reefraff:
Using the book that your sister's friends boyfriend used two years ago means one of you no longer has the book as a reference, the way that PADI has set the program up means that each student is forced to purchase not just the exam, but also the reference. In the long run, that's a good thing for the students, even if it means that a few more trees must die.
I'm sorry but this is just laughable - my son and daughter and I need 3 copies of the OW manual in our home to be safe? I'll let the trees live thanks.
latitude:
:05:
I know a few times I got my schedule, went to the bookstore to buy a particular book and found only new textbooks... Upon further examintion the reason there were no used books was because the required text was a new edition- first use that particular semester... Then, I'll take a look at the author- what do you know, the professor of that very class I was taking!!! They got me that time!
Yup, they did!
But i'll bet no one told you that if you didn't buy and submit the original suplemental worksheets for the course that you wouldn't receive the credits did they?
latitude:
I don't think that's the reason they're making you buy the book. They're making you buy the book because they (and the dive schools) want to make the money off the sale. There's no debate about that . . .
But the issue that it is not safe for certified divers not to have their own copy of the book has been a main point made by sevreral of the posters on this thread, i agree, the point is cr*p!
latitude:
And you'd be breaking the law if you did... Sorry to say, but in this case, you gotta pay if you want to play... (or look into a different agency)
No I don't, for 1 of my PADI courses (AOW) I borrowed the book from a friend and wrote my answers to the review on a word processor because I didn't think the manual was worth buying. My dive shop had no problem with this. I also let my son use my book for open water (and we share 1 set of dive tables too
) with the same arrangement for the knowledge reviews. My dive shop had no problem with this.
latitude:
I'm not trying to debate whether forcing you to buy a book is a good/bad/ethical business decision... I think it sucks too. But in this case PADI's got ya. The original poster asked for copies of the knowledge review- Giving/selling/sharing them with him would be unethical and illegal. As bad as it sucks I'll fork over the $30 and walk away with 6 less airfills and a clear conscience...
I don't think they've got me - I've completed through Rescue and won't be taking any more PADI courses, my son probably will - with my manuals I'm sure. My conscience is clear on this issue, believe me, i sleep well at night
. I would love to see someone try to have me arrested / sued for copyright infringement for the above scenario. I agree that if some of us were to pass copied sheets onto hamunamuna nuka nika . . . (whew, what a name
) that we probably would be opening ourselves up to trouble. My scenario is very different though.
The main (but debatable i guess) ethical issue I see here is PADI's practice of requiring 'original' knowledge review sheets to pass the course. I was really surprised to read about this practice here because it just doesn't play out where i am living and doing my diving.
Also to matt, you had an interesting link on copyrights, you might want to go back though and read the content on 'Fair Use' and the four general tests to determine it - i think a strong argument could be made on family members sharing copies of dive manuals.
http://www.starr.net/is/**.html (*note. scubaboard filter put the ** in the link - the 2 letters should read, consecutively, f u , in order to find a chart on fair use and copyright).
Again, guys, I have no problem with PADI on the whole, i've received good instruction and prompt service, etc. But I don't see my sharing manuals with my son as a copyright infringement in any way - better call the FBI (maybe interpol is more appropriate for me, seeing my current residence
) because I'm not likely to change my mind on this one just because PADI says it is so!