A new Web site, Mygazines.com, encourages users to upload PDFs of entire magazines in order to share them with others. Apparently, the site’s founder never bothered to consult with a copyright lawyer before launching his new venture.
“It’s pretty hard to see how it’s anything other than a straightforward set of copyright violations,” Jeffrey Cunard, an intellectual property lawyer with Debevoise & Plimpton in Washington, tells Associated Press. “There are entire magazines with no commentary, no criticism — clearly not a case of classic fair use.”
According to a Folio report, the Magazine Publishers of America plans to file suit against the site. Meanwhile, the site’s founder — one “John Smith” — says he just wants to help the magazine industry.