Copy

Like many authors, I wasn't paying much attention when the editor sent us an email about the online edition of the textbook that we had contributed.

I downloaded other chapters and mine because I simply wanted to keep a copy. So I followed the link, and within minutes, the full version is neatly archived. I didn't read the book. And the point - or certainly one of the main points - is to know that the information is somewhere out there for my easy access.

Next day, I received quite a few "reply all" mails debating whether authors should have free access to the book.

Their discussion intrigued me, and this cannot be an oversight. They must have tried the link, followed by the prompt to payment before access. On the contrary, I'm pretty sure I can download more than the table of content page. I had no idea why the other authors were denied access, though I knew they would welcome my sharing the copy.

I didn't distribute my soft copy, after receiving a gentle reminder hinting on legal restriction and copyright issues. My free access to the book chapters, I was told, comes from my institution library.

Looking back, the enthusiasm of the publisher to protect their copyright seems quizzical in a digital age. A few clicks could have inadvertently bypassed the ownership of publication, music, pictures and data.

Which brings me to the demise of photocopying stores. You'll be forgiven if you've never heard of photocopying stores. Return with me to the days of yesteryear - the 1980s, the decade of my studying high school. Every so often we wanted to buy a textbook and could not afford it. Then you could borrow the book and bring it to the photocopying stores. Place a order (say, how many copies to make), choose the colour of the cover and make the prepayment. Come back in one week and the double-sided copy is yours.

Copyright, oh, forget it.

That said, it's still much more cumbersome than a few clicks on the computer.