# How to Save Your Work From Pirates



## Zero Angel (Mar 14, 2013)

Hello everyone,

I found that this blog had a set of really great instructions on how to rescue a work from the abyss that is the Internet when the normal cease-and-desist DMCA letter doesn't fly. If you are making your work available as a DRM-free file (or even if not since apparently three-year olds are aces at cracking DRM) and especially if it is in file formats like PDF and EPUB, I think it's worth knowing what to do:

onlytruemagic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/what-to-do-if-your-book-is-pirated.html

I especially liked the tip to comment politely explaining how the piracy affects you as opposed to some faceless corporation.


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## BWFoster78 (Mar 14, 2013)

Assuming you can't stay away from the waters near Somalia in the first place, having a good SEAL team on call is your best bet.

Oh, not those kind of pirates...

My bad.


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## Corysaurus (Mar 14, 2013)

Very useful information, but as a soon-to-be unknown author, I'm not sure I'd care so much about pirating. I need all the readers I can get.

I'd even go as far to say that I'd put up some of my short stories for free on places like Pirate Bay. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?


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## Nihal (Mar 14, 2013)

Corysaurus said:


> Very useful information, but as a soon-to-be unknown author, I'm not sure I'd care so much about pirating. I need all the readers I can get.
> 
> I'd even go as far to say that I'd put up some of my short stories for free on places like Pirate Bay. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?



Paulo Coelho, a famous brazilian writer, did it. Also...
The Promo Bay - The Pirate Bay Promotional Apparatus may be helpful.


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## morfiction (Mar 15, 2013)

Arr matey! I made my book public domain. Shiver my timbres!


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## CupofJoe (Mar 15, 2013)

I don't know about saving things from Pirates... I think that boat has sailed... [sorry]
But thank you for a brand new set of stalking tools


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## MichaelSullivan (Mar 17, 2013)

Trying to remove pirated contact is like "Wack-a-Mole." I would suggest you find a better, more productive use of your time.  I'm in the "Piracy is better than obscurity camp" and if you look at it is an advertising function...like ARC's in the hopes of a review...then you'll live a less stress filled life then going from site to site trying to get the copyrighted material removed.


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## Zero Angel (Mar 17, 2013)

MichaelSullivan said:


> Trying to remove pirated contact is like "Wack-a-Mole." I would suggest you find a better, more productive use of your time.  I'm in the "Piracy is better than obscurity camp" and if you look at it is an advertising function...like ARC's in the hopes of a review...then you'll live a less stress filled life then going from site to site trying to get the copyrighted material removed.



I agree piracy is better than obscurity, but I found the comment where the blogger recommended to leave a post explaining that it is piracy and how it affects you to be easy to do and within the realms of still being "cool".


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## TWErvin2 (Mar 17, 2013)

My publisher is more along the lines of what Michael Sullivan said above: Whack-a-mole. I tend to agree in that those who pick up my work via a pirate site are not the folks likely to pay for my work if it weren't available pirated on that site.


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## Steerpike (Mar 17, 2013)

Had an interesting situation with a client who wanted to know whether downloading pirated copies of books and CDs he already bought in physical form was copyright infringement. Under a straightforward reading of the Copyright Act, it is, but it's the sort of thing that wouldn't bother me as an author.


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## BWFoster78 (Mar 17, 2013)

I'm not all that worried about pirates.  My thinking is:

1. If you make your work available at a reasonable price, most people would rather buy it than steal from you.
2. Those who would rather steal from you than buy are going to do just that.
3. Even those who steal from you may end up getting you sales if they like your work.


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## Devor (Mar 17, 2013)

I think the goal should be blocking piracy in general, rather than obsessing about specific instances of pirated copies of your work.

When piracy was mainstream for music, executives in the industry were saying very seriously that the industry was dying and there was nothing they could do about it.  It wasn't a PR stunt - I never looked at the information myself, but I knew people who could follow the layoffs and retirements connected to piracy, as well as trends in how new talent was signed.  But today the music industry is about as strong as ever, even though there is still piracy.

So I think the scope of piracy is an industry concern, and not one that it makes sense for many authors to spend their own individual time fighting.

In my opinion, skip the request that people stop stealing your book.  Instead, go somewhere else and be like, "People are stealing my book!  Help counter this trend, buy a copy today!"


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## morfiction (Mar 17, 2013)

Am I the only one who wants to be read at any cost as a writer? Er, not essentially "any cost" but if I get read by pirates or whatever all I care about is getting my books out there and getting a little recognition.


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## MichaelSullivan (Mar 17, 2013)

TWErvin2 said:


> My publisher is more along the lines of what Michael Sullivan said above: Whack-a-mole. I tend to agree in that those who pick up my work via a pirate site are not the folks likely to pay for my work if it weren't available pirated on that site.



Unfortunately there are some sites popping up recently where the pirated work is being sold at a low cost (all books $1.90). The consumer doesn't think they are pirating - they think they are buying from a legitimate "deep discounter" but all the money goes to the illegal company and none to the publishers or authors.


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## Zero Angel (Mar 17, 2013)

I'm really not sure how much piracy is going to help people "blow up". I already have plans to make several works available for free so that anyone that wants to read _those_ select eBooks can, and I do believe there is a subset of pirates that would never pay for anything they can't get for free, but there is also a subset of pirates that think they are screwing some big company. 

If it is made known to everyone that this is not the case and you're actually screwing an indie author where a sale is something tangible like a loaf of bread or a gallon of water, then I can see pirates repenting and actually paying for it or at least deleting the file. Of course there will be others that do not do this.

I've also seen it recommended to have something in the front matter of your book where you mention that you're an indie author and how piracy can effect you. I don't remember where I saw this advice, but it was an author and they said that they actually have people that were unaware they were pirating it and went and purchased the book after they found out.


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## TWErvin2 (Mar 18, 2013)

MichaelSullivan said:


> Unfortunately there are some sites popping up recently where the pirated work is being sold at a low cost (all books $1.90). The consumer doesn't think they are pirating - they think they are buying from a legitimate "deep discounter" but all the money goes to the illegal company and none to the publishers or authors.



Michael,
I am aware of this--I have a writing friend dealing with that issue (or the publisher is). I believe the attempt is to work through the internet service provider to deal with the situation, but I believe, from what was briefly told to me, it is originating from a country outside the USA. 

Fortunately, from what I've been able to determine, my works are not listed on any charging sites. Maybe it's only a matter of time. It is frustrating, to be sure.


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## MichaelSullivan (Mar 18, 2013)

TWErvin2 said:


> Michael,
> I am aware of this--I have a writing friend dealing with that issue (or the publisher is). I believe the attempt is to work through the internet service provider to deal with the situation, but I believe, from what was briefly told to me, it is originating from a country outside the USA.
> 
> Fortunately, from what I've been able to determine, my works are not listed on any charging sites. Maybe it's only a matter of time. It is frustrating, to be sure.



Yeah mine are...or were...I think Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal are getting them shut down.


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