Re: An idea... Discussion???

[P3D Brian Reynolds <reynolds@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dan Shelley wrote:
> 
> I have been slowly visiting all 350 or so 3D links and sadly, some older
> sites are GONE... =( I know this is "normal", but I will miss the
> ability to go and see the images and/or information that was there. 
> 

There are programs that will traverse a list of links (by reading in
your html file) and point out the bad ones.  I don't keep big link
lists on the sites I administer, so I don't know the names of any of
these programs off hand.  Contact me off-list if you want me to look
them up for you.

> This got me thinking about a possible project... I have tossed around
> the idea of creating an HTML CD-ROM (PC and Mac compatible) that would
> contain around 650 MB (as much as I can get on there...) or so of copies
> of 3D images, movies and software from the many 3D links I have
> documented along with links to the actual site they came from so that
> the user could visit the site to find out more... This way, if the site
> ever "goes away", we could still have some of the stuff to browse and
> enjoy. 
> 
> What do all of you think about this idea? Any issues with collecting
> copies of web images this way? I know some sites are picky aobut this
> type of thing... AND, the bigger question... Would enough of you be
> willing to pay $25 or so for the physical costs of the CD burn, the HTML
> coding and gathering the image copies?
> 

Collecting all the data and putting it on a CD-ROM is the easy part.
I think the biggest issue is that you will have to get permission from
the author of every one of the sites to use their images and
information (links to the sites do not require permission) on your
CD-ROM.  In countries that have signed the Berne Copyright Convention
everything is copyrighted at creation, without the author of the work
having to do anything to copyright it.  (Registering your works and
and putting "Copyright {dates} by {author}" can help in getting a
punitive award, but are not required for copyrighted works.)  Just
because you can access some information on the Web does not give you
the right to redistribute it via another media (or for that matter to
copy it and put it on your own web site).  You might want to check out
the Copyright FAQ at:

<URL:ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/law/copyright/faq>

If you do get permission (and is has been done in the past), I would
be interested in buying one of the CD-ROMs (assuming it is in ISO 9660
format (preferably with the Rock Ridge extensions)).

-- 
Brian Reynolds     | "Knowledge, Sir, should be free to all!"
reynolds@xxxxxxxxx |  -- Harcourt Fenton Mudd
NAR# 54438         |     "I, Mudd"


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