I'm a writer with a book that's available in ebook and paperback form, copyrighted since 1998 under my name and with certain rights awarded by contract only to my publisher, copyrighted to them for the ebook rights for 1999 and paperback rights for 2008. I recently found a web site that has my entire book in HTML form "for free" on the internet. I emailed them asking who gave them the right to publish my copyrighted material and also emailed my publisher, who also pointed out the material is copyrighted and told them to take it down IMMEDIATELY.

It's been almost a month now and no one has responded to my email, no one has responded to my publisher, and the page is still up. Since the publishing company is fairly small and neither of us is making huge amounts of money from the book sales (possibly because of this jerk putting it up for free reading so that people don't buy it from Amazon), neither of us can afford to pay a lawyer. Since this is an internet issue, is it a federal offense? Does anyone know how to pursue this without having to take out loans to pay for lawyers?

By the way, I'm from Maine, the publisher is from Maryland, and we don't know where this person is from who posted the book. Suffice to say, I suspect a lot of the other books on AGhostwriter's Nest are also stolen copyrighted material.

You can try here and also at their ISP to get them to stop. This information was obtained using a IP look up service and who is for the website listed.




Registrant:
Ledbetter, Karen
ATTN STORIESRUS.COM
Care of Network Solutions
PO Box 459
Drums, PA. US 18222

Even more contact info:
Registrant:
Ledbetter, Karen
ATTN AGHOSTWRITER.COM
Care of Network Solutions
PO Box 459
Drums, PA. US 18222


Domain Name: AGHOSTWRITER.COM



Administrative Contact:
Ledbetter, Karen [email protected] m
ATTN AGHOSTWRITER.COM
Care of Network Solutions
PO Box 459
Drums, PA 18222
US
570-708-8780

Technical Contact:
Morris, Ray B [email protected] m
ATTN AGHOSTWRITER.COM
Care of Network Solutions
PO Box 459
Drums, PA 18222
US
570-708-8780

I'm sure your publisher has an attorney. I would have them send a cease and desist order with copies to Via e-mail and snail mail.
Network Solutions
Network Solutions, LLC. [email protected]
13861 Sunrise Valley Drive
Herndon, VA 20171
US
1-888-642-9675 fax: 571-434-4620

Network Solutions can suspend the domain so it can't be reached.

I would also contact some attorneys to see if any will take the case on contingency. This is clear copyright infringement and you can sue for lost revenues.

Good luck and keep us posted. As a published author myself, this kind of thing makes my blood boil

Thank you so much for all the info. I'll bring this info to my publisher, and if she doesn't want to pursue it, I'll bring it to a lawyer. And I will most definitely let you know what happens. (I'm always grateful for those who have the skills I lack for looking this stuff up. Bless you for looking!)

You can go to godaddy.com and use their WhoIs link to get info about the owner of any domain.

The publisher had been working with a lawyer to get the "cease and desist" letter written and has sent it to the email and snail mail addresses you mentioned. She's confirmed that my book wasn't the only one from her site that had been compromised, but it wasn't only her authors who appeared at the site, so these people are in deep do-do... *grin*

Thanks again for your help, and I'll keep that info on how to do this myself next time (if there is one). In the meantime, on my own website, I'm making sure that I'm still properly connected to the people who've allowed me to "creatively borrow" their work. I'm also making sure, since I initially had the web site under a nickname, that I'm posting on all my personal work that I AM the author, and that the people who have given me permission to use their work have noted "used with written permission from author" on their work.

Thanks yet again!

Do you have any idea how long the site has had it up? Can you look at your sales and note a drop off? If you can show that this affected your sales, there is a law suit there. Including recovery of legal fees.

One last post before I leave this site forever (and not because of anyone on this thread, but because of an obnoxious moderator on another thread who thinks he owns the site):

The page did get taken down, my publisher is happy with it at that, and I have a new book that's due for release in November. Hopefully, with more diligent monitoring, I'll be able to prevent this from happening again.

Thank you to all who have responded to my posts over the years and appreciated my feedback on their posts. See you in the funny papers!

Don't leave because of a simple disagreement... things happen and you forget about them.

Good luck with your new book.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by odinn7

Don't leave because of a simple disagreement....things happen and you forget about them.

Good luck with your new book.

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Thank you, odinn7. It's been a rough couple of weeks with delays on the book, miscommunications/lost emails between myself and the publisher because of a hacker issue, and the situation on the other post in which I've been accused of things I never intended when I simply put my two cents worth in (as you just did here). It makes me feel much better to have your kind words to greet me here when I came in in response to the email telling me that you had posted to this thread.

Thank you for helping me to cool off and feel better about this group.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tiggerella

Thank you, odinn7. It's been a rough couple of weeks with delays on the book, miscommunications/lost emails between myself and the publisher because of a hacker issue, and the situation on the other post in which I've been accused of things I never intended when I simply put my two cents worth in (as you just did here). It makes me feel much better to have your kind words to greet me here when I came in in response to the email telling me that you had posted to this thread.

