Hello, everybody: In many (if not most) countries the *intent* of the original law is also considered before an action is deemed to be illegal.
For example, the law against reselling without the original cover would mean that if your cover fell off or were somehow destroyed you were out of luck - you'd never be able to re-sell the book. Obviously preventing people from taping their book back together or sticking some construction paper on instead of the original cover (or, just getting the thing rebound) is not what the law intends. In the used book trade, books are rebound all the time and nobody is in any trouble. University textbooks are traditionally printed with wide margins in the anticipation of them being rebound at least twice. I think the law probably only applies to selling the book as a new book rather than as a used book. The comment that you can't make up a lace pattern from a book borrowed from the library troubles me, too. By extension, you also couldn't view videos or DVDs you borrowed from the library - just look at them to decide whether or not you want to buy. (Or maybe you could view the exercise tape you borrowed, but weren't supposed to do the exercises? Watch the film but not follow the plot? This doesn't make sense.) I know that in the UK (and I think in Canada too), there are provisions for authors to receive some income from borrowed books. Libraries report how often books are borrowed, and some fee is paid to a central office that occasionally remits a payment, though the authors have to register to receive the money. I am sure that there is a lot of discussion, one way or another, regarding these points of law. It's the sort of thing that keeps the law courts filled and lawyers driving luxury automobiles. But until somebody sues me and wins, I'll just take the road of common sense. I will resell books if I wish, purchase used books if I find them, and use patterns from books in the library (I don't belong to the Lace Guild). But I won't photocopy patterns and hand them out all over the place. Adele North Vancouver, BC (west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
