Multiuser ISO-library

[TeddyDiver]

Just again a thought I had, happens every now and then, after having myself and others having similar issues concerning boat building ISO standards:
Big companies purchase their own copies, they have the resources (money) to do that as well an office full of NA's using them constantinously. An independent boat builder (an amateur or pro doesn't matter) however does neither have such assets, not anyway for all of them, nor need for them constantinously..
But if... a boat building community (like boatdesign.net) would negociate an agreement of terms for limited usage inside such community. Each user of the Standard library should pay an annual fee of the righ to read it (no prints allowed)...
Any thoughts? Jeff ?

[ringoo83]

hope boat design admin will response to your call

[marshmat]

I like the idea.
Standards bodies can be somewhat bureaucratic and rule-bound, so I don't think it would be easy to set up a licensing agreement. I think the main problem would be in the enforcement of said "limited usage"- you can print-lock a PDF well enough to discourage the casual pirate (although a good hacker can still break this), but it's awfully hard to prevent saving to a local drive. But I think there would be a lot of interest, if it could be made to happen.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by marshmat

Standards bodies can be somewhat bureaucratic and rule-bound, so I don't think it would be easy to set up a licensing agreement.

I haven't gone throw their general lisence policy but...
http://www.iso.org/iso/copyright.htm

and thats about all there is..

[marshmat]

A 14-page policy brochure that, at the end of the day, basically says "don't copy our stuff, but you can call us and we might be able to set something up for you"..... better than many of their counterparts, I suppose

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by marshmat

better than many of their counterparts, I suppose

You're right.. Maybe there's a change to cook up something.. For starters somekind of poll what is needed?

[Guillermo]

Nice idea, Teddy. Although most probably ISO will reject making its norms available through a public forum like Boatdesign.net.

Anyway, here an idea of how this could be possible:

From ISO copyright information:

"Other techniques preventing
files from being altered, shared or copied have
also been implemented by ISO and/or IEC
members in the context of specific offerings
like pay-per-view or subscriptions services."
.....................
Storing electronic copies of standards on
the company Intranet for internal use and
sharing between employees – ISO and IEC
offer solutions for the networking of their
standards on company Intranets that offer costeffective
and user-friendly access rights."

So Boatdesign.net (Jeff) could buy a full set of electronic files and create an Intranet for their use on a cheap pay-per-view basis, payment that would be transferred to the ISO somehow. The documents could be protected to make them not downloadable or printable, just able for on-line reading (multiple times). Something like the nowadays on-line magazines.

But this could be done by the ISO itself.

Just an idea.
Cheers.

[TeddyDiver]

Thats about what I had in mind.. Maybe like some other limited acces (paid members only) forum like boatdiesel.com.. but being the ISO standard library.

[Guillermo]

I wrote the guys at ISO suggesting the idea. Let's see what's their reaction....

Cheers.

[Guillermo]

I've received a message from the ISO, which I reproduce here partially:

"Dear Mr. Gefaell,
Thank you for your message. I went through the thread at boatdesign.net
forum and can confirm that, indeed, a solution like building a library of
ISO Standards to be accessed by a community like boatdesign.net is possible.
From a practical point of view, the main condition for such an solution is
that standards are not made publicly available, but that access is really
restricted to identified and registered community members only (identified
and registered means that membership in this case should be more than just a
simple registration to the public forum, the payment of an annual fee to
access the library as suggested by TeddyDiver can be an appropriate
solution).
............"

Jeff and Teddy, please send me an e-mail, so I can forward to you the full message I've received.

Cheers.

[TeddyDiver]

Keeping my fingers crossed
pm send

[Jeff]

Thanks Guillermo!

I've been thinking about this interesting idea since reading the thread yesterday -- I fear that we could simply be an unnecessary middleman, but maybe not.

[Willallison]

One of the excellent "why didn't I think of that ideas"!
Let's hope that it all comes to something and that the end result is a set of standards that can be readily and affordably accessed....
It's been said many times before, but I fail to understand why rules like ISO should be anything other than free of charge. Their entire reason for being is (or at least should be) to make boating safer. The wider their application, the better off the boating comunity would be.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by Jeff

I fear that we could simply be an unnecessary middleman, but maybe not.

To me it seems obvious that somekind of middleman is a necessity in this regard. It could also be a natural part of this wonderful community we have here, despite the necessity of having a fee or something alike.
What comes to my mind is the possibility to have also some commercial "sponsors" for the library. It's anyway obvious that users of the ISO standards are serious boatbuilders and the best possible group of boatbuilding-gizmo-tool-chemicals-anything buyers

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by Guillermo

the main condition for such an solution is that standards are not made publicly available, but that access is really restricted to identified and registered community members only (identified and registered means that membership in this case should be more than just a simple registration to the public forum, the payment of an annual fee to access the library as suggested by TeddyDiver can be an appropriate solution)"

I'm casting my vote here:
It sounds ok to me, and would be interested in such kind of subscription.