Silent77
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:13 am GMT +0200
Ok here is my problem... My friend has a website (forum based) with close to 6,000 members. He wants to add google ads on to his forums but he is worried that his site is illegal. His site is basicly a massive cheat sheet. It has answers to a published work book. Does anyone know of a way to make this site legal or if it is illegal? Thanks.
Nikolas
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:32 am GMT +0200
Can you explain more the "answers to a published work" thing?
Silent77
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:35 am GMT +0200
The book is a workbook that has sentance and other forms of questions that you have to fill in with a word. This website lists the words that are correctly suppost to be in the blanks. It does not give the questions or the name of the book.
Nikolas
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:44 am GMT +0200
In that case I don't think that you have any problem.
Even if this was a site with reviews about this book it would be legal, but you can allways ask a lawyer about that.
On the other hand if your concern is google, then just go for it, they wont even mention it :)
Silent77
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:52 am GMT +0200
well see this is my main issue...
Page 2 of the book reads
All rights reserved. no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a database or retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, eletronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of [Company Name]. Copyright infringers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and may be liable for damages of up to $150,000. report all violations, in confidence, to the publisher at the address shown below.
If I don't include the questions or any of the section titles how can they say it is copyright infringment. Can you really copyright random words in the english lanuage, I don't think you can (that's why I'm asking).
Nikolas
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:53 am GMT +0200
That means that you can't copy parts of the book. It doesnt mean that you can't write about it.
Silent77
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:55 am GMT +0200
hmm true. Im not really writing about it though. Im pretty much just listing the answers so do you think thats safe if i dont mention the company name or any of the section titles?
Mind_nl
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:56 am GMT +0200
exactly, and since you write the answers on the site I guess this means they are not in the book, so you are not copying anything from the book
Nikolas
Tue 18 July 2006, 10:57 am GMT +0200
hmm true. Im not really writing about it though. Im pretty much just listing the answers so do you think thats safe if i dont mention the company name or any of the section titles?
I guess it is. And after all internet is so big.... I mean there are real scams out there that none hurts them, why to hurt you even if this was almost illegal?
Silent77
Tue 18 July 2006, 11:00 am GMT +0200
This publisher really hates websites that have the answers to this series of books. They have shut down dozens of websites that have had these answers. Which is kind of scaring me wondering if they will get the site my friend runs.
Nikolas
Tue 18 July 2006, 11:04 am GMT +0200
I don't understand how this can be done, but anyway laws are different in every place of the world, so I guess the best thing to do, is to ask a lawyer about this.
Silent77
Tue 18 July 2006, 11:08 am GMT +0200
hmm all boils down to the greedy lawyers! lol aight thanks guys. If i get the site working, or not working, I post an update 8)
YMC
Tue 18 July 2006, 05:47 pm GMT +0200
My first question would be where did the answers come from.
Is there some sort of answer key book they were lifted from? or Are the answers researched and written by your friend?
The answer to that will greatly impact the legality of the page even if it is only showing the answers.
Silent77
Tue 18 July 2006, 11:14 pm GMT +0200
The answers were gathered from several websites that had the answers on them before they were closed. I would have to say the answers were more than likely stolen from the answer books. However, my friend didn't steal them.