Copyright, Paywalls, Building Codes, and Laws

ron said:
NFPA, ICC and UL codes and standards are all already available for viewing for free.
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infinity said:
Many of them are but the problem is that you cannot do anything other than read them if you don't pay.
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Screen copy utilities like "snip and sketch" do allow you to copy content and print or publish but not with the ease you had with earlier CD-ROM or PDF versions of the document. Still no searching ability though.

If I decide to post actual code content on this site is via snip and sketch app and is sort of no different than taking a photo of the content and then posting that photo, can even edit or highlight to some degree.

here is an example:
1775931264574.png
I could have selected just 90.1 part only if I wanted to limit to that. What isn't really possible is to copy specific text and paste it into the editior used for composing messages on the forum but you can copy the image made by snip and sketch and post it. If I did a full screen image you would see all my browser tabs, apps that are open and other items displayed on my screen at the time.
 
I know that I whine alot about this stuff but it just irks me when we're being fleeced. I paid $160-$170 for a 2023 NEC physical book that I cannot copy and paste from without scanning the pages with some software to make a usable copy. So instead I have to sign up for LiNK to copy and paste code sections on this forum. That costs $170 per year or $510 over the three year code cycle just to achieve what the prior PDFs that I purchased and will own forever gave me. People hate subscription models when they feel like they're getting ripped off. I know that there are some members here that use Upcodes maybe that's the answer. Okay rant over. :censored:
 
infinity said:
I know that I whine alot about this stuff but it just irks me when we're being fleeced. I paid $160-$170 for a 2023 NEC physical book that I cannot copy and paste from without scanning the pages with some software to make a usable copy. So instead I have to sign up for LiNK to copy and paste code sections on this forum. That costs $170 per year or $510 over the three year code cycle just to achieve what the prior PDFs that I purchased and will own forever gave me. People hate subscription models when they feel like they're getting ripped off. I know that there are some members here that use Upcodes maybe that's the answer. Okay rant over. :censored:
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Software in general has gone to subscription services over the years. Most of it comes with higher cost than previous versions of similar software before even factoring in how things in general have increased in price in particular over the past 5-6 years. One plus is you usually always have the latest edition where back when you purchased software (usually installed it from a disk) it had limited updates but did essentially work forever (or at least until you got a new computer and it may or may not give you trouble transferring it or may not be compatible with newer operating system at no additional cost in most cases. If you wanted to make an upgrade to the most recent edition then you lay down some money again but unless you upgraded to new edition on annual basis you spent less than you do with the subscription service versions.
 
kwired said:
If you wanted to make an upgrade to the most recent edition then you lay down some money again but unless you upgraded to new edition on annual basis you spent less than you do with the subscription service versions.
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The problem with subscriptions is you're paying in perpetuity while physically owning nothing. You're merely "renting" access to the documents. The day you stop paying is the day you no longer have access.

This seems to be the issue that the courts have been ruling on which is the denial of full free access to the law.
 
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