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Why would he put up a public repository if he did not want the format copied?

Zed A. Shaw created project Learn X The Hard Way 2011-08-29 22:06:48 UTC This is a skeleton book project that makes it easier to start working on a "Learn X The Hard Way"...

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Probably the polite thing to do would be to check with Zed first. Maybe the author already did.

I think you can copy his format, but taking his brand is a different story. Zed put a lot of hard work into that, this is less than honest in my mind.

Saying that it's a template for a "Learn X The Hard Way" book sounds to me like an invitation to write a book titled "Learn X The Hard Way" (absent any statement on his site asking that people name their book something different).

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