Digitizing Bonsai Today/Europe

ekillians

I would like to start a big project of Digitizing Bonsai Today/Europe in an effort to have such a handy reference available, while taking up little space and preserving them forever.

Nothing compares to holding each of these magazines in your hands with the beautful inking on such nice paper, but this will enable us to reference valuable information that would otherwise be too expensive for most of us (or better spent on plants, pots and greenhouses)

While I've been doing bonsai for 6 years, I'm only a recent subscriber, so I would need some help from each of you.

If anyone could provide a year or more of issues (6+) I would love to get an exchange going. In exchange for loaning the issues which I would mail back to you, I would obviously give you the digital copies as well as any other I obtain. Anyone interested could PM me to work out the details. I will even pay for your postage.

These will not be sold, just shared for the benefit of all. Message me if you're interested, I'll keep updating this thread with the progress so bookmark it.

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bonsaikc

Hmmm. It's an interesting thought that I've had myself. There are a few difficulties you'd have to overcome. First and foremost is that pesky Intellectual Property thing. Unless you have written legal permission to duplicate and distribute the magazines, you could get in serious legal trouble whether you sell them or give them away. The reason, of course is that the material contained in the magazines is the intellectual property of another human being, and you have no right to do things like that with it without their permission.

Practically speaking, I am wondering what kind of condition my copies of out-of-print issues would return to me in, and if they would return at all. To get good digital images, you have to scan them, no? So who reassembles the magazine, rebinds it, and cleans it up?

This is the kind of project that the publisher should do, but of course then it wouldn't be free, and it wouldn't be cheap. So I am keeping my full set of Bonsai Today, and working toward a full set of International Bonsai (I am only missing the last 13-14 years of it. At $36 per year, it will be on my birthday and Xmas wish lists for the next couple of years.

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Chris Johnston
"She was a critic, and lots fo critics who aren't called to do what they write about grow jealous and mean and small in their disappointment." - Stephen King, Duma Key
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tachigi

ekillians

Someone should of warned you, Chris swings a big monkey wrench.

details, details, details

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Tom

Shady Side Bonsai
Bonsai Vault
4MAAT

Asus101

Yeah, I have been hunting bonsai today issue 20 from 1992. Its out of print, and highly sort after. If it was available for online purchase in digital format I would not wait and buy it within a second.

For the amount of people doing bonsai, there is not as much documentation as there could be.

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Shrunken heads for all occasions. Collect them, swap them, give them to your witch doctor friend.

ekillians

I really couldnt imagine unbinding them but just opening them up the whole way and do one page at a time. And as far as having magazines returned to you, lets start with some ones that are still in print. Not comfortable still? Try sending one out and we'll go from there. As far as sharing intellectual property, you do have a very valid point. Although for out of print issues and the like, the publishers are really leaving us with little option. Much like the concert sets and unreleased mp3 songs of my favorites artists. Legally, I'm not looking for a battle with any lawyers so maybe I should only give back the digital copies that you own. It is legal to back up your own music cds and movies after all. So anyone interested, just promise you own the original and the rest of its on you.

We don't live in an ideal world, nothings for free and every body wants to make a profit. I'm just opening up the doors for all of us to share some valuable material.

cantstopsmilin

it would be a great resource, though i think that is up to the publishers, and i'm not sure if it would be alright to do so... i think though that the publishers should maybe have digital copies and sell them for a certain price, and then you can use them, and maybe they can release a few or so...

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jared

Vonsgardens

Tell you what, I'll find out who has them all and give you the address.. Then you can go and break in and take them home and do whatever you like with them.

Either way it is stealing, whether just copyright infringement or breaking in.

Buy the dang things- I have.

John

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tachigi

Ya think! Any issue you want is out there for a price...if you want it bad enough all you have to do is pony up the cash....how bad do you really want it!

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Tom

Shady Side Bonsai
Bonsai Vault
4MAAT