Answers.Body: <p>That would depend on the publisher.  They are not required to provide an electronic version of the book but some do it to help sell the title.  Usually you can check the copyright page in some and will have the last page at the end of the book that tells you it is included.  </p>
  
  <p>What you are asking is a selling feature of the book and some publishers even go as far to have it printed on the cover to encourage a purchase.  Depending on when it was published, they didn't start including the electronic copy until approximately three years ago. </p>
  
  <h2>Per your edit:</h2>
  
  <p>You can scan the book if you want and create something like a web <code>.pdf</code> if you <strong>own the book</strong> but I wouldn't advise distributing (selling or giving away free copies in digital form) unless you have rights to it from the publisher or author.   </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T03:44:08.287Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-03-10T17:36:27.313Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-03-10T17:36:27.313Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ
Answers.Body: <p>If you want to digitize it yourself, you absolutely can under the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine#Application_to_digital_copies">First Sale Doctrine</a>, provided that you <strong>own</strong> the copy of the books. I digitize books, so this actually wouldn't be daunting. At this point, however, I haven't started digitizing personal books yet. Yet.</p>
  
  <p>I use free, open source tools to process ebooks from digitized books: <a href="http://bookscanner.pbworks.com/w/page/40965440/FrontPage">Homer</a> (sorts pages and performs OCR), ScanTailor(included w/ Homer), <a href="https://code.google.com/p/sigil/">Sigil</a> (for editing the epub), <a href="http://calibre-ebook.com">Calibre</a> (for converting to mobi and other formats). If it is a print copy you don't care much about, you can cut off the spine, use a flatbed scanner to create tifs. If there is a library or copy center with fast feed scanners, this can be done in pretty short order. If the book is precious to you, you need a rig, which can be as simple as a cardboard box (see the Homer website) and a camera. Overkill? For some, but not if you get the skills under your belt. Fun? That depends on the quality of the OCR. :-) </p>
  
  <p>That said, you can also check with the publisher. Smaller publishers offer discounted prices on ebooks if you own the print copy. If you want a digital copy for the short term, check your local library and see if they offer it.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T20:31:44.797Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for the links and mentioning the first-sale doctrine!
Answers.UserDisplayName: Franck Dernoncourt
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T14:51:46.367Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-03-10T14:51:46.367Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: mattrweaver
Answers.Body: <p>An e-book is basically made of 2 things, that both have copyrights associated:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>The content of the book</li>
  <li>The edition of the book</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>The former is the work of the author to write the text. The latter is the work of the editor to turn the text into a presentable file.</p>
  
  <p>A paper book is the same thing, plus a physical support, which have an intrinsic value due to its physical nature.</p>
  
  <p>By acquiring a paper book, you obtain a licence over the content of the book, and the fair use right on the content of the book.</p>
  
  <p>However, that does not grant you the licence over the edition of any ebook in particular, and therefore does not allow you to own a published electronic edition of the book. The important point here is that an e-book is always considered a different edition from the paper version.</p>
  
