Multiple Copies of the Same EBooks On CD

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Burning one ebook, or an author's entire works, onto a CD does not create something new and unique. It is a violation of an author's right to control the REPRODUCTION (or creation of copies) and DISTRIBUTION of her works.

I am posting the following with the intent to shock you, and to create a surge of indignation and support for authors. I do not post links so you may go and enrich an alleged pirate! (Also EBay that gives him/her the means to do this, and PayPal that profits from this rampant, alleged abuse of an author's rights).

Do not bid on this E-BAy auction.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...

Do not bid on this auction.

Do, however, report it to EBay and Paypal
Report it to Sherrilyn Kenyon.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...

[Rowena, Group Owner]

It is most unlikely that he purchased multiple CDs of Janet's and Sherrilynn's books, yet he is auctioning multiple CDs.

The ebay stats say he lives in California, so he does know better.

Janet Evanovich CDs are being sold in the following auctions:

160405553239
160405509913
160404890777 (8 available!)
160404890994 (8 available)
160405701248
160404890861 (8 available)

This alleged pirate is selling at least 27 copies of a CD on which he has most likely burned 15x Janet's ebooks TODAY.

Separate auctions of Sherrilyn's book

160405701212
160404891318 (9 available)
160405510114
160404891499 (9 available)

I sent this vendor a message informing him (or her) in case he/she was unaware that these books are in copyright that it is a crime to copy authors' books onto CDs to sell or give away.

The response is that he has not bid on any of my items, and I have not purchased any of his. In other words, he/she does not have to answer to me because I'm not a customer.

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Here's how you can help.

1. Report these auctions to the authors or their publishers. Some publishers have a "Report Piracy" link or form on their websites.

2. Report them yourselves to the ic3 and to the SIIA and to the Feds. Or send these urls to the authors.

http://www.siia.net/piracy/report/rep...

http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default....

3, Complain to EBay and to PayPal. The more complaint received, the greater the likelihood that EBay will ban alleged evil-doers and cooperate with the authorities in bringing these people to justice.

[Pauline]

Looks like something worked. The auction is gone. (I hope that's why it worked!)

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Pauline,

Thank you for checking. I am delighted to hear that EBay (or a rights owner, or several righteously annoyed members of the public) acted so swiftly.

Maybe Google gets some credit for its alerts. This was still a particularly shocking example.

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Unfortunately, Pauline, as of Sunday, both Janet Evanovich and Sherrilyn Kenyon are still being ripped off with multiple auctions.

Here's the link to the vendor's site. I encourage everyone to click the Report This button.

http://shop.ebay.com/10sukhi/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340


Here's what the vendor alleges:

<
Please check back often to see what is new.

You will recieve ebooks on cd, NOT A PHYSICAL BOOK!

Stephanie Plum series 15 NOVELS on CD EBOOKS



Stephanie Plum series

Book 1: One for the Money

Book 2: Two for the Dough

Book 3: Three to get Ready

Book 4: Four to Score

Book 5: High Five

Book 6: Hot Six

Book 7: Seven Up

Book 8: Hard Eight

Book 9: To the Nines

Book 10: Ten Big Ones

Book 11: Eleven on Top

Book 12: Twelve Sharp

Book 13: Lean Mean Thirteen

Book 14: Fearless Fourteen

Book 15: Finger Lickin Fifteen
by: Janet Evanovich


These are not audio books – the PDF format contains the exact same content as the printed hard copy books

Please ask any questions you may have before bidding

These e-books will be sent to you in PDF file format. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can install for FREE by visiting Adobe's website.



Attention ebay community: I am an Authorized re-seller of this with Full Resell Right granted by the copyright owners to giveaway or sell these e-books. This does not violate any ebay policies. No copyright laws have been broken. My auctions comply with ebay regulations and no trademark or copyright laws have been violated.>>

I wonder if this EBayer honestly has such a poor understanding of copyright?

[Brenna]

Doesn't want to understand it is more likely. There is NO WAY they are public domain and less chance that she has legal resell rights. She doesn't even understand eBay's rules, let alone the laws. THIS is why we need the changes at eBay the petition asks for.

Brenna

[Brenna]

I've addressed that in the petition, as well. Unless the books are Creative Commons free reads with permission to sell or TRULY public domain, they are still in violation of copyright. If they also broke DRM to pass them, they are in violation of the Millennium Act, as well.

Brenna

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Saranna,

Thank you for your comment. You give a perfect illustration of why we need to talk with readers. EBay doesn't allow authors to post any kind of rebuttal, and every time we "follow" these pirates on EBay to keep track of them, the result is that we increase their standing as respectable, reliable, responsible ebayers.

Now isn't that ironic?

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Here's another highly suspicious EBayer.

http://shop.ebay.com/pepinofish/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25

What shocks me (apart from the rampant illegality of the above) is that EBay keeps a record of new and old identities. What use is banning a seller who is allegedly caught selling bootlegged copies, if the banned person can create a new account the same day... and EBay knows they did it?

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Someone named E-Z-Download has been selling over 121 copies of 12,000 e-books.

He claims a GNU license, but I thought GNU meant that the works could NOT be sold by anyone.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...

Anyway, he certainly does not have a contract with me, and was including my works in the collection. So, he is an infringer of copyright, and was misrepresenting what he was selling. I hope that all 122 customers demand a refund.

[Rowena, Group Owner]

It looks as if there is a need on EBay for an article about GNU. Vendors quote it as if it is a magical "Get Out Of Jail Free" card.

By the way, had anyone wished to look me up on EBay to check the legality of their sale

http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...

[L.J.]

Rowena, what a great letter. Where did you upload this letter and who will see it? Also, can we consider this letter as a template to adjust to our needs for posting?

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Thank you, LJ
I don't see a letter, but if you like it, you may certainly use it as a template and adjust to fit your needs.
Thank you for asking.

[L.J.]

I'm talking about what you wrote on eBay. I saw that as an open letter to eBay customers. It also put eBay on notice. :)

[Rowena, Group Owner]

My guide?
Absolutely you may use it, LJ.

How ironic it is that some of us spend oodles of time willingly giving away informational written material (exactly what the copyleft crowd say they want from writers) but if we are not publicly tolerant of copyright infringement of fiction, we are execrated.

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Afterthought. Please vote that you "like" it or find it "helpful" or whatever it is that EBay allows by way of credit.

Second afterthought. Possibly, we ought to migrate a branch of this group to EBay's customer/seller community.

Third afterthought. EBay ought to stop permitting auctions of multiple living authors' works. Isn't it a no-brainer that Kenyon, Knight, Ward, and Davidson cannot possibly all be the same person?

:-)

[L.J.]

There's no excuse for eBay not to have macro that rejects sales of electronic books, on DC, MP3, or download. IMO, their not doing so, after repeated requests to take down pirates, shows a willingness to provide a safe harbor.

As for moving this, will it hurt us or help us? Will it make us more of a target?

[Rowena, Group Owner]

LJ,
One has to accept that any time one does something unpopular, one will be a target. Telling people that they cannot publish and distribute copyrighted works that belong to living authors for their own profit without a contract with the authors... well... people don't like to hear that.