HUGE eBook pirating site

Which doesn't make it right.

I think that by "everyone is on there", Sask means "search for your book and demand that the site take it down."

He's already shut down two pirating sites with his mad internet skillz.

ETA: I'm not on there. *sniff* No one wants to steal my ebook! Man, and I wanted to complain, too...

Okery dokery.

I really can't stand any form of pirating, though I must admit I don't think I've ever heard of it with books before. I must have known it was going on somewhere down the line, but it really doesn't get a lot of the media attention that - I suppose I just assumed it wasn't that widespread a problem, what, with libraries and all.

Want to know what's even more horrible? One of my initial thoughts to this was, Hey, at least they're still reading!

Kidding aside, good luck in your endeavor.

Viking Horse said:

I really can't stand any form of pirating, though I must admit I don't think I've ever heard of it with books before.

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There's been a Usenet binaries group that has had technical books for many years. Of course, there's everything you could possibly want as well as thing you don't want on Usenet.

Viking Horse said:

I must have known it was going on somewhere down the line, but it really doesn't get a lot of the media attention that - I suppose I just assumed it wasn't that widespread a problem, what, with libraries and all.

Want to know what's even more horrible? One of my initial thoughts to this was, Hey, at least they're still reading!

Kidding aside, good luck in your endeavor.

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One might argue that Google Books does something quite similar, on the other hand Google only shows you images of the text (inconvenient for stealing but not too hard if you're determined) whereas I looked through the Childrens section of this greybook thing and saw a Harry Potter audiobook as mp3.

But no doubt pirated book sites don't have anywhere near the traffic that illegal music sites and P2P programs have. I think more than anything else it's because people don't want to read a book on a computer screen or printed out on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets that keeps books from being pirated any more than they are. When e-readers become cheaper, more convenient and more "book-like" and you can upload your own files to them, book piracy will become more common.

There's some malware running on that site. If you go there, be cautious.

yes medievalist, thank you for the after the matter heads up there.

I don't have an anti virus for crying out loud! it took me forever to squash that thing. but I'm all better now. it's okay baby, dady isn't going to any more infected Russian sights with you. (I'm talking to my computer)
but nasty maleware regaurdless

Man this sight is awesome, I already got all of yall's books. IRU's is really good and ... oh, this is a bad sight. (hits delete key rapidly)

but all joking aside, why in the hell would you take the time to steal a book, when you tax dollars already go to the big building of books that are free to read? I mean really, your already paying for them and as long as you take them back every two weeks for a recheck until your done you don't even have to pay a cent. can take as many as you want out at a time too. I mean music I can understand, Radio never plays that song you want to hear and the WNG's war on youtube, coupled with the fact that its so gosh darned easy to use them afterwords, but books! I mean really. The impracticability of it is towering.

go to the library. if its a popular book they will get more copies just. ahg.

oh man they don't have the comic book I've been trying to find all day

I thought after I posted my last post in this thread last night. Before anyone thinks I'm into pirating let me explain...

My son loves colorful comic books, the nearst retailer is 147 miles from here. Last time I went into that area to pick up a comic book I tried reading it with him but he got sooo excited that he practicly shredded the book. In my situation what is the best thing to do except read them online?

Medievalist said:

There's some malware running on that site. If you go there, be cautious.

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Oh, drat! My virus scanner didn't detect anything off hand, but I'll run a scan just to be sure. Mind you, I just clicked on the link and tried out the search feature, I didn't actually download or open up anything; hopefully that means I've been spared.

jubileerocker said:

I thought after I posted my last post in this thread last night. Before anyone thinks I'm into pirating let me explain...

My son loves colorful comic books, the nearst retailer is 147 miles from here. Last time I went into that area to pick up a comic book I tried reading it with him but he got sooo excited that he practicly shredded the book. In my situation what is the best thing to do except read them online?

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Buy a copy too, if you're going to insist on downloading it, so that the company gets paid and creators can earn their royalties. Comics don't pay amazingly well.

Or try laminating the pages. I think he'd be a lot more interested in something he could hold in his hands (if that's him in your avatar) than just looking at a screen.

Oh, char! I'm not listed. I'm feeling very left out.
Just joking. This is a serious situation. I did see some big names listed. I wonder if any of those folks are trying to shut down these sites and perhaps recoup any losses?
C

elae said:

Buy a copy too, if you're going to insist on downloading it, so that the company gets paid and creators can earn their royalties. Comics don't pay amazingly well.

Or try laminating the pages. I think he'd be a lot more interested in something he could hold in his hands (if that's him in your avatar) than just looking at a screen.

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I agree I rather the royalties get paid if I'm going to read them, how do I laminate comic books though?

jubileerocker said:

I agree I rather the royalties get paid if I'm going to read them, how do I laminate comic books though?

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Just buy a pack of self-adhesive laminating sheets. All it is is sticky, see-through plastic... put it on one side, turn the page, put it on the back, trim all the excess.

Saskatoonistan said:

Workin' on it.... pant, pant!

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Well, you haven't seen anything yet.

Audiobooks are the up and coming media.

Approx. 50.000 or more audiobooks and ebooks are available on this Site, the largest of it's kind on the Internet.
Canada/Montreal based.
At this very moment 123 Guests, 608 Users


Please tell your friend to inform the CRIA

Another but much smaller Site is:

Those Sites will open up all your eyes,get them down.They hurt the Authors,Publishers and Distributors.

I also am not sure the comment about Russians is warranted. The problem is being pirates, not being Russians.

Backing up Veinglory, here. Not condoning the pirating, but not only was the comment about Russians unnecessary, it was also inaccurate since that site's owned by an Uzbek. Look it up. Entirely possible not a single Russian was involved in the creation of this site. All right, fine, I suppose "Freakin' Sov's" might be a little closer to being accurate, albeit out of date. Kind of like blaming the Brits for a pirating site run by an Indian (not to pick on Indians; it's just an "Empire" comparison).

I've been getting Google alerts for months about my books being pirated. I have to go through hoops to prove I own the copyright, and then they take the books down, but soon they pop up again.

They're doing it to my audiobooks, now.

Lately they're on sites there you have to pay a fee and get membership before you can access the page where your book is. You can't just ask them to look for your stuff, you have to give the exact webpage addy. I just can't do it. I don't have the money or time to spare.

One of my friends estimated that last year alone she lost 8,000.00 in royalties due to piracy of her books. As she is scary smart and knows how businesses work, I trust her figures. Don't know about you, but to me that is a hell of a lot of money.

You can tell those who think piracy is "harmless and helps promote the books" that it has the opposite effect.

Illegal downloads are invisible to the bean counters at a publishing house.

All they note is sales are dropping for a writer, who is otherwise wildly popular.

Times being what they are, they are reluctant to offer a new contract to that writer.

Result for the writer? Nothing good. Sales are down, royalties aren't there. Why bother with writing when a day job pays better and has health insurance?

Result for the reader? No new books from a writer they liked.

But hey, why worry, all writers are rich, right?

I wish!

Piracy tells writers "don't bother."

Piracy kills books.

I am not at all sympathetic towards pirates.

But the limited data and research i've seen suggests that most people who pirate would never buy the books anyway.

My data is derived from surveys of thousands of incoming freshmen at UC; that's a pretty selective group. Has anyone else seen any research? Keep in mind that music research doesn't really apply to books, even audio books.

Corey Doctorow has said (and I agree) that people who pirate ebooks and audio books were not going to buy that particular work to begin with.

elae said:

Just buy a pack of self-adhesive laminating sheets. All it is is sticky, see-through plastic... put it on one side, turn the page, put it on the back, trim all the excess.

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Or, if you're going through a lot of comic books, and not keeping all of them, you might try clear plastic page protectors for ring-binders. Cut the spine out of the comic, slide the pages into the protectors, gather the protectors, with an actual cover, or just use metal split-rings (or tie them together with something baby-safe) and there you are.
If he eventually loses interest in a particular comic, you can slide it out and reuse the stuff.
Also, saves you from having to apply the laminating plastic smoothly over the pages, page after page.

cdoctor13 said:

Corey Doctorow has said (and I agree) that people who pirate ebooks and audio books were not going to buy that particular work to begin with.

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This is what I've been wanting to post, but decided not to bother because of the inevitable wrath here.

"Piracy" is such an outdated term anyway. I don't think it applies anymore. It's more like free marketing, but I guess an author with imaginary numbers of losses in his head isn't going to be able to see it that way. Not yet, anyway. Which is fine--I'm sure complaining to NGOs with zero real authority does make a person feel better inside. But maybe soon more artists will realize that working with this gets you much farther than fighting it.

RG570 said:

"Piracy" is such an outdated term anyway. I don't think it applies anymore. It's more like free marketing, but I guess an author with imaginary numbers of losses in his head isn't going to be able to see it that way. Not yet, anyway. Which is fine--I'm sure complaining to NGOs with zero real authority does make a person feel better inside. But maybe soon more artists will realize that working with this gets you much farther than fighting it.

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Yes, expect wrath. I'm a working writer and need every penny I earn.

Every time some thief posts my books without my permission, that's money coming out of my pocket, never mind the copyright infringement.

Those were not imaginary numbers my friend quoted.

She is one scary smart individual and does those kinds of projections in her day job. She was also being conservative.

I do not complain to the hosts of such sites. Being rude gets you nowhere. I am polite, and they return in kind by removing the material. When they do, I thank them.

I maintain that they are in the wrong for turning a blind eye to the thousands who post copyrighted material and, while giving lip service to copyright and the DMCA, continue to allow it, and allow offenders to repost. They make no effort to police their content, and claiming they just don't have time to check everything. They sure do have time to check their bank accounts as the ad money rolls in.

It IS piracy. Free marketing is exactly the kind of term a thief will use to defend his or her actions. It cuts no ice with me or other professionals.

Cory Doctrow may be right, but the younglings coming up now need to be educated. Time and again I see them assuming that if it's on the Net, then it's free. They have never heard of copyright, no one has taken the time to tell them just how it hurts the writers they love.

Again, those downloads are invisible to the beancounters.

No arguing that libraries loans are invisible. Librarians keep track of the times a title is checked out and order more books from that writer. The publishers keep track of library sales, same as they do for bookstore sales.

No arguing that used bookstores may also hurt the writers. At some point those books were counted as a legit sale.

And used bookstores do not sell or give away an endless supply of Xerox copies.

No one try telling me that the thieves aren't getting something out of it. They put stuff up on sites so they can download other things they want more. They post on sites where they earn a few pennies off each download. (Usually it's a porn site.)

I've tracked one dufus across the main download sites. He signs his pseudonym and tells people to "enjoy" at my expense. He's not posted other books, just mine, so I can safely conclude he's a fan who thinks he's doing me a favor. I'd like to wring his lazy neck. Most of the sites tend toward getting the money for him when people click on his links, the lazy bast%%d. If he's got time to steal from me and earn a few pennies on a porn site, he's got time to get a job; I've got no sympathy for any of them.

Last fall some moron posted his whole e-library on the Net, inviting everyone to download and read all the books. He'd gotten himself a website and it was free.

He was being altruistic out of bald-faced ignorance. He honestly did not know how illegal that was.

Of course the hundreds of writers, including myself, and their publishers saw things differently. They went after his host server, and he was closed down within a day.

To his credit, he did apologize. He never had copyright ownership explained to him.