New Printing Opportunities for 2021?
This morning I got all excited! This SEO is working - 2 unsolicited price requests, at least one of which found us on google, so we must be doing something right!
Regular Business Printing
One of the requests is for a manufacturer down the road who needs regular stationery items. Printed envelopes, some cheques and some forms. Not sure if we will dislodge the current supplier, but the buyer seemed really nice and we'll give it our best shot. I'm confident that our service can keep any client happy, but maybe she's just keeping her current supplier honest, and we won't get to prove it. Time will tell.
And then the request to print a book...
Copyright Laws protect publishers and authors
Oddly enough, I used to hate copy shops. My second job out of university was selling textbooks, and at the time, our biggest competition was not from other publishers, but it was from the photocopiers all around university campuses, who were selling knock off text books, spiral bound for less than half our price at the bookstore.
Today I was asked to become one of them. I mean it was just one book. (1046 pages of textbook, is a lot of book though). The gentleman sent me a PDF of the book and asked me to price it - both in b&w and colour. Since we moved to Kirkland, I don't think anybody has asked to me photocopy a textbook, so I was caught off guard. I decided it was best to call the individual just to explain that I was interested in doing print work for him, but I couldn't do this particular type of book, specifically a copyrighted published textbook.
His response, that it was "just for personal use of a friend" was supposed to convince me that it was OK. As I began to explain, he hung up on me. Hmm. I guess we'll agree to disagree.
Anyways the law is clear. Maybe your ethical viewpoint is different than mine, but when a book has a copyright protection, please don't come to The Business Box for copies. We make thousands of copies everyday and we would love to do thousand more, but it has to be content you have the right to reproduce.
Oh well, hopefully we can sell the envelopes and forms!
If you are a teacher you might be interest in this guide about copyright http://fairdealingdecisiontool.ca/
Mcgiill University also has an excellent explanation of copyright rules