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Post by jaydax on Apr 26, 2018 17:51:02 GMT -8
Every now and then I use Blasty or search Google for pirate copies of ebooks I publish. At my last attempt I found 23 copies of pirated books, all available as pdf files.
Why do these sites favour this format? It is clearly unsuitable for e-reading on a tablet, an e-reader or on a smartphone since on these smaller scale screens the text won't flow and a huge amount of scrolling in two directions will be required. The answer is that pdf files can easily have malware inserted which infects the reader's device.
I went to see if I could establish the source of these ebooks. Some displayed Amazon ASIN numbers and others displayed Smashwords ISBN numbers. In many cases to download the file I was required to create an account at the site - OK I used an incognito Tor browser. I gave a disposable email address and a password I didn't use elsewhere but then they asked for credit card details 'which wouldn't be charged'. Sorry I'm not daft enough to provide that information to a known criminal website.
Smashwords gives readers the option of downloading ebooks as pdf files. Is that sensible? Are we making things too easy for the pirates? Of course those who pirate ebooks are quite capable of buying a book at Amazon, removing any DRM if used, and then converting a Mobi file to pdf in a program such as calibre. They would then return the ebook within an hour or so citing 'purchased by mistake' or other reason. If we make pdf files available at Smashwords we save them a lot of time.
I intend to put a statement in my books about pdf files being an unsatisfactory e-reading format and advising that there are NO legal pdf versions of my books available. To do that I must first remove the checkmark for pdf on my Smashwords book details pages. Should be simple huh? Except Smashwords re checks everything if you do that and re-converts the files. Does that seem unnecessary?
Do you think we should remove the pdf option? Or perhaps leave it on the basis that those who visit pirate book sites deserve all the problems they will get.
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Post by djmills on Apr 27, 2018 16:41:16 GMT -8
I had the same experience years ago. I refused to enter my card details. Then I found out that the site only had the cover image available. They did not sell my book. Whether they linked to Amazon or not, I have no idea, so they could have collected the affiliation pay for linking. But, I was told all they wanted was name, date of birth and card details so on-sell to whoever. It was a scam.
As for pdf files. I read them all the time on my large monitor. Easier for me, as I read quickly, and want to see the whole paragraphs at once without scrolling in any direction. :-)
I also prefer to read paper books to ebooks, even though I do read ebooks that I can't purchase in paper form. Probably showing my age here. :-)
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chelsfield
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Post by chelsfield on Apr 28, 2018 0:42:02 GMT -8
I am working on a project at the moment looking at the use of e-publications among research and academic staff in universities. The biggest complaint for ebooks is lack of pagination for citation purposes. Not a problem with ebooks in pdf format, but a major problem with epub. The kindle presents books in a page layout; the lack of page number annoys me.
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Post by jaydax on Apr 28, 2018 4:50:34 GMT -8
I agree that it is possible to read a pdf as an ebook on a computer with a large high resolution display. The MS Surface Pro is excellent for this. However you should be careful to have up-to-date anti-malware software and use only well known and trusted software to read it. There is no advantage to reading from pdf in this way unless it is a book containing illustrations which must remain precisely positioned to the text.
As to the lack of page numbers, Amazon recently changed their software to display the correct page numbers if a book is also available in printed form. That way a reliable reference can be given. Epub files tend to be more sophisticated than Mobi files so I doubt if this feature will lag far behind. I can't say if it's already there.
Smashwords responded to my query regarding the removal of the pdf option saying:
"You're certainly welcome to do this, of course. Feel free to let me know once you've done this for all of your books, and I'll be happy to re-approve everything in one fell swoop."
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jenniferrp
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Post by jenniferrp on Apr 28, 2018 8:05:44 GMT -8
I refuse to inconvenience legitimate customers in the name of stopping piracy. Smashwords is the only way to get a pdf of my stuff (short of working with me directly).
Epub and mobi are generally better, and ereaders do not handle pdfs well, but there might be some people who want the format.
I also work in gaming books where pdf is the standard format because epub and mobi don't handle illustrations as well and most people use tablets. So...nope, I'm going to keep offering pdfs.
