Free Code Book?

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Free Code Book?

Bennie,
Every governmental unit that has adopted any building code and has a copy of that code on file for the public to view. This is all that they are required to do to make the law available to the public without cost. You may have to go to the state capital to view the laws (code) if they are adopted at the state level, but that is ok under the requirement to provide free access.
Don

 

[bennie]

Re: Free Code Book?

According to the license agreement in the back of the code book you are correct.

The only thing in question will be the royalty fee charged for copyrighted documents. It's kind of a catch 99. The NFPA can't charge for documents that are not copyright protected

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Free Code Book?

The ruling did not remove all of the copyright protections from the codes. It was a narrow ruling that only permits the online publication of codes that have been adopted by a governmental unit in the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The ruling does prevent the NFPA from charging for any documents that they sell, and infact, if sales are reduced because of online publication, will result in a higher cost for those who wish to purchase the books. The sales of the NEC and its related publications by the NFPA provides a lot of the funding for many of the other NFPA codes and standards that do not have enough circulation to support themselves. This ruling, if extended to the other circuits, could very well result in the loss of all of the concensus type codes and standards.
Don

 

[gwz2]

Re: Free Code Book?

Don,

It is my belief that some individuals do want to do away with the concensus method.

That way only those 'few' individuals "in power" could dictate what a code states.

Let's hope that never happens to the NEC.