This one I will allow, provisionally...

EDIT: The provision is nullified as per the revised rules.

Ok thats all fine. I understand about trying to follow the rules. Just two more Questions. Is the afore mentioned book Logical Chess by Chernev available legally? I'm guessing yes since you haven't deleated it. And, since I was just using Fischer's book as an example, can you give me some guidelines to get legal electronic copies of chess books that are also free? I mostly want to just see what books are like. Everyone here always talks about chernev so I would like to look without having to buy every book in the world. They be so expensive. I be tired of buying chess books.

By my knowledge it isn't... And it's very tough legal territory to establish what is and what isn't legal here.

Here's the legislation I think is relevant:

• Anything copyrighted prior to 1923 is in the public domain. (Practically speaking, this includes anything published prior to 1923, since publication without copyright put the work straight into the public domain. But note this possible exception in some western states for some 1909-1922 foreign works that were not published in the US before 1923.) Due to a 20-year copyright extension enacted in the US in 1998, copyrights from 1923 or later that are still in force will stay in effect through 2018 or longer.
• Certain works copyrighted in 1923 or later may already have entered the public domain. In particular, works published in the US before 1989 without proper copyright notice, and works published in the US before 1964 whose copyrights were not renewed, may have entered the public domain. However, works from 1923 or later that were originally published in countries outside the US may still be copyrighted regardless of whether they were printed with proper notice or renewed. To research whether a book's copyright has been renewed, or needed to be renewed, see this article.
• Works never published prior to 2003 (and never registered for copyright prior to 1978) are now in the public domain in the US if they are by authors who died more than 70 years before the most recent New Year's day. (For 2008, this means authors who died before 1938.) Although this new rule does not put any previously published material into the public domain, it may allow some long-lost manuscripts and collections of letters to be published online as "new" online books

Trying to make sense of that and applying it to this thread is a nightmare as you can imagine. Which divides online ebooks in 3 categories:
- Books for which copyright has expired.
- Books that are published with the permission of the author.
- Books that violate copyright.

I'll take a look and then pass judgement on this thread.

um. ok. thanks.

I think this is the best way to go about this.


- I consider books published before 1920 free of copyright.
I do not consider e-books made from these books warez.
- I consider books published after 1920 with permission from the author free of copyright.
I do not consider e-books made from these books warez, provided it can, within reason, be established that permission has been given.
- I consider all other books copyrighted.
As such, e-books made thereof are classified as warez.

I'll edit this thread now...

SHOWOFF!

From a review of a website in question (Russian) the books in DJVU and PDF can not be printed only read.
The late Bobby Fischer on his website offered one of his books and indicated why buy the book, when he was allowing the book to be downloaded for free.
A discussion on copyrighted chess books (and checkers) took place a few months ago in a Chessville Post.
Google in 2006 started an out of copy righted book section which can be printed.
However
chess - Google Book Search
The above chess books can not be printed but only read. Certain sections have been omitted. Google recommends the books be purchased by the reader from Dover.
One of Steinitz's works is on online I believe from Google and 76 pages can be read. I do own the CD of the works which I purchased from an Amazon.com seller. The downloaded pages are read from the website.
They can not be printed.
There is an Italian website that offers downloads of chess books.
One publisher, probably McKay complained and their books were pulled.
To avoid copy right infractions the website offers bare moves of the chess games which appeared in the chess books, without notes.
Reshevky's book on his game by Dover is one of the books.

I see, I was not aware of that.

Correction. The website in question indicated that books can be printed.
But my computer a Macintosh Intel and my older computer indicated that the books could not be printed especially the DJVU books. One of the well known websites which most of use for research wanted to place every book in print on the website. ( I wrote a blog about it several years ago in Chessville). But I believe they ran into copyright infringements and ceased the project.
There are online library sites where books including chess books can be read.
If any of the books in the website can be printed I will let you know without indicating the name of the site.
For a good collection without copyright violations go to
Free Chess e-Books
Note that chessville offers many of the same books.

The website in question. I just tested more than several titles in DJVU format.
They can not be printed.
The PDF format chess books can be printed. I own the paper copy of more than several books provided by the website. Even though the authors such as Keres and Fine have passed away, the books indicated on the site appear to be currently under copyright. Definitely Yasser Seirawan's book has to be on copyright.
Google and others offer chessbooks, currently under copyright which can be read, but not printed. Including Steinitz's Writing which retails for around $79, and Tartakower's three volume work, now in one volume by Dover
500 Chess Games. Excerpts can be read but not printed. Google provides leads (ads) on where to purchase the book either in new or used condition.
The following is the Google Chess Book section. If you like the book you can purchase the book from a number of indicated dealers.
chess - Google Book Search
Remember you can not print anything out.
I located other websites which are offering the Dover book on Steinitz as an ebook download. Those sites are in violation of copy right laws.
DOVER books has a website. For those who do not know, Dover printed many Chess books, some from Chess Review authors of the 1940's & 50's, and many other books in the open domain. What I would recommend go to the Dover website, and use the contact feature. Tell them to offer all of the old chess books, by Botvinnik, Reshevsky, Reinfeld, Marshall, and countless others as ebooks.