MGMAT YouTube Videos?

[shoumik]

Hey guys,
I recently purchased the complete set of MGMAT books and I was wondering if I would be infringing any copyright material if I were to make YouTube videos similar to Khan Academy out of the concepts / examples covered in the book?

[StaceyKoprince]

That would likely infringe copyright, yes. You can, of course, write or speak about copyrighted material that you read or use (eg, talking about which lessons you found more vs. less useful), but if you are substantially reproducing that copyrighted material in written or verbal form (eg, actually giving the lessons), then that is copyright infringement. :(

[shoumik]

Thanks for your reply Stacey.

I just keep wondering why the GMAC isn't suing a big foundation like Khan Academy for posting videos of solved GMAT Questions? :S That was my main intention - to solve MGMAT questions and post it. Is that also illegal?

Thanks again for your reply

[StaceyKoprince]

Re: GMAC, my guess is that they may be looking into their legal position. I haven't seen the videos, so I don't know for sure whether they violate copyright, but if the videos show the full text of paid GMAC problems (such as OG), then that does violate copyright, yes.

Alternatively, if the video said, "We're going to do DS problem 143 from this book on page XYZ" but never showed the full text of the problem, then that would probably be okay - it's showing the actual text of the problem that breaks copyright, not discussing the problem.

So, basically, you can discuss (even to the point of a solution) as long as you don't reproduce the actual text. It's difficult, of course, to go over a problem without actually showing the full text, but it's not impossible.