I wish ALL publishers would put a little effort into shutting down the offenders. It would save the whole media industry millions, not just publishing.
I deal with this once a week with separate google alerts in place for my name + torrent, my name + download, the title + (etc.)
The pirates often post so they can download other stuff, usually porn. Some of those sites make me hurl, but I have the consolation that anyone cruising it will be looking for porn, not my backlist.
The offenders pay lip service to the DMCA, telling their subscribers "respect copyright," then turn a blind eye until I come along with a take down request.
And it has to be a request. They get very annoyed if you make any demands. They say that can't possibly keep track of the copyrighted material that gets uploaded, but I've never bought that one. Computers can do just about everything, including sending someone notice that illegal material has been uploaded.
Those parasites are well aware that if they did properly police themselves they would be out of business.
How about a little double-standard?
While the thieves who upload files are protected and anonymous, the copyright owners have to PROVE their ID with full contact information + the ISBNs of the works.
Sites like Sumo, 4Shared, Freshwap, Isohunt get repeated visits from me. I remain polite, and I thank them.
Some are search engines, and do not host the download itself, but if you're nice about it, they'll take down the link.
I agree that the morons who download a book wouldn't have bought it in the first place, but theft is theft and we don't need to put up with it or make it easy for them. I would no more download a book without paying for it than I'd shoplift from a store, but *some* people have that misplaced sense of entitlement.
They know they can't get caught.
Some of the thieves whine about how books are "free" at libraries, but that's an empty argument. The books were bought, and librarians keep track of how popular they are. The next time a book comes out from that writer they buy more copies and replace worn out ones.
The thieves whine about how used books don't make royalties for the writers--but that used book DID earn a royalty in its life cycle.
Besides--used stores don't sell or give away "Xeroxes".
Here's the e-mail I send to the share sites:
Subject: Takedown Request
Hello,
The following pages on your website have copyrighted material available for download in violation of your TOS. (Read their TOS to make sure this is correct. You may have to tailor it to "links" instead of pages if it's a search site.)
Put in the FULL address of each page as it appears in the address bar.
The copyrighted works at issue are:
Title, Publisher, publishing date.
ISBN
Your full contact info: name, address, e-mail, phone number
I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
I respectfully request that these pages be removed.
Thank you,
Some sites make this difficult to do. I usually google their name + DMCA and it *might* open the page to the email where you can report the problem.
Often in VERY FINE print at the bottom of a page is a vague "copyright" or "DMCA" link. I think they have to legally post that, but they make sure it's hard to find.
Other sites require that you become a member or you can't get a contact e-mail to send a request. A membership fee is sometimes needed. I let those go. I won't recover that fee in royalties. It violates Yog's Law.
Some sites will be outside the US.
More than once I've seen my backlist pirated to Europe and points east. Since I don't speak the language I have to let those go. Chances are good you won't be that widely read there. Like their USA counterparts, the subscribers are after more porn, after all!
I totally understand your anger. When I first found all my titles pirated--and it had been going on for some while, my blood boiled, but it doesen't get you far. Those sites are well-used to angry copyright holders and they will ignore you if you let them see that side of you.
Remain polite and persistant and educate others about things.
And be aware that many of the *big* publishing houses may not help. They've accepted piracy as a modern evil. Some even think it helps "promote" the books.
But so long as YOU choose not to give away your writing, keep reporting the problem to them and take action yourself if it helps you feel better!