* Copyright

[GrahamCornish]

I am new to FHUG so this is a first inquiry. I have been a specialist in copyright law for over 30 years, 18 of which I spent as advisor to the British Library. A number of people have suggested there is ;a need for a user-friendly guide to copyright law in our field. I would be very interested to know the reaction of other FHUG members as to whether this is something they would find helpful. My book on copyright for librarians is now in its 6th. edition having started life in 1990.
I would appreciate comments.
Graham Cornish

[Valkrider]

@Graham

Several of us replied to your original post on Copyright (14635) in the Research Forum a month ago and said yes please.

[tatewise]

Your Research Forum Copyright (14635) posting used identical wording, so I am suspicious about your motives.

[GrahamCornish]

I posted it on both areas as a friend used one but not the other and had not seen the first posting. Genuine enquiry from me as I need to know the extent of need before approaching a publisher with a serious proposal.
Graham Cornish

[tatewise]

In that case, I suggest you rephrase your question, because I suspect many of the repliers were anticipating free advice.
That is how it works on this website, we all offer each other free advice as family history fanatics.
If you are proposing a commercial undertaking, then that needs to be made crystal clear.
Usually business and commercial advertising is frowned upon on this website, but maybe the interest in your proposal would hold sway.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Mike, I was under no illusion that what was proposed was a book to purchase, and I doubt many others were.

[rfj1001]

"User Friendly Guide" were the words used in the opening post to determine interest and that I would be interested in.

If it is a book, then that suggests something much more substantial (and expensive). I want something quick and concise to refer to. Realistically I am afraid there are probably 1000+ genealogy book titles that would take purchase precedence over one purely on copyright.

User Friendly Guide - yes. Book - no.

[Valkrider]

I agree with @rfj1001 I presumed it was more of a handout not a fully fledged book. As a book I would definitely NOT purchase it.

[ColeValleyGirl]

My book on copyright for librarians is now in its 6th. edition having started life in 1990.

Perhaps because I googled for the book mentioned, it seemed clear enough to me that this would be a published book -- and I'd still buy it if the price was appropriate.

[GrahamCornish]

Whilst I appreciate that a handout would be appreciated, copyright is an extremely complex subject and requires detailed study. An leaflet which gave general advice could easily be misleading.
On the questionof free advice - if anyone wantsto ask me a question I will be happy to try to answer it -FREE!

[AdrianBruce]

... copyright is an extremely complex subject and requires detailed study. ...

To be quite honest, I have a lot of sympathy with this viewpoint. I was always being wound up at work for writing very long emails about how bits of systems worked - my response was always, "Well you did ask how it worked - and by the way, that was the simplified view".