119 replies to this topic

[pfpeller]

If possible can an Afrikaans module for My Sword (Android) please be made available to download directly on my Android phone.
Greetings
Mike Heaney

http://www.biblesupp...-afr1953bblzip/

Try this one.

Blessings,
Peter

[jonathon]

If possible can an Afrikaans module for My Sword

I suspect that copyright issues will come into play.
Both the 1933 and the 1953 translation fell under the 1928 Copyright Act of South Africa. I don't know what the terms of that act are.
I've a memory of the 1965 Copyright Act changing things, but I don't remember how.

At any rate, the current term of copyright in South Africa is fifty years from the death of the content creator.
The term for photographs and moving images is fifty years from date of first publication.

Under US Law, the work is considered to be under copyright, unless there is explicit proof that it is in the public domain in South Africa. Such proof would have to come from the South African Bible Society, which did the 1953 translation. (My Afrikaans Bible lists them as the copyright owners.)

Going by The Sword Project, it looks like the 1933/1953 text is still under copyright, with the Bybelgenootskap van Suid Afrika being the copyright owners. (

jonathon

[dcowger]

Hello Peter,
I'm trying to get the ESV version on mysword. I'm a big ESV supporter (e.g. it’s my favorite translation, I teach out of the ESV and recommend the translation to others, I’ve purchased many many ESV bibles including the ESV study bible, one year bible, thin line bible, etc.). I would gladly pay for an ESV module for mysword if it were available; but I can’t seem to find one. Please let me know if there is a way I can buy a copy. If not… I've heard I can convert an old e-sword version 9 ESV to mysword (which I still have a copy of). Do you know what the steps are for doing that?
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Daniel

[pfpeller]

Hello Peter,
I'm trying to get the ESV version on mysword. I'm a big ESV supporter (e.g. it’s my favorite translation, I teach out of the ESV and recommend the translation to others, I’ve purchased many many ESV bibles including the ESV study bible, one year bible, thin line bible, etc.). I would gladly pay for an ESV module for mysword if it were available; but I can’t seem to find one. Please let me know if there is a way I can buy a copy. If not… I've heard I can convert an old e-sword version 9 ESV to mysword (which I still have a copy of). Do you know what the steps are for doing that?
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Daniel

Hi Daniel. I like the ESV translation too, allthough I am not a fan of the underlying manuscripts for the New Testament. The translators did a superior job to other modern translators in English word selection in many places in my opinion.

I cannot discuss how to convert an e sword Bible to MySword on this forum.

Unfortunately, ESV will not allow MySword to distribute ESV yet. The only offline android software that I know of that has ESV for free is And Bible.

Blessings,
Peter

[APsit190]

Hi Daniel. I like the ESV translation too, allthough I am not a fan of the underlying manuscripts for the New Testament. The translators did a superior job to other modern translators in English word selection in many places in my opinion.

I cannot discuss how to convert an e sword Bible to MySword on this forum.

Unfortunately, ESV will not allow MySword to distribute ESV yet. The only offline android software that I know of that has ESV for free is And Bible.

Blessings,
Peter

Just a note on that...
One is allowed to make copies/convert to another medium providing that its just for personal use or something like that. Now, comes the really critical one: Having made that personal copy you are not allowed to distribute it. And its here one has to take note of. There is nothing wrong to make your own copy of the ESV for any Bible software you are using providing its just that; Your Own!!! You Do Not Distribute it or Give a copy to your friends despite how much they're willing to pay for it, beg or plead. Here you have to be ruthless and say NO!

Blessings,

[pfpeller]

Just a note on that...
One is allowed to make copies/convert to another medium providing that its just for personal use or something like that. Now, comes the really critical one: Having made that personal copy you are not allowed to distribute it. And its here one has to take note of. There is nothing wrong to make your own copy of the ESV for any Bible software you are using providing its just that; Your Own!!! You Do Not Distribute it or Give a copy to your friends despite how much they're willing to pay for it, beg or plead. Here you have to be ruthless and say NO!

Blessings,

Stephen,

I was under the understanding that converting an official e sword module to another software was an e sword EULA violation. I would gladly post instructions on how to do so if this was not the case.

I personally do not have a problem with it for personal use. I believe that copyrights on Bibles are wrong. The Word of God should not be controlled by man in anyway. It is not man's to control. This is just my minority opinion, but this is the world we live in... everyone tries to protect their personal rights....

Blessings,
Peter

[BaptizedBeliever]

I share your opinion, Peter.

But in my time studying copyrights, I have learned the following:

1. If you have a legal copy of something (purchased/given to you), then you can then take that and do whatever you want with it for your own personal use.
2. For example, if you were to purchase a CD, you have the legal right (under "fair use") to take that CD and copy the songs to your computer in FLAC format (for the best possible sound quality). From there, you can also convert them to a "lossy" format, like MP3, and then put the songs on an MP3 player. All of a sudden, you now have three copies (in at least two or three different formats)...all legally because it is for your own personal use.
3. If you were to purchase a hardcopy of the ESV, then scan all the pages, you could have the ESV in pdf format legally. If you then took that and converted it to text format, you could do that legally as well. If you then took that text and converted it to a MySword format, guess what: still legal.
4. When you decide to make your newly-created MySword file (or e-Sword or any other created format) available for others to download, you have now broken the "fair use" copyright laws here in the states. The reason for this is that you are now giving away something, possibly causing the publishers to lose money. Copyright is 99% about who is making the money. Making it freely available to anyone opens the possibility (probability) that someone who does not own a hardcopy or purchased electronic version could download it. You have now just committed piracy by allowing it.

I would add to this that if I knew for a fact someone already had a hardcopy of the work in question, I would have no problem emailing that newly-created MySword file to them, because they have already purchased a hardcopy for themselves. Not open for downloading to everyone, but emailing directly to the person in question. This is especially true if the work in question is not available commercially (free or at a cost) from the publisher.

This is the reason I have no problem downloading bootlegs of a certain 60's British group - I am not keeping anyone from making money (except bootleggers) on those, because those recordings are not commercially available. If they eventually become available to purchase, I will purchase them. But until then, Apple/Capitol Records are not losing any money by my downloading songs they hadn't made available for sale.

Until the ESV, NKJV, etc... publishers allow their work (either for free or for sale) in MySword, they are not losing any money by someone converting their ESV mod to MySword. They would have a hard time proving damages when the person already owns an ESV, and the ESV people haven't made it available where they could make money on it.

Just my random thoughts on the spirit and letter of the copyright law.

Edited by Bradley S. Cobb, 28 May 2012 - 06:25 PM.

[pfpeller]

Bradley,
I agree with most of what you say, but this site exists with the blessings of the author of e sword, so I simply cannot post that type of information on this site. I am certain that Josh would have to remove it if I did.
Peter

[BaptizedBeliever]

Bradley,
I agree with most of what you say,

That may be the first time you've ever said that before!

but this site exists with the blessings of the author of e sword, so I simply cannot post that type of information on this site. I am certain that Josh would have to remove it if I did.

I am not suggesting that we post step-by-step instructions on converting "locked" e-Sword resources into MySword. Just commenting on the legality of creating your own ESV, NKJV, NASB, etc... for MySword.

[pfpeller]

That may be the first time you've ever said that before!

You might be right

I would imagine there is quite a few important truths we agree on, but we always tend to focus on the areas where we disagree....