  <p>Which does not prevent you to own any electronic edition, for example if you do it yourself. Making an electronic edition of the book (either by copying it, scanning it, OCRing it...) yourself enters in the fair use.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T20:29:33.203Z
Answers.Text: Thanks. How about if someone else has scanned the book as a PDF: am I allowed to possess such PDF?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Franck Dernoncourt
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T21:00:43.450Z
Answers.Text: It probably depends on the countries. The person would usually be considered as not allowed to distribute the file, as it contains copyrighted content that he has no right to distribute. In France there is an exception in the case of family/close friends (which is quite fuzzy, I'll give you that) which basically covers lending/copying material.
Answers.UserDisplayName: njzk2
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T21:01:43.007Z
Answers.Text: Some would argue that you have the book and that there is no copyright on that particular PDF edition, so you should be safe, but the person who gave it to you could be in trouble..
Answers.UserDisplayName: njzk2
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-11T00:34:44.803Z
Answers.Text: Just for clarification of njzk2's answer, "fair use" is not what applies in this instance, and yes I'm in the US. Fair use allows for some usage of copyrighted material -- and you don't necessarily need to own it, provided that basically you aren't going to use the whole thing, are using it for non-commercial and education purposes. The Right of First Sale (in the US) is what allows me to digitize a print book in its entirety. If I sell that copy, or load it onto a torrent site, etc., that's a problem.
Answers.UserDisplayName: mattrweaver
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-11T12:35:57.200Z
Answers.Text: @mattrweaver : thanks for clarification. I am not in the us, and am not certain what the actual term should be depending on the countries (it appears that a lot of countries have similar concepts. In France it would be Right to Private Copy).
Answers.UserDisplayName: njzk2
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T15:01:01.380Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-03-10T15:01:01.380Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: njzk2
Answers.Body: <p>Just like buying a hardcover version doesn't let you also take a paperback from the store, no, having a print version does not entitle you to a complimentary ebook version, though some publishers will offer that when you buy from their websites.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T03:52:59.697Z
Answers.Text: Thanks. What if I later found a PDF version of the book online? Would I be allowed to possess it, given that scanning the book I bought would give the same result?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Franck Dernoncourt
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T03:54:35.440Z
Answers.Text: @FranckDernoncourt you would have to purchase the electronic copy.  You may want to consult the publisher's website to see if they are offering the ebook to people that purchased the title.
Answers.UserDisplayName: DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T03:55:14.040Z
Answers.Text: @Frank: legally, no. Ethically, it's arguable.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T04:01:34.687Z
Answers.Text: I thought it would come under the 'Fair use' term or the copyright act (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107). So is http://www.blueleaf-book-scanning.com/index.html illegal?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Franck Dernoncourt
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T04:05:44.853Z
Answers.Text: if you use it for a book that you do not have the rights to make a digital conversion of, yes. We've had several clients (who are publishers) who did not have electronic versions of their manuscripts, so needed to use Blue Leaf to go print to digital.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T04:07:46.933Z
Answers.Text: As far as fair use goes: you could certainly argue that, but the only way to tell for certain if something is fair use it to bring it to court. In the end, if you're just doing it for personal use, you're probably OK, particularly if there isn't a digital version available. If there is a digital version available, you should buy it unless the publisher has said that it's cool if you don't.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T04:09:25.220Z
Answers.Text: Thanks Tom! I wonder whether there exist legal precedents on that (scanning while there is a digital version available), especially in the US where I currently live.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Franck Dernoncourt
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T04:41:10.297Z
Answers.Text: @FranckDernoncourt Fair use generally applies to limited use, like quoting a sentence or two from an editorial in a response to that editorial. I've never heard of a scenario in which you could copy an entire book and call it fair use. That said, this isn't legal advice; anytime you have a legal question like this, you need to get a professional opinion from a lawyer who knows the area.
Answers.UserDisplayName: elixenide
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T05:20:41.067Z
Answers.Text: Going back to fair use and your edit: Remember point #4: "(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work." It will adversely affect the market if you only buy one copy when you actually used two.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T12:02:53.810Z
Answers.Text: Tom, though you may be legally right here, I find it a bit of a problem to compare taking a physical thing that is subsequentally not available for purchase by someone else to copying something without that limitation. It is not theft if you don't take something away! It may be still illegal.
Answers.UserDisplayName: I'm with Monica
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T14:49:15.617Z
Answers.Text: would downvote if I could. `take a paperback from the store` is thievery. possess the ebook is a copyright infringement over the `edition` of that ebook (that is, not over the content, since you own the paper version of the book).
Answers.UserDisplayName: njzk2
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T03:43:32.770Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-03-10T03:43:32.770Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom
Body: <p>I have a printed version (i.e. a hardback or paperback) of a book and I wonder whether this allows me to possess an electronic version of it (e.g. <code>.pdf</code> file).</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Edit: Isn't it allowed by the clause <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107">107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use.</a>, which says</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use
    of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or
    phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for
    purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching
    (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or
    research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether
    the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the
    factors to be considered shall include— </p>
    
    <p>(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use
    is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;</p>
    
    <p>(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;</p>
    
    <p>(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to
    the copyrighted work as a whole; and</p>
    
    <p>(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of
    the copyrighted work.</p>
    
