Pirating

[laurose8]

CJ Cherryh posted this to her FB page a couple of days ago:

BE IT KNOWN: BEARLIB.COM is a pirate site. Their offerings of my books are ripoffs and copyright violations, and defraud me and the publishers. Profit is going to a company in China. Share this on and do not patronize this site. Information may want to be free, but groceries are NOT, and a writer needs your support.

Share this, please, with anyone who cares about the survival of books and literacy!

Stephanie Osborn sent out an e-mail to her fan list saying basically the same thing:

Someone who knows more about it than me tells us the following sites are, or probably are, pirate sites. The first and 3rd are currently down; Lida Quillen, publisher of Twilight Times Books, indicates that her research into the first one showed that it was down pending resolution of copyright infringement complaints. Please take note and DO NOT USE THESE SITES. You are supporting illegal activity and depriving authors of their livelihood if you do.

1) http://www.freebookspot.es/
2) viprasys.org
3) http://fictionbooksbay.com/

#1 also has a Facebook page where at least one more author has posted a complaint of copyright violation.

Comments

[genjyosgirl.livejournal.com]

good info! thanks!

[rachel-reicheru.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing that, I didn't realise people were pirating books too...

[aidannwn.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the notice. Is there any way of shutting down the sites.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

A good question. Allowing I know so little about it...In English-language sites, it seems to be a matter for the government - it seems always to be the US government - via the FBI. (I mainly know about that, they closed Megaupload, which wasn't making money.) Possibly one or few authors just haven't the time or resources to enlist the FBI.

edit: excuse me. I should have made it clear I was passing on the message, and am no expert.