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I downloaded several PDF files of text books from Library Genesis, and had them printed and bound for better reading experience. Now I've finished reading them, and plan to sell them on websites like Kijiji. Is that legal in Canada?

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You infringe copyright1 when you download a textbook, print a textbook, or sell your personally printed copy of a textbook.2 Each of those steps on its own is infringement.

1. Copyright Act Sections 3(1), 27(1)

2. Unless the textbooks are in the public domain (i.e. copyrights have expired) or if the textbooks are licensed to allow your reproduction and sale. Most textbooks on Library Genesis are neither in the public domain nor properly licensed for that purpose.

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  • Thanks for your answer! If I donate those printed books to a charity organization like, say, Centre de Don Renaissance, who also sells used stuffs, will my donation activity be illegal?
    – pjhades
    Commented Jan 25, 2017 at 2:39
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    Donation is not illegal, just the downloading and printing.
    – user6726
    Commented Jan 25, 2017 at 2:47
  • It may be clearer if you stop your answer at "download" - that is the illegality - the other steps (printing and selling) just exacerbate the first one
    – Dale M ♦
    Commented Jan 26, 2017 at 22:20

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