Advice on selling ebooks!

Andy1750

Dear all,

Am in the process of setting up website selling ebooks. Would be very grateful for your advice on the following:

1) There are many websites selling cheap ebooks with resale rights. However, as many of these websites are small I am concerned about potential copyright issues (i.e. people stealing content from other published literature and replicating it in their ebook). If I bought an ebook with resale rights which unknowlingly contains copyrighted material and put it on my website who would be liable? Me, the author or both? If an issue how could I avoid this? It's impossible to tell without reviewing every boook/article/paper every published!

2) Many ebooks come with resale rights (i.e. in contrast to giveway rights whereby you are entitled to give the ebook away for free). However, if I offer ebooks as part of paid subscription website and do not charge for each individual ebook would this be considered to be resale or giveaway?

Would be very grateful for any advice!

Thanks,

Andy

RichyRich

(1) The Resale Rights mean you can resell it despite it being copyrighted
(2) This would be considered Resale.
(3) You didn't ask a third question, but might find this web site useful.

richt71

Most legimate resale rights come with a form of proof that you have full re-sale rights. You'd be liable by the way if someone sued you for not having the correct rights.

Andy1750

Dear both,

Many thanks for your helpful responses. Just a couple of further questions:

1) If ebook is copyrighted, but it is subsequently established the the original author stole information from other copyrighted material, who would be liable? The author who wrote the ebook, me as the seller or both?

2) What would form of proof would I require that I have full resale rights? Would this need to be a declaration from the original author specifically stating my name and confirming that I have full resale rights for the product? Or is a generic statement at the start of the ebook confirming that it may be resold be sufficient?

Thanks,

Andy

geordie_joe

Andy1750 wrote: »

1) If ebook is copyrighted, but it is subsequently established the the original author stole information from other copyrighted material, who would be liable? The author who wrote the ebook, me as the seller or both?

If the original author stole the material then he/she isn't the original author. Both of you would be liable. Although you may not be procecuted if you can prove you bought the book in good faith and cooperate.

Andy1750 wrote: »

2) What would form of proof would I require that I have full resale rights? Would this need to be a declaration from the original author specifically stating my name and confirming that I have full resale rights for the product? Or is a generic statement at the start of the ebook confirming that it may be resold be sufficient?

Normally there is a statement within the book and a text file too. What you should look for is links to the authors web site and check on there.