Thread: WTB Kayak plans
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Brian Nystrom
 
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Default WTB Kayak plans

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


Mike Beede wrote:

In article 3FFcf.7336$941.840@trndny02,
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.


Sorry if I misunderstood. Yes, you can sell a used book, CD or whatever,
but you cannot copy it and sell the copies.

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


Read the information that comes with the plans you buy. The copyright
holder has to right to limit you or anyone else to construction of one
boat per set of plans. What you're doing is "licencing" the plans for
that purpose. Legally, I guess you can sell the plans to someone else,
but it's illegal for them to build a boat using them, since they did not
purchase a license for them. It's essentially the same as copying. OTOH,
I have some plans that I never built a boat from, so I can sell them and
the new owner can legally use the license I purchased, since I didn't
use it.