Re: good samaritan

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From:"Ford M. Royer" <froyer@bitstream.net>
To:HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
Reply-To:
Date:Wed, 10 Mar 1999 09:06:50 -0600
Content-Type:text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I have been following this thread with some interest, and a certain degree of
sadness.  I am troubled buy the prevalent "us against them" attitude, when the
real issue is here is a about laws that have been in effect for many many years,
not just in the USA, but throughout the world.  The personal attacks on Mark
Lewis or his company are not warranted.  By reminding us of the copyright laws
that protect ALL OF US in this country, Mark was doing what he does every day -
being helpful!  Once again, the limitations of email has lead to some "selective
reading".

Having been on both sides of the bench (laboratory scientists and now vendor), I
never appreciated the dollar value of the services that manufacturers/vendors
provided until I found out how much these services actually cost.  Mark provides
thousands of dollars of "free" advice, technical help, and even product - every
day to his company's customers (and even to those who may not be his
customers).  These services are "free" only to those who receive them.  They are
a significant cost to the Mark's company.

The copying of copyrighted material in any form is in fact against the law, and
it can not be justified by any excuse or explanation.  Plain and simple.
However, we all do it and it is tolerated by the owners of the copyright either
as a service to the community, or (in reality) - because it can not be
enforced.  This does not make it legal or correct to do, and Mark was reminding
us of this.

The "us against them" attitude baffles me. Is it because there is a perceived
biased against vendors because they make a profit on the goods and services that
they provide?  If this is the case, then be reminded that the tasks that a
laboratory professional provides is also for a profit, even though we do not
like to think of it this way.  A laboratorian's task is a nobel one, surely not
one for profit.  In the subject case, once a copy of the operating manual for
this processor is obtained, the equipment will be put into operation and a
profit will be made from the fee for service that the equipment & personnel
generates.  A portion of that profit will be paid to the employees that did the
work.  The margin of this profit will be slightly enhanced due to the fact that
the cost of goods received (the manual) was zero.  Who is the looser here?

Remember also that the skills, knowledge, and abilities of a trained
laboratorian are also copyrighted - by the person that has those skills.  Would
this person violate their own copyright, and provide their services at no
charge?

We're all in this together folks.

End of sermon.

--
Ford M. Royer, MT(ASCP)
Analytical Instruments, Ltd
9921 13th Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55441-5004
800-565-1895 phone
612-929-1895 fax
web site: http://www.aibltd.com


"Maria L. Rivera" wrote:

> Shame on you Mr. Lewis, this board is for information and help, if you
> can't help, then get outta the way or you will be sueing a zillion
> histotechs worldwide.
> Just my two cents.
>
> At 11:47 AM 3/9/1999 -0500, Vinnie Della Speranza wrote:
> ><Mark Lewis wrote:
> >
> ><Before you make a copy and send it off, you might want to read up on
> ><copyright laws and get legal counsel from your facilitiy's
> ><lawyers...
> >
> >Regards
> >Mark Lewis
> >Technical Specialist
> >Shandon (manufacturer of the Citadel)
> >1-800-245-6212 ext. 4013
> >
> >
> >I certainly hope that anyone in the market for a tissue
> >processor is paying close attention to the way this firm apparently
> >does business. it seems to me that Mr. Lewis could have offered to
> >help the individual needing the Citadel manual but instead chooses to
> >issue a veiled threat to a good samaritan who offered to provide a
> >copy. I thought his company sells instruments, not literature but
> >apparently I am mistaken.
> >
> > ----------
> >From:  pdavie@phenopath.com [SMTP:MIME :pdavie@phenopath.com]
> >Sent:  Friday, March 05, 1999 10:02 PM
> >To:  NTT@shcc.org; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> >Subject:  Re: manual
> >
> ><<File: ENVELOPE.TXT>>
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > -----  --
> >I have the Citadel 2000 manual (it's almost the same thing).  It's 26
> >pages.  If you give me your address, I'll mail you a legible copy (I
> >hope).
> >******************************************************************
> >Vinnie Della Speranza
> >Technical Director
> >Anatomic Pathology Laboratories
> >University Hospital & Medical Center
> >State University of New York at Stony Brook 11794-7025
> >(516) 444-8249
> >fax: (516) 444-3419
> >vdella@path.som.sunysb.edu




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