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How To Set Up a Pirate EBook Store In Google Play Books

Posted by timothy on from the pirate-business-plan dept.

Nate the greatest writes: Most ebook pirates simply upload ebooks to one of many pirate sites, but the entrepreneurial ones have opened storefronts in Google Play Books. They invent an author's name, and then upload dozens if not hundreds of pirated ebooks under that name, The names can range from Devad Akbak to Ispanyolca, but the really clever pirates choose a legit sounding name like Bestsellers — Books USA Press or Fort Press and then start selling ebooks.

Thanks to Google's indifference, the pirates can continue to sell ebooks no matter how many times copyright holders might complain. If Google takes a pirated ebook down in response to a DMCA notice, the pirates simply upload another copy of the same title.

5 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Lawsuit incoming? by Dog-Cow · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Unless every single pirated work is free on their store, Google is in for a massive lawsuit and probably criminal charges for profiting on copyright violations.

    1. Re:Lawsuit incoming? by stephanruby · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I could personally target one legitimate publisher with many DMCA take down requests (where I lie about my identity). And I could do this repeatedly. That would create a pattern. Wouldn't it?

      Also, I wonder what happens when a scammer is discovered. Is the ebook taken back by Google like Amazon did with 1984? Google Play Books is a DRM bookstore, so technically it could do that.

      No one I know actually uses Google Play Books. It's full of DRM and Google doesn't even prevent competing bookstores from appearing on Android. So it's not like anyone is actually buying any ebook from them. Their prices are not even discounted compared to the ebooks from other bookstores without DRM.

  2. OK, so let me get this straight by Brett+Buck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Slashdot is now sanctioning crimes and giving instructions on how to commit them?

        Someone might have a point about the wisdom of copyright law but there's no doubt that it *is* against the law.

  3. Re: Google reminds me of MS in the late '90s by pollarda · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Keep in mind that by that point IE was being used by Microsoft for a whole lot more than browsing the web. Significant parts of IE was being used for file display / file browser and a whole lot more. IE was intertwined throughout the Windows operating system and thus simply removing it would have been very difficult. At the same time, I'm sure MS could have found a way to not install the users client that displayed web pages.

  4. Interesting business model by johanw · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I didn't know this would actually work. Now /. has given me the idea I'll try it out and see if someone is really stupid enough to buy an ebook instead of downloading it from usenet / bittorrent / mobilism / ...