I don’t mean to distribute, but to scan for myself to read digitally, am I allowed to do that legally and ethically when I buy a physical book or would that be totally unethical and illegal?
who cares, do it anyway
Ethics and legality are far from the same, or even linked.
I did my searching based on music/CDs since the wording is a lot more clear, but the same rules apply since were still talking about copyright infringement.
As long you’re making the copy for personal use and aren’t selling/distributing, you are fully in the clear:
- It’s okay to copy music onto special Audio CD-R’s, mini-discs, and digital tapes (because royalties have been paid on them) – but not for commercial purposes.
Oh, thanks! I have some books that is occupying too many spaces and I was wondering about it, I don’t know what I’d do to the physical book afterwards though, would I still be in the clear if I donated the physical book to a public library or would be better if I somehow recycle it since it’s mostly paper?
Recycling is definetly in the clear, however donating to libraries would be more meaningful; as it offers a chance for more people to read them.
Would it be legal also if I had scanned it for myself only beforehand to access digitally? I also think it’d be more meaningful but the local library here gives you a form to fill if you want to donate anything so that gets me in doubt
As long as you don’t distribute it it should be fine legally (in the US) and is morally correct (imo) since it is your own copy of the book.
Ethically you can make as many digital or physical personal copies as you want for yourself outside of perhaps a concern for wasting resources but if you sell them you’re taking away earnings from an author or rights holder or owner which may each have different moral weight. But if you’re caught with hundreds or thousands of copies or copies where they are easily accessible to the public it’s going to appear pretty suspicious.
