Are E-books illegal?

Question: Are E-books illegal!?

I personally don't use them, I was just wondering!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

E-books are not illegal if there is no longer a copyright license involved, or if the author has given permission!.

It can be complicated, and varies from country to country!. What cannot be put online in the U!.S!., might be put online in another country -- and there's very little that the author can do about it except take it up with the ISP hosting the site with the pirated work!.

There are also special rules regarding downloading of specific items relating to personal studies -- like with photocopying!. You cannot photocopy an entire book, especially not for resale, but you can copy huge portions of it for personal study!.

Some of the best legitimate sources of *literature* (as opposed to modern novels) are:
- Gutenberg online books (they have more than just english)
- Luminarium: Anthology of English LiteratureWww@QuestionHome@Com

No!. There are lots of electronic publishers out there, additionally, many of the big print companies are now expanding to make their books available in electronic formats!.

What makes an ebook illegal is not the ebook itself but rather the misuse from some people who think nothing of stealing the hard work from authors by making those books available for free in their websites or social networks, or "sharing" them via p2p file sharing like Limewire, without paying the author a single penny for their hard work!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No!.

The legality of an e-book depends on the way in which you acquire your copy!. Copyright law is rather complicated and technical but it essentially boils down to a matter of licences or … permission!.

When you buy an e-book you are really buying the permission (licence) of the owner of the work to have a copy!. Therefore if A downloads an e-book from an e-publisher legitimately his copy is legal!. However if A copies his e-book and gives (or sells) a copy to B then B is in possession of an infringing copy and A has infringed the copyright of the publisher by making the copy!.

This is the position under UK law!. Most other legal systems are more or less the same thanks to a network of international treaties!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It depends on how old the piece of literature is!.

I'm pretty sure that things by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters, etc wouldn't be illegal, because they aren't copyrighted!. They are public domain, for the most part!.

Books like Twilight and Harry Potter ARE copyrighted though, so those ebooks would be illegal unless you buy them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Books published before 1923 are considered public domain (85 years), so those wouldn't be illegal!.
Any books published after that would need special permission to be placed online (because they would still be under copyright)!.

Check out this site:
http://www!.copyright!.cornell!.edu/public_!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If the author is alive then yes!. If it's some old classic such as Jane Austen you can get it easily on any site, such as gutenberg!.com
LuthienTWww@QuestionHome@Com

if you buy any ebooks fron any reputed site its not illegle because the writer have placed the books himself for ease of the readers so there is nothing wrong in it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Only if they aren't published online by the company that published them in book form!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

free ebooks usually are, but if you pay for them then obviously notWww@QuestionHome@Com

Nope, my dad wrote oneWww@QuestionHome@Com

i think they areWww@QuestionHome@Com