Great kids book but...

[granskare Registered Find all posts View Profile Close granskare]

It's about Finland and has super illustrations, super text but there is that European copyright thing that forces me not to name the book, not to name the author, etc, but at least I can say it is great. Here is that restrictive text and I follow it here because this url is housed in Finland:

"Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other that that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser."

So if you are in Finland, you are forbidden to show a book to your children and can't show it to nieces and nephews. You cannot lend it to your neighbor to show to her kids. Unless of course you apply to the publisher on bended knee and if they are willing to condescend to your plea, maybe you can show the book but just once, mind you, just once.

It's laughable but now I know why a book I sent to a guy in jeppis was returned to me. I don't know why Finns abide a government which imposes itself on them so closely.

[sune Registered Find all posts View Profile Close sune]

Chuck:

According to Finnish copyright law (and i think it applies in all Nordic countries, perhaps the whole of the EU) you may show a picture of a book, you may even cite parts of it and you may certainly mention the name, author, publisher, ISBN-code et.c. You couldn't write a book review if this wasn't true. As for lendning our libraries would be at dire straits if the "may not lend" clause would apply.

An example:

I have in my hand a copy of The Time Machine by H. G. Wells.
It's a paperback edition from 1991.

The copyright text says: The copyrighted portions of this book may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission i writing ffrpm the publisher. For information address: Bantam Books.

The first chapter starts: "The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes shone and twinkled …"

In my opinion a dull way to start a book.

So sue me. ./.

Sune

P.S.
If I visit the United States and buy a book with the clause "Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent … " and take it with me back home and then lend it to friends and finally sell it to a used book store, I doubt that the FBI will come after me.

[granskare Registered Find all posts View Profile Close granskare]

Hah!
The Finnish secret police will be at your door at 3 in the morning. They will then give you to the CIA who will transport you to a suitable country where your confession would be accepted. Then after you will receive an all expenses paid holiday in Cuba.
So everybody here beware. Sune may be an informant. She could be the person who overhead a conversation in an outdoor cafe where a patron was complaining about the president saying all sorts of bad things. She, if it were her, asked who was being talked about and the patron, knowing the Finnish secret police and its informants (they number 5k million ppl in Finland) replied. The president was not that of Finland but of Iraq. The secret police person responded "liar, we all know the president of Iraq is a good and honest man"