chriskgnr wrote:Hello dilwyn!
Among others, i found the "Sinclair QL Adventures: A micro adventurer's handbook" in pdf format! thank you
What do you mean when you're saying "Not quite sure if all these are entirely legal, though."? Isn't it legal to scan and post these books, after 30 years?
Hi Chris,
This is a link to the UK Intellectual Property Office
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-dura ... -lasts.htm
I wasn't 100% sure because I remembered copyright rules changed in Britain in the 1990s. The link above gives a bit more information. It looks like, since these books were published before 1996, that they might come under the 25 year directive for the EEA. It looks like in the UK copyright in a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work lasts for the life of the author and 70 years from the end of the year in which he/she died.
Would be glad if someone could clarify this for me!
I know Javier Guerra said he got permission from Jan Jones to put the PDF of her Superbasic guide on his website, so I presume he's done the same for all the stuff there.
In principle, a lot of what's on these types of sites are viewed as "abandonware" and the site owners willingly take them down if authors ask them to. AFAIK none of these QL books is still in print, so the authors and publishers MIGHT not object, much like the makers of old TV sets, vacuum cleaners etc don't mind their manuals being made available as it saves them the trouble with older stuff!
Like I said, playing safe and hopefully someone will clarify the legal situation for me.
Until then, i have become stardust! 
Anyway, i think that the real situation is as you described it in the last paragraph. 
