[pianotech] Steinway parts list

[Israel Stein]

David and all,

The technicalities of copyright law are 
not the issue here. The issue here is 
commonly accepted  business practice. It 
is not in the best interest of business 
people who want to make a profit on the 
sale of a product to publicize wholesale 
prices. It puts them at a disadvantage 
when involved in price negotiations with 
a prospective client. Someone who 
presents himself as an "expert" on 
business practice and publishes a book 
on the subject ought to know that. You 
simply don't send out wholesale prices 
in a public medium - period. And anyone 
who doesn't understand that ought to 
hang his head in shame. And the more 
this person keeps arguing about it, the 
less believable all his claims to 
alleged expertise in anything become.

Israel Stein



On 11:59 AM, David Boyce wrote:
> Indeed. Copyright is not something 
> that you have to DO. It is something 
> that automatically IS.  It is a right 
> that exists as soon as you produce an 
> original work.
>
> What would be copyright about a price 
> list, however, is the TYPOGRAPHICAL 
> ARRANGEMENT of the prices into a list. 
> The information or fact that a 
> particular part costs a particular 
> price, is not copyright. There is no 
> copyright in facts or ideas; only in 
> original WORKS produced using skill 
> and judgement.
>
> It is the same with the piano numbers 
> books like Pierce, as we discussed on 
> here a couple of years ago.  It would 
> break copyright law to scan and 
> reproduce a page of Pierce. But it 
> would not breach copyright to use the 
> piano numbers listed in it, in some 
> other context (however much the 
> publishers might care to suggest 
> otherwise!).
>
> The information that a given flange 
> costs a given price, does not 
> constitute a WORK.  The typographical 
> arrangement of prices for all parts 
> into a list, does constitute a WORK. 
> Therefore, copying and reproducing the 
> list, or work, is a breach of 
> copyright. Distributing the 
> information IN the list, in some other 
> form, is not.
>
> More pertinent here, though, is the 
> aspect of business confidentiality and 
> business relationships.
>
> End of pedantic rant.
>
> Best regards,
>
> David Boyce.
>
>
>> It does not have to show specific 
>> copyright information. It is 
>> copyrighted material by virtue of its 
>> having been written. (See pg. 3 of 
>> the attached "Copyright Basics.") 
>> Like it or not, Steinway's price list 
>> is copyrighted and the copyright is 
>> owned by its creator or by the entity 
>> paying for its creation; in this case 
>> Steinway & Sons. To reproduce it or 
>> to distribute it without their 
>> permission is a violation of 
>> copyright law.
>>
>> Now, Steinway may or may not care if 
>> you distribute their document without 
>> checking with them first---I have no 
>> idea what their position might 
>> be---but that is their decision to 
>> make; not ours.
>>
>> ddf
>

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