I don't often get presented with issues of copyright violation and intellectual property theft, but I did see this one today. It seems someone has set up a blog where they are offering copyrighted ebooks for free, two of which I authored. I also know the authors of several of other offered ebooks.
Folks, one of the big myths about authoring books is that somehow the author gets rich. I'm here to tell you, in this niche market, that just is NOT true at all. If you're that hard up that you need to steal someone else's intellectual property...well, what can I say?
Suffice it to say, this just isn't cool.
20 comments:
Well... you know... who's got the money? People in Russia, China, India? They surely don't. Oh yes, there're many other ways for those people to gain education. - For example?
Seriously. How many coworkers from the forensics field do you know who use Warez?
On the other hand: your books seem to be of high interest?
The ebook for WFA 1/e was somewhere around $20.
If you can't afford that, don't steal it...ask. This whole thing about "I'm in Russia or China or whereever and I can't afford $20 so I'm gonna steal it" is just complete bullsh*t...'scuse me there...
Commiserations. But if you think copyright theft is bad in hard publishing, don't ever put any of your lovingly hand-crafted content on the Net. The rip offs just never stop. (Been there, still suffering from that).
"How many coworkers from the forensics field do you know who use Warez?"
Excuse me? You want to slur the entire field? If anyone was found to be using pirated software they would, and should, lose all credibility and be fired.
I've worked hard to ensure that all software we use in our lab is fully licensed and I know many other people have done the same.
Also, its bad enough for people to rip it off in the first place, but then putting the things on a website and offering them to members of the forensic community is completely laughable, especially on a page that is frequented by the authors. What a freaking genius.
When you consider the amount of effort that goes in to writing a book and the sacrifices that people make, you and your sort should be ashamed of yourselves. Actually you do appear as if you are ashamed 'Anonymous'.
I agree, the thing about China or India is B.S. So it's alright to steal something if I don't have the money?
Anonymous -
It's not about China or India...it's about ANYONE who does this...
Hey Harlan - I went over and took a look. When I saw that the ebooks were being shared out as CHM files, I was hoping (Hoping? I think that means I really need to get a life.) for a few minutes that this was just some hackers idea of how to get forensics guys to open his malware, but no such luck. I opened up one with CHM Decoder, and it looks like a real copy inside. No evil active code that I can find.
John
Hey Harlan - I went over and took a look. When I saw that the ebooks were being shared out as CHM files, I was hoping (Hoping? I think that means I really need to get a life.) for a few minutes that this was just some hackers idea of how to get forensics guys to open his malware, but no such luck. I opened up one with CHM Decoder, and it looks like a real copy inside. No evil active code that I can find.
John
John,
Thanks, didn't think there was. Would've been kind of silly, though...like what the cDc did? ;-)
Which cDc? The center for Disease control, or the Cult of the Dead Cow? I'm all for the bad guys being silly. Sometimes it makes our job a little easier.
John
So what are your next steps?
Send a takedown notice to Google (owner of blogger.com)?
Subpoena the information and attempt to sue the poster?
Inform your publisher and let them handle it?
Just curious.
This is one reason to have your published own the copyright to a book you right. When you find a site like this pirating your book you point the publisher at it and they shut it down.
Lawrence...
Subpoena? I'm just a dude, not a cop...I can't do that...
I saw the post on FF as well. Hoping that Jamie took it down already. Not the brightest bulb to post that on a forensic forum. Better yet, asking for reviews of this site. (boggle)
Dear Keydet89,
I'm the owner of that blog. I understand your situation very well. It's not easy to write and publish a book. I know it's a crime to share copyrighted material but still I'm doing this you know why there are thousands of people like me who don't have money to buy those books. Just want to help them. You know my monthly salary is 100$ and 20$ is a big amount for me right?
see my blog there I have added amazon script also people who are interested can buy the books instead of downloading it. Hey if you still want me to remove your books please let me know. I respect you and don't want to hurt a great author like you.
@Anonymous - like I said in the second comment to this post...you never even bothered to ask.
Dear Keydet89,
I sent one mail to your yahoo id please check. I need your help.....
Link not working...Please check it.
@Kush - The link isn't working now because the site was taken down.
Harlan, I'm one of those that came to possess your WFA e/1 book from a file sharing site, put it on my Kindle DX. After about half way through Ch. 1, I ordered the e/2 on Amazon and now have the book and am reading it. Very well done.
Of course, I'm not in any way justifying stealing your hard work. I found some very useful information in your book and shelled out the cash. Just an FYI.
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