[Heathkit] BAMA and Heathkit docs???

[Tom Chesek]

My Dad once said "just because something is legal does not mean that it is 
moral". We all have our own take on this matter and mine is that these 
manuals were freely shared for many years within the Amateur Radio Community 
for the purpose of keeping radios from long ago operational. When each of 
these radios was originally sold a manual came with it and therefore was 
part of the purchase. If you didn't have one for your radio you could get a 
copy from a friendly ham who still had his. That practice just kept you 
whole. You did not have more than was intended with the original sale by 
Heathkit. It just seems that this guy, d8apro, wanted to try to make a quick 
buck on his fellow hams by changing the running rules, just because he 
legally could. It migh be legal, but moral...not in my book. He legally 
purchased the rights, which by the way Heathkit seemed to have abandoned, 
just because he could. He saw a way to make a buck or try to make a buck off 
of his friends. Had Heathkit burned all of those manuals and not sold the 
rights I'm certain that there are enough manuals out there that could be 
shared so I don't want to hear about his "saving a legacy" or some other 
nonsense.

I think that someone like Glen K9STH is a different situation. Glen stated 
that he has over 1,000 copyrights. He created them and has maintained their 
legacy and can choose to do as he pleases. That is his legal and moral 
right.

Tom
K3TVC








----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry WA9VRH" <wa9vrh at dishmail.net>
To: "Carl" <km1h at jeremy.mv.com>; "Dan Pividal" <dpividal at tampabay.rr.com>; 
"heathkit at mailman.qth.nt" <heathkit at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 6:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Heathkit] BAMA and Heathkit docs???


> So Carl your telling me just because someone exercised his right to 
> purchase
> the rights to a companies intellectual property you are going to be an
> asshole and send this persons property that he has legally paid for to
> someone in another country so you can screw the guy out of his legal
> property...
>
> Your one hell of a great example of an Amatuer Radio Operator....
>
> Did you buy your license or did you get it FREE???
>
> I provided Ken with a number of Heathkit manuals to BAMA.  I was pleased
> when I saw he had removed them and for the reason why.
>
> I admidt I was surprised at the news that someone purchased the rights to
> the Heathkit manuals. I can't imagine how he is going to break even no
> matter what he paid for those rights. However that is his choice. I hope 
> he
> does well as this probably means that the Heathkit manuals will be around
> for a long time.
>
> 73 Larry WA9VRH
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Carl" <km1h at jeremy.mv.com>
> To: "Dan Pividal" <dpividal at tampabay.rr.com>; "heathkit at mailman.qth.nt"
> <heathkit at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 3:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [Heathkit] BAMA and Heathkit docs???
>
>
>> Below is the party line as posted by Ken to some reflectors.
>>
>> Ive been advised that there are some that have copied the complete file 
>> to
>> CD.
>>
>> I am looking for a copy of that CD and will arrange to have it hosted
>> offshore where the silliness factor is ignored.
>>
>> Carl
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> There has been a lot of discussion about the disappearance of the
>> Heathkit manuals from BAMA.
>> It has always been my policy to immediately remove material from BAMA
>> any time a copyright was exercised.  The current owner of the Heathkit
>> copyright bought and paid for it and has a right to receive a return on
>> his investment.  When he contacted me to exercise the copyright, I
>> immediately agreed to remove the Heathkit manuals.
>>
>> Copyright is as American as apple pie and is protected by the
>> Constitution and the laws made under it by the Congress.  While I may be
>> best known for making manuals and schematics available for free
>> downloading on BAMA, I'm here to tell you that I believe in the
>> principle of copyright and have absolutely no trouble with the exercise
>> of that right by an owner....nor should you.
>>
>> There seems to be some uncertainty about the length that a copyright is
>> valid.  Some seem to think that copyrighted material enters the public
>> domain after 20 years.  That is simply not true.  The Heathkit material
>> copyright extends for 95 years from the copyright date.  So, that manual
>> for the SB-10 Sideband Adapter copyrighted in 1960 is protected until
>> 2055 when it will become a part of the public domain.  I seriously doubt
>> that I will be around to add it back to the BAMA collection at that time!
>>
>> For a succinct presentation of the length of time for a work to become
>> part of the public domain, see http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm
>>
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> -- 
>> Ken K4XL
>> k4xl at arrl.net
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Dan Pividal" <dpividal at tampabay.rr.com>
>> To: "heathkit at mailman.qth.nt" <heathkit at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 3:41 PM
>> Subject: [Heathkit] BAMA and Heathkit docs???
>>
>>
>>> Did I get this right?
>>> Because some company bought the educational material, that was once sold
>>> by a company that used to sell radio equipment but has been out of that
>>> business for over 30 years, we can no longer download Heathkit manuals
>>> from BAMA.
>>> If this is so we need to start our own files.
>>> What is it with BAMA?
>>> The copyrights on those manuals must be expired by now.
>>> Does the company that bought the rights to the material plan on selling
>>> the manuals or just keep them out of the hand of HAMS?
>>> Does anyone have more information on this?
>>> Dan/N4VET
>>>
>>
>


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.5/1886 - Release Date: 1/10/2009 
6:01 PM