legally (in the US) and is morally correct (imo) since it is your own copy of the book.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

If it wasn't fair use I'm sure they would have gone after Kurzweil (popular assistive technology program designed explicitly for scanning books) a long time ago

[–] [email protected] 6 points 15 hours ago

What a depressing read this is, OpenAI has scraped tons of books and trying to scrape the entire internet and they don't have to worry much, but ordinary people have to think twice for scanning and donating the physical book to someone who might benefit from it, such a dystopic reality