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Originally Posted by Dakota
Perhaps we could agree on that if there was anyone who actually did that.
I do see, however, that you are completely bought into the teenage file sharing notion that there is no such thing as a copyright that should be respected, refusing to accept that it is up to the owner of the copyright to decide how to make the work available.
Anyone who registers with ASA gets the rule book. Anyone who registers with their state HS league gets the NFHS rule book (if their state uses NFHS). Anyone who is a member of the NFHS Officials Association has online access to the rule book and the case book. You can also choose to buy both of those works without registering. They are available online for purchase.
So, is what this boils down to is you think you should get these copyrighted works free?
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No, I don't think I should get the book for free, I think the rules should be readily available, online, for those who don't want to purchase the book. I can understand recovering printing expenses (and maybe with a little profit) for actually selling the book.
I understand the "intellectual property" argument with regards to music, movie scripts, photographs, etc. But the rules of a game, in my opinion, do not rise to that level.
Why should only coaches and umpires have ready access to the rules? Why can't an inquisitive fan, or a parent, or a player, who has a passing interest in some particular aspect of the game, not be able to sit at home, fire up their computer, and see what the rulebook actually says about interference, obstruction, illegal pitches, base awards, or whatever? They have to order the book and wait for the delivery?
So, to address your question - I do
not believe that the wide dissemination of the rules to the general public - making it easily accessible - is some silly "teenage file sharing notion" like downloading illegal mp3's. What an asinine comparison!
There's no point in arguing about this. This debate rears its ugly head at least once a year. Everybody takes sides and nothing is accomplished. Nobody's mind is changed. I simply think more good is served when the rules are readily available. Rules are not something that should be viewed as a for-profit endeavor. There are so many
other ways to make money than to extort people into purchasing a book even if they just have a passing interest in some element of the game.
Which is more important, making money from the rulebook, or educating the public about the rules of the game? How is it most other sports organizations seem to do just fine by making
their rulebooks readily available?
David Emerling
Memphis, TN