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Copyrights and public government publications

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erj145aviator

Junior Member
Location: Chicago, IL USA

Good Morning,

I have a basic question regarding what I can and cannot do with material in a book/manual that was created by the Federal Aviation Administration. This book is made available to the general public free of charge at their website: Aviation Handbooks & Manuals.

I'm building a website that will act as an on-line reference for pilots. I will not charge a fee for users. However, I will be supporting the development costs and upkeep through ads; either by google or 3rd party. I may want to convert it to paid access at a later date.

One portion of the site includes an aviation terminology search feature/index. Essentially its vocabulary and terms and the definitions are pulled right out of the books/manuals provided by the FAA. (Word for word.) This is kind of a twisted look on it...because that is the FAA's take on a topic/term/subject and in the aviation world the FAA is 'god'. So their way and views are always more correct than anything else or anyone's take on a definition/term/concept ... whatever. I want to provide the 'FAA version' to my target audience.

Am I violating any laws by doing so? If this was a book I paid for done by a private party - I understand I'd probably need their permission. But this is a government publication made available to the general public free of charge. As long as I specify somewhere on the web page that: portions of content are from the FAA manual/book x...am I legal? What would I have to do to be legal?


Thanks much,
-Matt
 


Skyymiles

Member
Location: Chicago, IL USA

Good Morning,

I have a basic question regarding what I can and cannot do with material in a book/manual that was created by the Federal Aviation Administration. This book is made available to the general public free of charge at their website: Aviation Handbooks & Manuals.

I'm building a website that will act as an on-line reference for pilots. I will not charge a fee for users. However, I will be supporting the development costs and upkeep through ads; either by google or 3rd party. I may want to convert it to paid access at a later date.

One portion of the site includes an aviation terminology search feature/index. Essentially its vocabulary and terms and the definitions are pulled right out of the books/manuals provided by the FAA. (Word for word.) This is kind of a twisted look on it...because that is the FAA's take on a topic/term/subject and in the aviation world the FAA is 'god'. So their way and views are always more correct than anything else or anyone's take on a definition/term/concept ... whatever. I want to provide the 'FAA version' to my target audience.

Am I violating any laws by doing so? If this was a book I paid for done by a private party - I understand I'd probably need their permission. But this is a government publication made available to the general public free of charge. As long as I specify somewhere on the web page that: portions of content are from the FAA manual/book x...am I legal? What would I have to do to be legal?


Thanks much,
-Matt
you need to contact the FAA regarding your specific intentions in order to determine any copyright infringements you may encounter down the road...
 

divgradcurl

Senior Member
If the manual was prepared by or for the FAA, it is in the public domain and anyone is free to use it, in whole or in part. See 17 U.S.C. 105.
 

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