Re: Copyright infringement

Subject: Re: Copyright infringement
From: Carolyn Palo <carolynpalo -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2023 12:48:05 -0400

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to share the outcome of the potential copyright problem with
copying and/or rebranding one company's software user manual to another.
The Legal Department told the Product Manager (who thought this was "no big
deal") that they (software devs, product management for the most part here
in the US) needed to get permission
from the software company (Finland), to copy the manual.

Software company (Finland) said "No."

The end.


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






On Fri, Mar 3, 2023 at 10:30âAM Carolyn Palo <carolynpalo -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

> 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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