ford workshop manual (Ford WSM)

The CDs were probably copyrighted by Ford, so Ford protected its rights by getting the site taken down. You should be able to buy a Ford manual though.

Jeff

Sorry, I meant to say you should be able to get one from the dealer (although it may be printed rather than CD). Personally, I think that every vehicle should come with a shop manual on a CD or the option to download the manual, as well as a USB port and software for laptops, so you can get all the info you want from the OBD II. But Ford owns the copyright on the manual, and they have right to sell it for whatever they want.

Jeff

is ebay no longer carrying tons of what are probably bootleg copys for around $10?

What's your point? If the manufacturers are concerned about copying the motors, they can just have a costumer copy a shop manual with a photocopier. Or buy a competitor's car and take the engine apart.

Jeff

Sometimes one must conclude you are slower than you appear. Does the term "Intellectual property," and why copyright laws protect that property, have any meaning to you? ;)

"Intellectual

I am well aware of intellectual property laws. Unless there is a patent on a particular part, there is no law preventing one manufacturer from copying another's parts. One would be naive to think that copyright laws prevent one manufacturer from getting other manufacturer's shop manuals. I mean, you can go into a dealer and buy one.

Jeff

rm "Intellectual

thanks for the ebay suggestion - i'll try it, but was hoping for the free version!

"Intellectual property," and why copyright laws protect

After all the world's thermonuclear weapons are used all at once, Intellectual property, copyrights & patents won't have any meaning anymore.

The ones offered for sale on E-bay are clearly marked "Not For Resale"... depends on what your comfort level is...

As an example... one of our yellow service DVDs went missing.... years covered are 1996 to 2002.... manuals included are workshop, wiring diagrams and power train/emission controls diagnosis... To replace this DVD.... $3000 CAD..... Anything that Helms is going to charge is going to look like a bargain....

Once a month, I turn three red service DVDs into frisbees and drink coasters.... These are the instructions we all receive for these.... some of us have a higher regard for our integrity...

my ebay disk is white, looks pretty cheesy

says technical information system 1999 TRUCK

no flaming hoops are required for install.

Must be folks burning pirate copies in some manner... In all walks of life, there are more and more concerns with "pirate" and "counterfeit" products. Since the early 80s, certain Pacific Rim countries have been exporting goods that come in packages that look remarkably like brand name packaging.... close enough to fool anything less than a study of the labelling...

Couterfeiting, piracy and the underground economy are costing our society untold millions (or even billions) of dollars every year....

At some point in time, we must realize that if we are not part of the solution, then we must be part of.......

Yes they are, but pirating service manuals is a bit different. The manufacturer has already gotten paid for the R&D that went into creating the manual by selling the device the manual covers. Unless that is, there's been a change in accounting laws and it's now acceptable to remove R&D costs from the item the R&D was done for, and apply them to service documentation.

And we would see a lot less piracy from those Pacific Rim countries if our own manufacturers quit outsourcing production to the Pacific Rim. The real truth is that companies here save millions by handing over all the instructions to build their products to manufacturers in China - then scream about losing millions when at the end of the day when those manufacturers have completed all their production runs for the company here and simply continue running the same assembly line for another 8 hours and churn out another pile of devices for the counterfiters. In the meantime, all the people who were working on those lines here are out of a job and collecting welfare here, and the CEO's of those same companies here are collecting golden parachutes and windfall bonuses for all the money they saved by outsourcing.

Economists say how great it is to outsource because then prices for our consumers here drop - what good is that when the people who would enjoy those lower prices can't do so because they have no job to do anymore that pays them anything.

Ted

Ain't that the truth.

You mean like all those people buying products from foreign manufacturers, like Japanese vehicles that are either imported of merely assembled in the US of mostly imported parts, thus causing their OWN employers customers to get laid off?

Why is it OK for the American consumer to buy from manufacturers who operate in foreign countries that have lower labor costs, few environmental laws and fewer government regulations with which to contend but NOT OK for American manufactures to buy from the foreign manufactures, who operate in foreign countries that have lower labor costs, few environmental laws and fewer government regulations with which to contend, in order to compete and remain in business and at least employ some Americans?

"Mike hunt" wrote in news:ZcKdnbPLxp6lxXvanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@ptd.net:

Mike, you think it might have something to do with these same manufacturers going to suppliers outside the US back in the 60's and 70's which started this trend.