3

For ethical reasons I try to avoid reading books downloaded from illegal and pirated websites.

I was self studying a topic by reading a certain book. Due to COVID-19 my nearby library is closed. I googled the book's details and I came across the full PDF version of the book on the websites of two reputed universities.

Is it it unethical to read the PDF downloaded from a university website? How the university is able to upload the PDF? Will it be unethical if I read from the PDF downloaded from the websites of these reputed universities?

Please help me in overcoming my confusion.

Massimo Ortolano
  • 55,428
  • 19
  • 166
  • 207
Shweta Aggrawal
  • 133
  • 3
  • 4
    These are the individual web sites of people at those universities. The documents were probably posted by those individuals acting on their own; the university often doesn't keep a close eye on such things. They may or may not have had the permission of the author/publisher and their actions may or may not have been legal; we don't know. Often this happens when a professor posts material for their students to read and doesn't realize, or doesn't care, that everyone else in the world could read it too. – Nate Eldredge Nov 18 '20 at 05:05
  • https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/112457/is-supporting-sci-hub-illegal-unacademic – Anonymous Physicist Nov 18 '20 at 14:10
  • The website you used is irrelevant. – Anonymous Physicist Nov 18 '20 at 14:10
  • not strictly an answer to your question, but if you email the authors chances are they'll be more than willing to share a preprint with you. – Schiphol Nov 18 '20 at 15:30
  • Obligatory link: https://custodians.online/ – Superbee Dec 08 '20 at 21:34

1 Answers1

2

If a reputed university has uploaded the PDFs online, chances are they are legally allowed to. This could be, for example, if:

  • The book's copyright has expired.
  • The copyright allows for distribution (e.g. if the book is open access).
  • The copyright holder allowed the book to be distributed.
  • The university paid for the right to distribute the book.

So it should be OK for you to use it. If you're still worried, look at the license statements that come with the download.

Allure
  • 127,528
  • 50
  • 325
  • 493
  • It occurs to me that, if OP (or anyone else who's read this thread), finds him/herself facing legal action, in connection with one of these online copies of books, under section 22, 23(a), or 107(1)(b) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 in the UK, and the case hinges on whether s/he 'knows or has reason to believe' that the online copy is an infringing copy, the fact that this is the top answer on here (if indeed it still is at that point) could be presented as evidence in his/her defence. – Daniel Hatton Nov 18 '20 at 14:44