Is it legal to copy the ISO standards and place them on our intranet server so any one can view them? Also, if someone wants their own copy of the standard(within the company) how should that copy be identified?

Well...

My copy says: © 2000 CEN. All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members.

CEN = European Committee for Standardization.

It all depends on your deal with your national member.

/Claes

As for the PDF file from ASQ we purchased, technically it is not legal. The copyright notice states: "...No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including an electronic retrieval system, without prior written permission of ASQ..." I probably just violated the copyright by typing that.

I never bother controlling the ISO standard itself. If someone wants a copy they can have it. My systems rely on using the procedures, work instructions, etc. Nowhere is anyone ever referred to the ISO standard, so I don't see a need to keep it controlled.

I don't think you are going to have any issues if you put a PDF on a network to share in your company. If you start posting free copies on line or selling it, then you may have problems.

Tom

All of the ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9000 series (the United States' legal equivalent of the international ISO 9000 series) standards have a statement that says:
This standard is subject to copyright claims of ISO, ANSI and ASQ. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including on an electronic retrieval system, without the prior written permission of ASQ. ...
Personal thought (I am not a lawyer!): if I was going to consider this, I would first purchase an electronic copy from ASQ, and then ask them for permission. It may help if you clearly state that it is for internal company use only and will not be accessible to anyone else.

Graeme

This is from ASQ site: http://e-standards.asq.org/

The ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9000 Series Standards are available for posting on your company's local area network or Intranet. For information, pricing, and purchase, visit our site license page.

http://e-standards.asq.org/perl/site-license/catalog.cgi

This standard is subject to copyright claims of ISO, ANSI and ASQ. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including on an electronic retrieval system, without the prior written permission of ASQ. ...

Let's see........If I buy (using company funds) a copy of the standard that is in the form of a CD or electronic download, and place it on my computer, guess what....? It's on an electronic retrieval system!!!! DUH!

And if I, an authorized representative of my organization using organizational funds, purchase a standard for the exclusive use of the organization for the organization, I don't have to get squat. Permission is implied during the purchase of the product that the product will be used.

It sounds kind of stupid to buy something and then have to get written permission to use it.

tomvehoski said:

As for the PDF file from ASQ we purchased, technically it is not legal. The copyright notice states: "...No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including an electronic retrieval system, without prior written permission of ASQ..." I probably just violated the copyright by typing that.
Tom

Tom I am pretty sure the ASQ received permission to sell you the PDF file.

As far as posting it on your intranet, IMHO I would have no problem if I saw you doing that. Is it leagal, not really sure nor do I care. IMHO as long as you are not selling it whats the big deal, if my registrar/notified body gave me an N/C for doing that I would fight it becuase they have given me copies of standards in the past.

I agree Randy. I was also told concerning articles submitted to e-zines that once it's on the internet you basically give up any copyrights.

Yeap is only a matter of $$$$$$

What we did:

1)wrote in an ebook with the total interpretation of each element of the standard; and

2) put it on our intranet

Most worker can read what they need.

The ebook is a non-controlled documents as it´s for open training purpose.