[Hallicrafters] Re Reprinting Posters Etc.

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

This is a very complicated and highly confusing area. Let me share with you just
a few examples.	
	
The reference to a teacher being able to reprint ... Yes, but 'with prior
consent' being obtained either by the school district or some entity somewhere.
The History Channel, for their series 'Teachers In The Classroom', allows a
person to video tape the program for use in the public schools until a specific
date, which is stated, whereupon said tape must be destroyed or erased.	
	
QST magazine allows absolutely nothing to be reprinted unless prior consent is
obtained and their strict requirements for reprinting are met. This also
includes, the author of the original article. I have them right here from Steve
Ford of QST. It makes no difference if this article appeared in 1938 or 1998.		
	
It is expensive to go through the copyright procedure and equally costly to
enforce it once it is secured. Remember, taking what is not yurs and copying and
distributing it is basically theft.   		
	
As far as those who are willfully copying copyrighted manuals and reselling
them, they are taking a risk. If somebody somewhere smells money, and has the
copyright to said materials, they may find themselves being sued many years down
the road.	
	
There are dozens and dozens of examples, the music industry is one that is
obvious to all of us.	
	
Some materials are copied and sold, and nothing is said. But try this with a
video tape! They smell profit ... 	
	
As a published author, I can assure you, that when a piece of my work is stolen
and distributed without my prior consent, I find that offensive. If you write a
computer program and somebody steals it, how would you feel? I, for one, and
others I know, have had this happen with some of the BIG boys in the industry.
But it is almost impossible to fight the huge corporations. They have the time,
legal help and money to wear you out. Makes no difference if you are absolutely
correct and within your rights, they simply drag it out until you give up. 	
	
It comes down to this.  If you copy copyrighted or trademarked materials and
distribute them in any manner and do not have written permissionto do so prior
to doing so, you put yourself at risk for a lawsuit. You roll the dice and hope
that snake eyes do not come up. (in the game of Craps, snake eyes is a loser) 	
	
Remember the Ham radio operator who was sued last year because of the letters in
his call matching a copyrighted/trademarked product? It turned out alright in
the end, but he went through Hell for a while. It was not even his fault. You
never know, so be careful.	
	
Duane W8DBF