Downloading ebooks for free - is it illegal?
You can often find ebooks for free download on the Internet. This practical tip will tell you whether downloading is legal or illegal and how you can recognize illegal offers.
Free e-books: legal or illegal?
Downloading free ebooks can be both legal and illegal. The following points will help you find out whether a free ebook is legally available online or not.
- An important legal basis for ebooks in Germany is the Copyright Act (UrhG) and the Publishing Act (VerlG).
- According to § 12 UrhG, the author is free to decide whether, when and how his work will be published.
- Often, authors without a publishing contract offer books for free to make a name for themselves and thus create a demand for paid books.
- Although the author has the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute his work according to § 8 VerlG, he can assign it according to § 29 and 31 UrhG, for example to publishers.
- Publishers also often offer free books for advertising purposes. The first book in a series of books in particular often serves as an attractant and is intended to acquire customers who are willing to buy.
- According to § 53 UrhG, copies from clearly illegal sources are prohibited. But you are on the safe side, especially with publishers and booksellers.
- In another practical tip, we will show you how to find non-fiction books online for free.
- Another case is particularly old books: Books on Google Books are available for free download. This is legal if its authors have died for over seventy years and the edition is so old that the publisher's ancillary rights have also expired.
