Q&A: Copyright
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Copyright
Question
Hello Rabbi.
I’ve been studying English on my own for some time, and I wanted to ask whether, in your opinion, it is permissible to use PDF files available on the internet of English textbooks (from publishers like Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford, etc.).
Answer
If it is illegal, it is forbidden to use them.
Discussion on Answer
I don’t know.
"Property washed away by the sea" doesn’t permit it. For two reasons: beyond Jewish law, there is also a legal prohibition. And besides, thieves like you have conquered it.
How can I know? For example, with one book you just type it into Google and it takes you to its PDF. Is that illegal too?
And what about "property washed away by the sea"?