What’s happened to IPC Kits?

IPC, the Association connecting Electronic Industries, has discontinued the sale of “kits.”  These IPC Kits were a combination of a paper copy and CD Rom copy of any given standard.  As part of IPC’s move to stop distributing the IPC standards on CD Rom, the kits have been the first to go.

Moving forward, you’ll be able to get your IPC Standards from Document Center Inc. in both paper format and for pdf download.  Site licensing is also available.

One thing to remember with the electronic copies of IPC standard is the suppression of the print functionality.  IPC pdf copies are “read-only” and cannot be printed.   Should you need a printed copy of any IPC standard, you’ll need to purchase it.

This supports a tenet of copyright law that standards users sometimes don’t understand.  The format of the publication you purchase is the only format that is available to you.  It is illegal to  take a copyright document in one format and transform it into another.  So if you purchase a paper copy and plan to scan it into your network system, you’re actually breaking the law.  However, for most of the single user pdf standards sold by Document Center Inc., your license will authorize both the use of the file by 1 user on 1 computer and the right to print 1 paper copy.  IPC is one of the few associations that we represent which does not permit the printing of a paper copy from the pdf file.

Here at Document Center Inc., we have noticed that many organizations are moving away from CD Rom distribution.  The format is problematic for copyright owners — illegal distribution can become an issue.  So it is not surprising that IPC is moving away from the practice.  Indeed it was one of the last associations to rely heavily on this media.

If you need any IPC standards, please search for and order them at our webstore, www.document-center.com.  We are an authorized distributor and can assist you with any questions you may have.  Document Center Inc. has been selling standards since 1982 and has been on the web since 1993.  Make us your Standards Experts.

Published by

Claudia Bach

Claudia Bach is the President of Document Center Inc. and a world-wide recognized expert on Standards and Standards Distribution. You can connect with her on Google+

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