Mike Beede wrote:

In article oTndf.5414$GB1.4443@trndny06,
Brian Nystrom wrote:

Mike Beede wrote:
Brian Nystrom wrote:

It's illegal to sell "used" kayak plans. When you purchase plans, you
purchase the right to build one boat with them. Designers have a right
to expect to be paid for their expertise. They have to make a living, too.

Do you have a citation for this law? I'd have imagined that
like any other copyrighted material that you could resell it to
your heart's content.

Then you apparently have no idea what a "copyright" means. What do you
think all the lawsuits over distributing music over the internet and
pirating software are about? Do you think you can just copy a book or
video and sell it?

I assume we're talking about the United States here. I don't know
what the law is elsewhere. In the U.S., if I buy a copyrighted work,
I have the absolute right to sell it to anyone I like. I didn't see
you say anything about selling copies of plans. You said "it's illegal
to sell `used' kayak plans." Perhaps you took my "to your heart's content"
to mean copying. That wasn't my intent.

I'd still like a citation on what law prevents the sale of used
kayak plans.

It's not criminal law, it's contract. When you buy the plans, you accept
a licensing agreement for a specific number of boats, usually one. You
may also have to explicitly agree not to sell the plans. Here's how Nick
Schade puts it:
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/Buil...e.html#license

If you buy a copy of M$-Word, load it on your computer, then sell the
install disk, Microsoft could legitimately prosecute you for piracy.
They mostly don't, because you are one user among billions. Kayak
designers sell in the 10's to 100's. Read the End User License Agreement
you agreed to sometime.

Of course, some people will choose to rip off designers by buying plans,
building boats, and then selling the plans. Often the designer never
knows about it. But the river and ocean gods do, and they pay attention.

--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA