Method of inhibiting scale in oil extraction and oil production comprising applying a water soluble copolymer to an oilfiled reservoir, the water soluble copolymer comprising: at least one olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer at least one olefinically unsaturated mono- or di-alkyl ester of a dicarboxylic acid monomer, and at least one olefinically unsaturated hydrophilic, non-ionic monomer wherein the molar ratio of the alkyl ester groups of the mono- or di-alkyl ester of the di-carboxylic acid monomer to the hydrophilic groups of the hydrophilic non-ionic monomers is from 0.01:1 to 1000:1; the molar ratio of the sum of the alkyl ester groups and hydrophilic groups of the hydrophilic non-ionic monomers to the carboxylic acid groups is from 0.001:1 to 100:1; and the water-soluble copolymer is alcohol compatible, wherein the at least one olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, α-phenyl acrylic acid, β-acryloxy propionic acid, sorbic acid, α-chloro sorbic acid, methacryloxyethyl succinic acid, angelic acid, cinnamic acid, p-chloro cinnamic acid, β-styryl acrylic acid, 2-acryloxypropionic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, citraconic acid, mesaconic acid, glutaconic acid, fumaric acid, aconitic acid and tricarboxy ethylene; and wherein the at least one olefinically unsaturated hydrophilic non-ionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of vinyl and/or (meth)allyl alcohols, vinyl and/or allyl amines; (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters, di-alkyl esters of a dicarboxylic monomer and N(di)alkyl (meth)acrylamides, wherein the alkyl group is a hydroxyl- and/or amine-containing C 1 to C 8 alkyl group; (meth)acrylamide and/or N-(di)aikyl(meth)acrylamide with one or more of the same or differing C 1 to C 3 alkylgroups; glycidyl (meth)acrylate, hydrolyzed glycidyl (meth)acrylate; dialkylaminomethyl (meth)acrylate, dialkylaminoethyl (meth)acrylate and/or dialkylaminopropyl (meth)acrylate with C 1 to C 4 alkyl groups, vinyl formamide, vinyl acetamide; polyethyleneglycol esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid and/or itaconic acid; alkyl ethylene glycol esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid and/or itaconic acid; vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl imidazole, glycidyl allyl ether, propanediol allyl ether, allyl glycol ethers, hydroxyalkyl (meth) acrylamides, bis-hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylamides, N-[3-(dimethyl amino) propyl](meth)acrylamide, N-[3-(dimethyl amino) ethyl](meth)acrylamide, N-methylol (meth)acrylamide and N-methylol allyl carbamate. at least one olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer at least one olefinically unsaturated mono- or di-alkyl ester of a dicarboxylic acid monomer, and at least one olefinically unsaturated hydrophilic, non-ionic monomer wherein the molar ratio of the alkyl ester groups of the mono- or di-alkyl ester of the di-carboxylic acid monomer to the hydrophilic groups of the hydrophilic non-ionic monomers is from 0.01:1 to 1000:1; the molar ratio of the sum of the alkyl ester groups and hydrophilic groups of the hydrophilic non-ionic monomers to the carboxylic acid groups is from 0.001:1 to 100:1; and the water-soluble copolymer is alcohol compatible, wherein the at least one olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, α-phenyl acrylic acid, β-acryloxy propionic acid, sorbic acid, α-chloro sorbic acid, methacryloxyethyl succinic acid, angelic acid, cinnamic acid, p-chloro cinnamic acid, β-styryl acrylic acid, 2-acryloxypropionic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, citraconic acid, mesaconic acid, glutaconic acid, fumaric acid, aconitic acid and tricarboxy ethylene; and wherein the at least one olefinically unsaturated hydrophilic non-ionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of vinyl and/or (meth)allyl alcohols, vinyl and/or allyl amines; (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters, di-alkyl esters of a dicarboxylic monomer and N(di)alkyl (meth)acrylamides, wherein the alkyl group is a hydroxyl- and/or amine-containing C 1 to C 8 alkyl group; (meth)acrylamide and/or N-(di)aikyl(meth)acrylamide with one or more of the same or differing C 1 to C 3 alkylgroups; glycidyl (meth)acrylate, hydrolyzed glycidyl (meth)acrylate; dialkylaminomethyl (meth)acrylate, dialkylaminoethyl (meth)acrylate and/or dialkylaminopropyl (meth)acrylate with C 1 to C 4 alkyl groups, vinyl formamide, vinyl acetamide; polyethyleneglycol esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid and/or itaconic acid; alkyl ethylene glycol esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid and/or itaconic acid; vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl imidazole, glycidyl allyl ether, propanediol allyl ether, allyl glycol ethers, hydroxyalkyl (meth) acrylamides, bis-hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylamides, N-[3-(dimethyl amino) propyl](meth)acrylamide, N-[3-(dimethyl amino) ethyl](meth)acrylamide, N-methylol (meth)acrylamide and N-methylol allyl carbamate.