Actually it's not that simple, but it is doable. When you make an
electronic version of any document available you subject it to the
potential for copying in any of myriad ways. You do in paper form as
well--I have more than a few xerox copies of service manuals that were
impossible to find--but it's harder and expensive enough to discourage
misuse.
At the far end of the solutions are eBook formats that require passwords
to read. On the friendly end is segmentation of the book so that people
can be teased into buying the paper version by getting value from a soft
version. We do this all the time for our clients--we arrange with
Publishers like Harvard Business School Press to give us the first chapter
of a book for e-distribution, free (for example, www.thisisenough.com
which is a self promotion site of ours offers the first chapter of "Total
Access" by Regis Makenna).
The value of a paper book is at least partly physical, it's not just
intellectual property. Assuming there were nostalgic ruminations as well
as specs, Kas would sell plenty of autographed books to people who just
want to have the book as well as those who want its information.
Then it's all just marketing. This is a small segment, but it's very
identifiable, accessible, and reasonably wealthy one--that makes it
efficient and valuable to address. Given a reasonable amount of energy you
could sell a lot of books. Online content and teaser chapters would bait
the hook.
It would be fairly hard to lose money on an effort like this, you'd never
get rich, but it would pay for a few fun trips and make them a business
expense.
-----Original Message-----
From: John Wilkins
To: fot@autox.team.net
Sent: 11/26/2002 1:05 PM
Subject: Re: Competition Manuals vs. Triumph Book
Not that I leaning either way with online documentation, but controlling
it
can be done very easily on the web! Copyright,accuracy is a whole other
issue. If and when it ever happened can be controlled with in the domain
it
is hosted on. Web sites do it all the time, users that access those
documents would just need a user name and password. There is your
control.
John Wilkins
"66 Triumph Spitfire"
----- Original Message -----
From: "michael cook" <mlcooknj@msn.com>
To: <EISANDIEGO@aol.com>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 11:25 AM
Subject: Re: Competition Manuals vs. Triumph Book
> The problem with putting anything on-line is that you first have to
make a
> couple of decisions:
>
> 1. Do you care about your copyright or do you want everyone and anyone
> worldwide to have free access to it?
>
> 2. Do you want it distributed whole or in bits and pieces, copied
incorrectly,
> etc., with your name still on it?
>
> 3. Do you really want to give it away?
>
> On-line convenience is fine but access and use can't really be
controlled.
>
> Mike Cook
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: EISANDIEGO@aol.com
> Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 12:19 PM
> To: fot@autox.team.net
> Subject: Competition Manuals vs. Triumph Book
>
> As a practical matter, it would seem better to have the
competition
> manuals as a online document that could be continuously and easily
updated
> than to create another printed book.
>
> It would be great is Kas & FOT did put together a book on
Triumph
> racing in America. I loved to see a US version of Bill Price's book on
the
> The BMC/BL Competition Department all be it with more emphasis on the
> privateers. Mike Cooks book is a great starting point.
>
> Cary
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