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[essex2visuvesi]

I noticed there has been several requests of late from people wanting copies of instruction manuals of discontinued kits.  This got me thinking (Very dangerous) why don't we create a central repository for all our obsolete instruction manuals?

I am happy supply hosting for the site and administer it.
So if anyone has any old instruction manuals that they would like to scan and email to me please go ahead.  I have generated the basic server space and will start uploading some of my old manuals this week.
I will not be accepting plans tho (unless they are part of the build manual) as there are too many copyright issues.

I will be accepting build manuals, instruction manuals for receivers, accessories, speed controllers etc.

What does everyone think?

[Artistmike]

Sounds like a great idea though you may have to be a bit careful about copyright law as many may still be covered by that and couldn't be published without permission.....

[essex2visuvesi]

I guess I would need to get in touch with the manufacurers and see where the land lies.

I can't see any having an issue with it as these are obsolete kits we are talking about

[Artistmike]

Don't get me wrong as I think it's a great idea in principle but as the latest venture by The Vintage Model Boat Company shows, some of these old "obsolete" items aren't quite as obsolete as people thought and some still have a substantial commercial value to the people that own the copyright. ... you'd need to step a bit carefully I think but with care it could turn out to be an interesting resource ....

[Jerry C]

this site might be of interest, even if not for models.

www.instructionsmanuals.com

Jerry.

[malcolmfrary]

Interesting point about copyright on a discontinued item.  Perhaps the item could be given a mention, with a link to the copyright holder, so that they can get the actual benefit that they imagine?  If they can be bothered to issue product rather than writs.

[Colin Bishop]

If they can be bothered to issue product rather than writs.

Is that comment factual or just hyperbole? Has anybody actually issued writs?

There is a lot of very old stuff out there which is probably no longer copyright, or if it is then nobody cares. But there is also a surprising amount which is still copyright and which has potential commercial value to the owner who won't be too keen on people making it freely available especially as they may well be quite willing to respond to individual requests if approached in the right way.

So you do have to be a bit careful when putting together a respository as suggested although there is no reason not to make the effort using suitably chosen material.

Colin

[malcolmfrary]

Is that comment factual or just hyperbole? Has anybody actually issued writs?

Hyperbole at the moment of course, but I would not want to be the webmaster who was on the receiving end of a copyright holders lawyers wrath.  Certainly not the first one. 
If a copyright holder, being in the position of having intellectual property for which there is a need, if not a commercial sized demand, withholds it from the market, he may well be acting legally, but legal and sensible rarely co-exist comfortably.  It is very much easier to take legal action to impoverish a single well meaning provider of a service than to either satisfy the legitimate needs of providing the service or chase those who used the service as individuals.  Good sense has, sadly, little or nothing to do with it.
There is probably a small mountain of old plans that are possibly the property of now defunct magazines, for instance, that have passed to new owners, who, through ignorance or indifference, have effectively binned them.  And so they would stay until they resurfaced on the web, when the pound signs would light up.
In a world populated by nice people, such would not be the case, but a webmaster with the urge to survive needs to think of the thought processes of legal, rather than legitimate, people.

[TheLongBuild]

This site is repository in its self, You ask, someone generally has the Answer, plan, article or instruction manual to borrow for reaserch  .. Maybe not a central repository but the closest you are likely to get..

[Circlip]

Re-occurring point of discussion on an American forum. Wonder why MHS haven't (or don't seem to have) bothered about the guy at the top of the house or his midget compatriot's business selling copies of "Their" plans on the flee? 

 In a similar vein, many years ago I questioned the local plannning department s non action after a local company built and was using an extension before planning approval was given whereas an individual had been ordered to demolish a garage for the same reason. The reply given was that the company "made thousands of pounds profit per year" and the planning department had  limited funds for court apperances and would cost a big slice of their budget to prosecute with no guarrentee of success.

  Regards  Ian.

[Colin Bishop]

We've had all these discussions before and got nowhere really. It is of course a bit of a minefield. Some of this material has very long legs indeed. Who whould have thought that Aerokit models would again be in production over 50 years after they first appeared. Plans have a continued value as very few new ones are appearing today compared with the numbers published in the past. It's also a great shame that the Great Britain Trust are still sitting on the extensive Underhill and Shipwright plans which are reportedly in a bad state without making them available but they do own them so I guess they can do what they like.

As The Long Build suggests, something like Mayhem or other Forums is probably the best solution as it simply involves a one to one private swap or transfer of information with which no copyright holder is likely to take issue.

Colin

[LarryW]

Hi all ,
       as long build and Colin,  the mayhemers  out there  , can al ways help have all ways come up for me .......Larry...

[Norseman]

Mayhemmers are super generous with resources and help
I suppose the hit and miss bit is whether the right member reads a request for information.
Maybe only the long term members have any idea of just who has what.

Personally I like the ideas coming out of Finland. Who would know if I donated a President manual.
I suppose a level of discretion is always adviseable, but I'd definitely use a repository

Lee Harvey Oswald