    <p>The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of
    fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above
    factors.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T12:32:14.480Z
Comments.Text: No. It's the same as a CD does not give you any rights on the MP3s available on the nets.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Martin Schröder
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T14:50:41.593Z
Comments.Text: @MartinSchröder : No, but it allows you to rip the CD yourself, provided you don't break any anti-copy system doing it. Similarly, scanning your own books is allowed.
Comments.UserDisplayName: njzk2
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T15:21:05.850Z
Comments.Text: @njzk2: Yes, you can scan the book yourself - but you have no rights on other electronic copies of the book available elsewhere. Especially not from the publisher.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Martin Schröder
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T16:04:15.477Z
Comments.Text: @MartinSchröder : agreed. The publisher's file is an edition with a particular set of copyrights associated with it.
Comments.UserDisplayName: njzk2
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T19:00:37.910Z
Comments.Text: Do not accept legal advice for the internet.
Comments.UserDisplayName: MCW
Tags: <pdf><copyright><united-states><printed>
Title: I have a printed version of a book. Does it allow me to possess an electronic copy of it?
UserDisplayName: Franck Dernoncourt
ThreadText: # I have a printed version of a book. Does it allow me to possess an electronic copy of it?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-10)
  
  I have a printed version (i.e. a hardback or paperback) of a book and I wonder whether this allows me to possess an electronic version of it (e.g. `.pdf` file).
  
  ---
  
  Edit: Isn't it allowed by the clause [107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use.](http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107), which says
  
  > Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use
  > of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or
  > phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for
  > purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching
  > (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or
  > research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether
  > the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the
  > factors to be considered shall include—
  >
  > (1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use
  > is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
  >
  > (2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
  >
  > (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to
  > the copyrighted work as a whole; and
  >
  > (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of
  > the copyrighted work.
  >
  > The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of
  > fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above
  > factors.
  
  ?
  
  **Tags:** pdf, copyright, united-states, printed
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: No. It's the same as a CD does not give you any rights on the MP3s available on the nets.  
  > **username_2**: @MartinSchröder : No, but it allows you to rip the CD yourself, provided you don't break any anti-copy system doing it. Similarly, scanning your own books is allowed.  
  > **username_1**: @username_2: Yes, you can scan the book yourself - but you have no rights on other electronic copies of the book available elsewhere. Especially not from the publisher.  
  > **username_2**: @MartinSchröder : agreed. The publisher's file is an edition with a particular set of copyrights associated with it.  
  > **username_3**: Do not accept legal advice for the internet.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2014-03-10. Score: 9 | Accepted answer
  
  Just like buying a hardcover version doesn't let you also take a paperback from the store, no, having a print version does not entitle you to a complimentary ebook version, though some publishers will offer that when you buy from their websites.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks. What if I later found a PDF version of the book online? Would I be allowed to possess it, given that scanning the book I bought would give the same result?  
  > **username_4**: @FranckDernoncourt you would have to purchase the electronic copy.  You may want to consult the publisher's website to see if they are offering the ebook to people that purchased the title.  
  > **username_6**: @Frank: legally, no. Ethically, it's arguable.  
  > **username_0**: I thought it would come under the 'Fair use' term or the copyright act (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107). So is http://www.blueleaf-book-scanning.com/index.html illegal?  
  > **username_6**: if you use it for a book that you do not have the rights to make a digital conversion of, yes. We've had several clients (who are publishers) who did not have electronic versions of their manuscripts, so needed to use Blue Leaf to go print to digital.  
  > **username_6**: As far as fair use goes: you could certainly argue that, but the only way to tell for certain if something is fair use it to bring it to court. In the end, if you're just doing it for personal use, you're probably OK, particularly if there isn't a digital version available. If there is a digital version available, you should buy it unless the publisher has said that it's cool if you don't.  
  > **username_0**: Thanks username_6! I wonder whether there exist legal precedents on that (scanning while there is a digital version available), especially in the US where I currently live.  
  > **username_7**: @FranckDernoncourt Fair use generally applies to limited use, like quoting a sentence or two from an editorial in a response to that editorial. I've never heard of a scenario in which you could copy an entire book and call it fair use. That said, this isn't legal advice; anytime you have a legal question like this, you need to get a professional opinion from a lawyer who knows the area.  
  > **username_6**: Going back to fair use and your edit: Remember point #4: "(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work." It will adversely affect the market if you only buy one copy when you actually used two.  
  > **username_8**: username_6, though you may be legally right here, I find it a bit of a problem to compare taking a physical thing that is subsequentally not available for purchase by someone else to copying something without that limitation. It is not theft if you don't take something away! It may be still illegal.  
  > **username_2**: would downvote if I could. `take a paperback from the store` is thievery. possess the ebook is a copyright infringement over the `edition` of that ebook (that is, not over the content, since you own the paper version of the book).  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2014-03-10. Score: 7
  
  That would depend on the publisher. They are not required to provide an electronic version of the book but some do it to help sell the title. Usually you can check the copyright page in some and will have the last page at the end of the book that tells you it is included.
  
