Copyrighted Standards available for free download - Is there a caveat?

All standards released by Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS) are available for free PDF download. It is easy to locate by merely Googling the Standard name followed by 'PDF' . There are also good number of International Standards, as BIS publishes many of them in India. A disclosure from Indian Government is seen in the first page indicating the purpose and obligations which sounds more on moral grounds than on regulatory. Even if available in the public domain, I am not sure if someone can download and use them.

Not sure how BIS does it, but I know that ISO imbeds the owner's name into their documents when purchased. If it's not your name, then it's not a legal copy.

As for the downloading process, I suppose common sense should rule. Being in possession of a "free" copy is of questionable legality, I would guess. However, recent precedence (think Napster) suggests that any financial transactions associated with that download - like ad space sold on the website, etc. - will likely make it illegal.

Seems like the best course of action regarding copyrighted material would be to buy a legitimate copy and avoid any question of its legality...or morality. This is a fine place to consider the proverbial "Golden Rule."

Be assured, at least I don't see any legality aspect tied to it especially because this is made available by the Government. I just stumbled upon this while doing Google search and felt curious. Possibly this is done with the objective of not allowing money to decide availability of information to a section of the society who might find it difficult to invest. Let me add this, I am not interested in availing this, blame me for my curiosity.

I'm not pointing any fingers of blame, Chennaiite. If the BIS is making their standards available for free, then kudos to them. There is a money-grubbing aspect to some other standards organizations that irks me - like having to buy draft copies? Really? I would like to see all of those standards available for free, however, I realize that the work that goes into preparing them isn't done for free. It is what it is, I guess.

Thanks for the post, though. I, for one, did not know that the BIS standards were free. I suspect others may not have known either. Information like that is always appreciated.

THIS is the link to BIS sales portal. I do not find any option for a free PDF download.

Handling stolen property?

You can also find a lot of ISO, IEC and other standards by searching on Google, but this does not mean they are free.

Possibly this is done with the objective of not allowing money to decide availability of information to a section of the society who might find it difficult to invest.

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Standards are usually voluntary, a way to fulfill requirements. If you don?t want to use it, you can create your own (just try to replicate the work of ISO and IEC groups to verify the difficulty and cost )

On the other hand, if you are making business in an area where it?s usual and expected to use one or more standards, well, it?s part of the game, you have to invest in such to get a return.

Hang on Friends.
These standards are published by BIS and made available in the public domain by the Indian Government under RTI Act. In fact, it carries a disclosure from the Indian Government as the first page. There is no way this can be found in BIS website. Just Google the Standard name followed by 'PDF'. I have no idea about the technicalities involved for IP address registered outside India to have access to this page.

Marc, if this subject is seen as flouting any norms laid out by the forum, which is not the case IMO, my apologies and please delete this thread.

These standards are published by BIS and made available in the public domain by the Indian Government under RTI Act. In fact, it carries a disclosure from the Indian Government as the first page. There is no way this can be found in BIS website. Just Google the Standard name followed by 'PDF'. I have no idea about the technicalities involved for IP address registered outside India to have access to this page.

Click to expand...

Question - if they are available in the public domain, why in the BIS website - http://www.standardsbis.in/Gemini/home/Home.action# they are sold? And where could you get the public domain available ones officially? And not, the https://law.resource.org is not an official Indian website.