Adding a 'Project Plans' listing to the Forum???

[jkl1865]

Sam,
I guess this question is directed towards you, but also to see if anyone would be interested in this.
I was wondering the possiblity for a forum topic added for the sharing of some of our Wood Working Plans (i.e. 'entertainment centers', hope chests, etc...). I understand we have much in the way of "Jigs & Fixtures", but not plans. Downloading these from the designated sites can be pretty expesive after time.
Any thoughts??? Heck, this might be illegal for all I know... Just thinking out-loud.

Jason[img=left] http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~dcc/pub/flag/flag50.gif [/img=left]

[Sam Conder]

Sharing copyrighted plans that you must pay to download would certainly be illegal. I would not mind creating a section for original plans that site members draw up on their own, but not any "commercially produced" plans.



Sam Conder
BT3Central.com Admin

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[Eric]

This is kind of on topic, let's say you buy a plan from a site and then modify it who then owns the copyright, it would have to be person that modifies it, right?

Eric
"Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure."
- Thomas Edison
AnE Technologies

[Sam Conder]

quote:Originally posted by eric1973

This is kind of on topic, let's say you buy a plan from a site and then modify it who then owns the copyright, it would have to be person that modifies it, right?

Eric
"Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure."
- Thomas Edison
AnE Technologies

It will probably take a lawyer with copyright infringement experience to answer this correctly, but to me your scenario sounds like plagerism. It would be like taking a Steven King novel, changing the names, and then calling it your own.



Sam Conder
BT3Central.com Admin

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[Pappy]

FWIW, I made some copies of some NYW plans a while back for people here. Neither I nor the guy at Kinko's could find a copyright on the plans.

Don, aka Pappy, aka SicPup
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!
http://community.webshots.com/user/pappysplaypen

[Eric]

Just because copyright interests me as far as web design and such I've done a little research on the subject.

Found this on the copyright.gov website (http://www.copyright.gov)

quote:Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your written or artistic work.

This in regards to recipes, which is kind of a "plan":

quote:A mere listing of ingredients is not protected under copyright law. However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection. Note that if you have secret ingredients to a recipe that you do not wish to be revealed, you should not submit your recipe for registration, because applications and deposit copies are public records

quote:Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

So, as I understand it if you were to want to get a copy of a plan and then rewrite the plan in your own words and replace the drawings with your own drawing then the plan would then be yours. Copyright does not protect the idea, only the verbage and the illustrations.
Also it appears that anything that is written is covered under the copyright, whether it's a web based item or hardcopy.

Eric
"Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure."
- Thomas Edison
AnE Technologies