Posted By:
JoannWe need to distinguisy between a legal/technical issue - which isn't what this thread is about - and a question about human courtesy. The old saying "Just because you can doesn't mean you should" applies here. No one's asking about whether the scans CAN be used, so I'm not really sure why people are defending that they CAN. The question is SHOULD - and the human courtesies that go with it.
As to the for-profit thing, I think that even where scans generate profit indirectly a courtesy request is a must, especially if it is a unique image or a few taken from a place that has a large collection of superior images (like JC's or Leon's sites). Even if no one is directly charging money to view scans, if a site is using scans to increase or generate traffic to a for-profit site they should ask about using scans. It's the same if scans are used to try to sell calendars or books or anything else that isn't the actual scan itself.
Believe me, I am a big fan of making these images available and am on cardpricer all the time just to look up cards - image banks are extremely helpful and I really appreciate that people go through the trouble to make them available. I guess I always just assumed that the images came from one of the founders or a friend or permission was obtained if from an unrelated private collector. It didn't really occur to me that the site wouldn't ask about using scans.
Just my opinion. Now I'm going to sit back and wait for requests to roll in to use scans of my M116 Moriarty G/VG. lol
Joann
Edited to sound less directed at anyone.