Manuals on CD - question

[cds72911]

I thought I'd start a new thread since this is a different question than the dude who's selling copies...

If I purchase a fully legal copy of the factory manuals, may I scan them into something like PDF format and put them on my hard drive or a CD so I can easily things up on the PC in my garage?

I'd think it would be perfectly okay as long as one does not share it with others, or try to sell it. What do you think?

Not asking for a "real" legal interpretation, just your opinions.

Thanks,
Charlie
'72 911

[billwagnon]

IMO you can replicate all you want, as long as you maintain possession of the copies.

[Ted Stringer]

First, Who would know? What would be slick is to put the pdfs into a searchable database so that you could look stuff up by subsystem. to do this you probably will need to have a real good database engine, and some programming and database design skills. Back to the orignal question, it probably isn't legal, because there is probably a clause in the copyright that forbids use of a electronic storage and retrival system. I don't think that they will make to much fuss if they find out as long as it is used only by you or someone helping you. If you were to do this at a shop, then you likely would get into trouble.

Something like the database would be useful if you were working on more than one car at a time.

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Ted Stringer
nuke3@juno.com
'84 911 Targa aka pocketrocket

[cds72911]

Hi again,

No, I wouldn't be inclined to go into the effort of having a cross indexed database or anything. I just want to be able to pull it up on my own PC (not a shop, just home use) then print off what I need and not be worried about ruining it. I would feel crappy if I ruined a perfectly good (expensive) original factory manual with my grubby paws.

I bought an old PC with a CD-rom for the garage (so I can look at the Pelican CD and maybe browse the BBS if I get stuck). The addition of the e-factory manuals to that collection would be deluxe!

Now there you have an awesome idea for a product - sell a software tool tied to a database that cross indexes all of the books and web site URLs for a given Porsche topic - and sell it cheap. Tie it to a tech help desk staffed by Warren, John Walker, Roland Kunz and a few others, with a per use fee. Make a search function that greps the Pelican Parts archive (the whole thing, not just since the performance problems), the Rennlist database and others. Make all results relevance ranked, filtering out all the non-porsche garbage. Yeah, I'll keep dreaming.

Thanks for the opinions. Have a good 4th of July if you're in the USA.

Cheers,
Charlie

[Wayne 962]

Fair use allows you to make copies for your own use, in just about any format...

-Wayne

[David Griswold]

If properly scanned and stored correctly in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, the files can be searched...

David

[911pcars]

I think the term "fair use" comes into play when one legally uses copyrighted material as in, for example, an educational environment. Let's say a teacher gives a lecture on geography and Xeroxes, no, photocopies a map created by World Book Encyclopedia for handouts in class. In this case, the use of the map copies constitutes fair use, an appropriate repurposing of the copyrighted maps. An unauthorized use of the maps is when you copy them for monetary or otherwise benefit without proper licensing from the owner. Sound like a lawyer huh? Not.

I think Wayne was advising that if you purchase software, a book or any intellectual property, you have the right to make personal backups/copies for whatever reason.

You can use Adobe's Acrobat program (the commercial package, not just the free Reader), and create PDF's of any document you want, including your service manual. Acrobat has provisions for adding hot links from text to other PDF files you wish to link together. No database is necessary. This is the format of many factory parts/repair manual CD's.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

[Ted Stringer]

Of course, I have to do things the hard way!! :-D

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Ted Stringer
nuke3@juno.com
'84 911 Targa aka pocketrocket


[This message has been edited by Ted Stringer (edited 07-03-2001).]