Date:         Sun, 30 Mar 1997 11:26:53 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Derek Drew <drew@interport.net>
Subject:      Copyright Free For All: Re: Vanagon "Journeys under difficult co

They cannot sue you for copyright infringement unless you cause financial
damage to them. Since they are not offering this old document for sale, you
can safely copy and redistribute it at will since you are not causing harm
to a revenue stream that they are otherwise likely to get.

Copyright only applies when there is financial damage. In the absence of
demonstrated financial damage, they cannot collect. Everybody keep this in
mind, and copy stuff as much as you like, especially stuff that is no longer
for sale from the manufacturer. My guess is, it is probably safe to copy
everything but the Bentley manuals.

If I had the time (I don't) I'd back this up and copy this "Journeys under
difficult conditions" manual for anyone who wanted it.

At 04:33 AM 3/14/97 -0600, you wrote:
>
>Hello all,
>
>After a long search about the responsibility person at VW
>for the copyright on the manual
>
>  Technical Recommendation
>  Journeys under difficult conditions
>
>I received a letter from
>
>  VOLKSWAGEN AG
>  D-38436 Wolfsburg
>  Germany
>
>  Department K-VK-25 hl
>  Mr. Klaus Chojnacki  (Representative)
>  Mrs. Monika Haessler (Assistant)
>
>  Phone +49 5361 9-23160
>  FAX   +49 5361 9-71756
>
>dated on 27. Feb. 1997
>
>with following contend (first German, next English translation):
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Sehr geehrter Herr Zeidler,
>
>vielen Dank fuer Ihre Anfrage.
>
>Es tut uns leid, dass der Ratgeber "Reisen unter erschwerten Bedingungen"
>inzwischen vergriffen ist.
>
>Eine Neuauflage ist nicht geplant.
>
>Leider koennen wir Ihnen, auch unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Produkthaftung,
>keine Genehmigung zum Nachdruck bzw. der Verbreitung ueber Internet 
>erteilen.
>
>Bitte haben Sie dafuer Verstaendnis.
>
>Mit freundlichen Gruessen
>
> -Unterschrift-
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Dear Mr. Zeidler,
>
>Thank you very much for your inquiry.
>
>We are sorry that meanwhile the adviser "Journeys under difficult 
>conditions"
>is sold out.
>
>A new print is not planned.
>
>Unfortunately we can not give you the permission, even under the point
>product liability, for reprinting respectively spreading it through the
>internet.
>
>Please understand this.
>
>With kind regards,
>
> -sign-
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I'm sorry about this official answer from VW. I think that the real answer 
>is,
>that the parts described in the manual are not available any more. I guess
>many of us, specially syncronauts, are very interested in this kind of
>information. Each individual should send a request about the manual himself.
>The common e-mail address of VOLKSWAGEN is devw1vww@ibmmail.com.
>
>Helmut
>'80 Camper
>
>
>
___________________________________
Derek Drew                           New York, NY
drew@interport.net