EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Free discussion Requests for Service Manuals

I am all in favour of freely sharing the knowledge with regard to helping out our fellow Biomeds, but am becoming increasingly wary of providing technical information to individuals who may have the best intentions but don’t have the knowledge or experience to identify what is beyond their capabilities.

I know some Biomeds are trying to perform charitable work and don’t have a lot of funds for service contracts / repairs, I sympathise.
But also some requests come from individuals whose ethos is not so philanthropic? Freeloader’s who happily take but do not contribute.

This may also have legal ramifications if you provide copyrighted or company confidential service information to a third party without permission.

If you don’t have the knowledge or experience, procure the service from the appointed agents. A copy of a service manual without specialist knowledge, calibration jigs and test equipment won’t get you very far.

In this game you need to know what you can safely do yourself, and recognise what work you must leave to the experts.

Some give, some take.

If you help one guy in need ... who cares about the "freeloaders"?*

There's no compulsion.

* Or, indeed, the gougers.

In a nutshell, Geoff

Legal ramifications? We don’t host the manuals themselves, ebme.co.uk provides links to them. So as a site, we are probably okay.

Professionally? I have my own views about making electronic technical documentation into shareware.

Morally? With the best of intentions are we indirectly contributing to potential incidents caused by untrained Biomeds?

Fancy a trip to Africa?

Fancy a trip to Prison?

Actually I don't mind:-

1) Three square meals a day
2) No bills to worry about
3) Free health care
4) I'll get my teeth fixed (at last)
5) Working out in the gym
6) Working in the woodwork shop etc.
7) Plenty of time for reading ... etc., etc.

But what's the charge? Paranoia?

They'll never take me alive!

Contributory negligence?

Accessory to?

Breach of Copyright? (Intellectual Property)

I’m sure there are a few more potential pitfalls to be avoided, perhaps providing a disclaimer may be appropriate.

I agree with the concerns and i know that some manufacturers are now actively starting to pursue legal processes against such activity. Just having a service manual isn't the issue but when it all goes wrong, its the manufacturers training certificate/refresher certificate that the courts will be looking for from the person who did the repair/service. Fake ones of these are also around but these will not match the manufacturers own training records anyway.

Must admit I agree with Sean on this one. If you don't have the knowledge or experience to work on a piece of kit then find someone who has, even if it means you have to pay for it.

There are also many companies will not issue manuals until engineers has received training on the equipment. By posting these on the web, not only are you breaking copyright, you are going against training safeguards that the manufacturers thing necessary as well. Some may accuse them of using this ploy to generate revenue but when it come to ventilators and anaesthetic machines I'm sure the majority will think they are correct to do so.

There was also a trend a couple of years ago for service codes being freely posted on this forum. At the time I politely suggested to Huw that this a dangerous practice and he, as a result, set up the restricted access area on the forum. I am sure of course that there will be views on that also.