>is anyone worried about copyright issues with these docs being
>online? if not, can someone tell me why not?
I have been unable to find a copyright notice on the Olympus manual I have.
This is not the same as saying "copy at will," but it does make it more
difficult for them to press a copyright violation case.
Also, Olympus America distributes manuals (or copies, if out-of-print) for
free, so there is no motivation for them to cause trouble. Each copy that
is distributed informally potentially saves them postage on a free copy.
Note these are practical, rather than legal reasons. You do not relinquish
your intellectual property rights by not having a copyright notice, nor by
giving away your IP for free, but such behavior is generally an indication
that you don't care if others use your material.
Finally, should Olympus press a case, the damages awarded are generally
related to the damage done: "Your honor, my client requests $1 million in
damages, based on the lost revenue from our not sending this material out
for free to anyone who calls our 800 number!" Yea, right!
(Actually, I suppose eBay dealers could hire Olympus to press copyright
violation, based on their not selling manuals to fools who don't realize
they're free... :-)
Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer, but I tithe. :-(
: Jan Steinman <mailto:jans@xxxxxxxxxxx>
: 19280 Rydman Court, West Linn, OR 97068-1331 USA
: +1.503.635.3229
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