  What you are asking is a selling feature of the book and some publishers even go as far to have it printed on the cover to encourage a purchase. Depending on when it was published, they didn't start including the electronic copy until approximately three years ago.
  
  ## Per your edit:
  
  You can scan the book if you want and create something like a web `.pdf` if you **own the book** but I wouldn't advise distributing (selling or giving away free copies in digital form) unless you have rights to it from the publisher or author.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2014-03-10. Score: 5
  
  If you want to digitize it yourself, you absolutely can under the [First Sale Doctrine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine#Application_to_digital_copies), provided that you **own** the copy of the books. I digitize books, so this actually wouldn't be daunting. At this point, however, I haven't started digitizing personal books yet. Yet.
  
  I use free, open source tools to process ebooks from digitized books: [Homer](http://bookscanner.pbworks.com/w/page/40965440/FrontPage) (sorts pages and performs OCR), ScanTailor(included w/ Homer), [Sigil](https://code.google.com/p/sigil/) (for editing the epub), [Calibre](http://calibre-ebook.com) (for converting to mobi and other formats). If it is a print copy you don't care much about, you can cut off the spine, use a flatbed scanner to create tifs. If there is a library or copy center with fast feed scanners, this can be done in pretty short order. If the book is precious to you, you need a rig, which can be as simple as a cardboard box (see the Homer website) and a camera. Overkill? For some, but not if you get the skills under your belt. Fun? That depends on the quality of the OCR. :-)
  
  That said, you can also check with the publisher. Smaller publishers offer discounted prices on ebooks if you own the print copy. If you want a digital copy for the short term, check your local library and see if they offer it.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks for the links and mentioning the first-sale doctrine!  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2014-03-10. Score: 2
  
  An e-book is basically made of 2 things, that both have copyrights associated:
  
  * The content of the book
  * The edition of the book
  
  The former is the work of the author to write the text. The latter is the work of the editor to turn the text into a presentable file.
  
  A paper book is the same thing, plus a physical support, which have an intrinsic value due to its physical nature.
  
  By acquiring a paper book, you obtain a licence over the content of the book, and the fair use right on the content of the book.
  
  However, that does not grant you the licence over the edition of any ebook in particular, and therefore does not allow you to own a published electronic edition of the book. The important point here is that an e-book is always considered a different edition from the paper version.
  
  Which does not prevent you to own any electronic edition, for example if you do it yourself. Making an electronic edition of the book (either by copying it, scanning it, OCRing it...) yourself enters in the fair use.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks. How about if someone else has scanned the book as a PDF: am I allowed to possess such PDF?  
  > **username_2**: It probably depends on the countries. The person would usually be considered as not allowed to distribute the file, as it contains copyrighted content that he has no right to distribute. In France there is an exception in the case of family/close friends (which is quite fuzzy, I'll give you that) which basically covers lending/copying material.  
  > **username_2**: Some would argue that you have the book and that there is no copyright on that particular PDF edition, so you should be safe, but the person who gave it to you could be in trouble..  
  > **username_5**: Just for clarification of username_2's answer, "fair use" is not what applies in this instance, and yes I'm in the US. Fair use allows for some usage of copyrighted material -- and you don't necessarily need to own it, provided that basically you aren't going to use the whole thing, are using it for non-commercial and education purposes. The Right of First Sale (in the US) is what allows me to digitize a print book in its entirety. If I sell that copy, or load it onto a torrent site, etc., that's a problem.  
  > **username_2**: @username_5 : thanks for clarification. I am not in the us, and am not certain what the actual term should be depending on the countries (it appears that a lot of countries have similar concepts. In France it would be Right to Private Copy).  
  
  ---
  
  