Thank you for helping me to cool off and feel better about this group.

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Really, the long time members here are a good group of people and that is why I stayed. The biggest problem that I see (and it happens everywhere really) is that sometimes people may not fully understand what you were trying to say as writing something out doesn't always translate as well as if you were speaking in person. People sometimes misunderstand what you were saying or maybe the way you were saying it... just let it go and forget it. Not a big deal.

Take care.

Don't judge the whole site by one person. You're an author, would you recommend judging the book by it's cover, or one review?

I've been here a long time, a long long time. There are times when you don't agree with someone, and things can get heated. We're all human, we all think we're right, we all defend ourselves when we think we're right. It's harder when you're doing everything with the written word, the worst possible form of communication, so much room for misunderstanding.

If you're having an issue, report the person causing an issue. Do remember that there are only a handful of actual moderators. The experts on this site aren't mods, and really have no power at all, they just get a fancy green title under their names. The mods on this site are very fair. If you're having an issue with a mod on a thread, report it. That specific mod will not be in charge of any action taken, it will go to the other mods, just to ensure that any action is fair.

Stick around, we really are a pretty great group of people. Heck, that's how they reeled me in. I came here to ask a question, then leave. I've been here for... OMG! Has it been that long? Um... nothing to see here. ;)

Hope you decide to give it a try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alty

Don't judge the whole site by one person. You're an author, would you recommend judging the book by it's cover, or one review?

I've been here a long time, a long long time. There are times when you don't agree with someone, and things can get heated. We're all human, we all think we're right, we all defend ourselves when we think we're right. It's harder when you're doing everything with the written word, the worst possible form of communication, so much room for misunderstanding.

If you're having an issue, report the person causing an issue. Do remember that there are only a handful of actual moderators. The experts on this site aren't mods, and really have no power at all, they just get a fancy green title under their names. The mods on this site are very fair. If you're having an issue with a mod on a thread, report it. That specific mod will not be in charge of any action taken, it will go to the other mods, just to ensure that any action is fair.

Stick around, we really are a pretty great group of people. Heck, that's how they reeled me in. I came here to ask a question, then leave. I've been here for....OMG! Has it been that long? Um.....nothing to see here. ;)

Hope you decide to give it a try.

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Thanks for your two cents worth, too! :)

I did report it and have been helped - while you and odinn7 were also helping - and feel less like a golf ball in a big tournament. Turns out the reports on the posts I'd made just hadn't been investigated yet and the obnoxious one had delusions of grandeur as to position on this forum...

BTW, I got reeled in the same way you did. I've asked many questions and had wonderful help from both expert and novice people here. I've also been able to help out some people who just needed that little boost that you just gave me. Thank you very much for that, and I think I will stick around a bit longer.

Glad you decided to stay. I will warn you though, the summer season is upon us, which means that school is out. If you can make it through the summer without wanting to reach through your monitor and throttle someone, you are a much better person than I am. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alty

Glad you decided to stay. I will warn you though, the summer season is upon us, which means that school is out. If you can make it through the summer without wanting to reach through your monitor and throttle someone, you are a much better person than I am. :)

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Ha! That's what makes me feel alive!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by odinn7

Ha! That's what makes me feel alive!

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Yes, but we all know you're a bit warped. ;)

Thanks for the smiles this morning, odinn7 and Alty.

Be very careful!! If the web site your complaining about, keeps records of old e-mails from 1998 and you gave them permission to publish your work back then by e-mail, you might be at fault here? Can you remember for sure? You've been complaining all over the internet that the site in question is stealing your work. If that's not the case... you my friend, are open to "SLANDER". Good luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Robert Valentin

Be very careful!!! If the web site your complaining about, keeps records of old e-mails from 1998 and you gave them permission to publish your work back then by e-mail, you might be at fault here? Can you remember for sure? You've been complaining all over the internet that the site in question is stealing your work. If that's not the case.........you my friend, are open to "SLANDER". Good luck!

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First, did you bother to read the thread before posting this response? The OP never gave permission and the page WAS taken down. In addition, the OP gave the site owner the chance to respond and explain and they didn't.

Finally, I have to ask who you are in this. You seem to be stalking the OP claiming she is complaining "all over the Internet". We don't appreciate people trying to intimidate our members.

I've seen this complaint on other Author's sites. I looked up her numerous posts on this site... You can judge for yourself!! I simply told her to be careful!!

And are you, "who ever you are" trying to intimidate me? I did read her complaint! Back fourteen years ago when she first wanted her work published, a lot of upcoming authors posted their work on reading sites.

Just because that site removed her story, does not make it guilty of wrong doings!

And by the way... I'm a member here also!