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chelsfield
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Post by chelsfield on Apr 28, 2018 23:15:11 GMT -8
I agree that it is possible to read a pdf as an ebook on a computer with a large high resolution display. The MS Surface Pro is excellent for this. However you should be careful to have up-to-date anti-malware software and use only well known and trusted software to read it. There is no advantage to reading from pdf in this way unless it is a book containing illustrations which must remain precisely positioned to the text. As to the lack of page numbers, Amazon recently changed their software to display the correct page numbers if a book is also available in printed form. That way a reliable reference can be given. Epub files tend to be more sophisticated than Mobi files so I doubt if this feature will lag far behind. I can't say if it's already there. Smashwords responded to my query regarding the removal of the pdf option saying: "You're certainly welcome to do this, of course. Feel free to let me know once you've done this for all of your books, and I'll be happy to re-approve everything in one fell swoop." Thanks for the info about Amazon, jaydax .I wonder if they've been able to apply it to all books. I'll have to look at the books I've bought on kindle to see if that's been applied. |
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chelsfield
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Post by chelsfield on Apr 28, 2018 23:19:39 GMT -8
I refuse to inconvenience legitimate customers in the name of stopping piracy. Smashwords is the only way to get a pdf of my stuff (short of working with me directly). Epub and mobi are generally better, and ereaders do not handle pdfs well, but there might be some people who want the format. I also work in gaming books where pdf is the standard format because epub and mobi don't handle illustrations as well and most people use tablets. So...nope, I'm going to keep offering pdfs. Jenn, that's an interesting perspective, especially the gaming bit. I know there have been others on this forum who have hunted down pirated copies, and others who see the practice as marketing... |
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jenniferrp
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Post by jenniferrp on Apr 30, 2018 10:27:37 GMT -8
My perspective comes from absolutely hating DRM. It doesn't seem to help. I don't think not offering pdfs will help either.
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Post by jaydax on Apr 30, 2018 17:48:37 GMT -8
The first book I had which appeared on a pirate website was available only on Amazon and had DRM. I came to realise that some people looked upon it as a challenge. The result being that those books with DRM were more likely to be pirated. I no longer use DRM on books but still find the majority of pirate copies are that original one at Amazon. I made it free but still the original, non updated version, is out there.
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Post by jjmainor on Apr 30, 2018 21:01:26 GMT -8
Are you sure they actually have the book? Because most of those sites are simply phishing for the would-be pirates' information.
And I like to point out that a rare few of the sites out there that raise your eyebrows are actually people acting as affiliates for one retailer or another...I had a book sell recently that indicated it was an affiliate referral...
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chelsfield
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Post by chelsfield on May 1, 2018 23:16:02 GMT -8
I had heard that these sights are challenged by DRM. Funny how insistent publishers are on it. And as jj points, those that squawk loudest often have no compunction about stealing from the little people. Youtube is rife with that.
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Ria Stone
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Post by Ria Stone on May 25, 2018 8:25:58 GMT -8
My perspective comes from absolutely hating DRM. It doesn't seem to help. I don't think not offering pdfs will help either. DRM probably only helps if you have a lawyer to pursue the miscreants. |
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jenniferrp
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Post by jenniferrp on May 28, 2018 13:51:29 GMT -8
Ria, I knew people when video games still came on disc who would literally buy a game, leave it in the box, and then acquire a pirated version to actually PLAY because the DRM would do crap like suddenly decide it wasn't a licensed version mid game. It's not as bad with books.
Also, DRM sends a message that you believe your customers to be thieves.
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lulabelle
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Post by lulabelle on Oct 31, 2018 20:14:56 GMT -8
Personally, NONE of my books on Smash have ever been able to reproduce in a PDF format when it goes through their "Meat Grinder" system. Not one. I can only get MOBI or Epub, or the Online Reader Option for my readers. At first I was going to complain, or ask Smashwords why the PDF format wasn't coming up as an option on my completed book's pages, but ever since I heard about all the pirating issues going on out there (and I'm pretty sure PDF is the easiest way for them to steal the work) I'm not going to complain about my books not converting to PDF at this point. Fine by me!
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Post by Ted on Oct 31, 2018 21:00:32 GMT -8
Personally I'm not concerned about the small amount of my ebooks being pirated. No matter which digital format an author chooses, pdf, epub, mobi, there is a way to find it for free somewhere somehow.
I price most of my works at 99 cents. This pretty much discourages anyone from pirating my works cause there just isn't enough money to be made. I should know.
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