Can I charge a subscription fee for people to view copyrighted materials?
Can I charge a subscription fee for people on my website to view e-books that I have purchased, or would this violate the copyright?
Answered By: Barton Barton & Plotkin
Not without a license from the owners of the copyrights of the e-books. You are effectively proposing to republish e-books written by someone else. This would be blatantly illegal copyright infringement. Your purchase of an e-book allows you to read it and nothing more. Your purchase does not allow you to republish the book, give it to friends or family members or charge fees to others to read the e-book.
Answer Applies to: New York
Replied: 8/31/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
Answer Applies to: New York
Replied: 8/31/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
Answered By: Michael M. Ahmadshahi
The simple answer is: NO YOU CANNOT! This area of the law is complicated. First, you have to determine if your eBooks are sold or licensed to you. If licensed, you have to review the license agreement under which you may be restricted to do any type of distribution downstream. If the eBooks are sold, then there is a first-sale exception under which you can sell, lend, or give away your eBooks to someone else without copyright infringement, but even if the eBooks are sold to you, you may not put them on your website and lease them to others by way of charging subscription fees.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 8/31/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 8/31/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
Answered By: Mark S. Hubert PC
This would be an act of copyright infringement which may bring statutory damages and attorney fees if the creator of the book registered the copyright within 90 days of first publication.
Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 8/31/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 8/31/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
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