Which Repair Manual format?

I've been looking for a factory repair manual for my 2000. I see three options on ebay. CD, Photocopy, or occasionally an original appears. CDs are cheap and originals are usually the most expensive. I'm not sure of the legality of the the CD's or copies. I also wonder about the quality, like are the illustrations clear.

Does anyone have experience with either the CD manuals or the Photocopies? Are the CDs searchable?
Looking for informed opinions.

Photocopies are certainly NOT legal, and chances are the CDs are also illegal burned copies of the D/C discs.

The D/C FSM on CD is a collection of PDFs, by section, exactly like the printed manual. You can't search across multiple sections, but within a section works fine. At least for my Dodge Ram, the sections print out just like the hard copy FSM.

I got my 96 FSM from www.techauthority.com on CD, the price is the same for that or the hardcopy. As Jeff said, the photocopies are almost certainly copyright infringements.

With the CD version, I can print out specifically the procedures I need, and can copy pics and procedures to my website as needed as well. I would definitely recommend making a copy of the CD and working from that and storing the original though.

Yucca-Man said:

I got my 96 FSM from www.techauthority.com on CD, the price is the same for that or the hardcopy. As Jeff said, the photocopies are almost certainly copyright infringements.

With the CD version, I can print out specifically the procedures I need, and can copy pics and procedures to my website as needed as well. I would definitely recommend making a copy of the CD and working from that and storing the original though.

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FWIW, if the CDs are copyrighted (as I assume they are), copying a section to your web site is just as much a copyright infringement as selling photocopies of the printed version.

I downloaded my copies free from a Chrysler website back before they pulled them. Chrysler now charges to access these sites. Since I got mine free, would it be illegal for me to share for free what Chrysler shared with me?

I used to give copies away for free to anyone that wanted one but I quit doing that after Chrysler closed it's site. I'm pretty sure some of the free copies I gave away are now being sold on ebay also. I had 97 & 99-01 FSM's all on one disc (I was missing the 98) and that's exactly what has been selling on ebay for over two years now. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...item=4530571131&category=6755&sspagename=WDVW I also have the 88 and 93 FSM on disc and ALL (97-01) individual year parts catalogs on cd.
Makes me wonder how much money I could have made if I wasn't 'honest'. :rattle: I used to advertise "Free FSM discs" here on and other forums until I was asked to stop by the Forum heads themselves. The last thing I want to do is get in trouble with the power that be.


So back to my question, can I give the guy a copy or not?