To support the role out of a training programme across 6 European offices I want to install some E-books for UNIX, Oracle, Java etc.. on the network here in London but accessible everywhere. Not sure of the implications of sourcing content and copyright management, anyone out there tried it?
Philip Ross FitzGerald
2 Responses
Go Back To The Distibutor Of The e-Books
I’m no lawyer, but…
My understanding of copyright is that the owner of the copyright should have presented you with a copy of the license agreement in advance of you purchasing. In reality you probably skipped this when you downloaded the books.
My guess is that the license would be for a ‘single processor’ – which means that you can only use it on one machine – and certainly not on an Intranet.
This means you will almost certainly have to go back to the owner of the e-Books and a) clarify the license and more than likely b) negotiate a suitable distribution agreement.
You are obviously a certain size organisation with what you are trying to do so perhaps a visit to your legal department may be a good place to start.
As I said I’m not a lawyer but I have had to research this recently so I do have an idea of the pitfalls!
Hope this helps.
E-material copyright conditions vary
Yes – it is a case of going back and looking at the conditions of use. If you haven’t taken any materials on board as yet then you will need to specify how you plan to make the materials available. Some organisations will then price accordingly.
It can be in your interest to get a licence based on actual usage (ideally with a cap). In the e-learning world, many companies have paid vast sums for libraries of materials which ended up totally underutilised.