Book piracy - Google complicit?
I guess like many authors I set up a Google alert for references to my book. It crops up occasionally and it’s usually of no concern.
The other day I got one offering a free download of my book from storage.googleapis.com. Naturally I was concerned about piracy of my book, although my book is on Google Play etc. it’s not free.
When I clicked the link I was offered a PDF. This turned out to be a page that described my book using my own blurb etc, and a download link. This took me to a site called eaststemcell.com which wanted money for a subscription after which I could download thousands of books for free – including mine.
At the foot of the page was a link called DMCA and as I knew my book is copyrighted I clicked this. The page described in detail how to lodge a complaint and then had a link to another page to fill in a contact form. Guess what, 404.
So I decided to contact Google support to see why storage.googleapis.com seemed to be in collusion with pirates. Here is the ensuing conversation:
Google Support
Yogesh
8:35 PM
You are now connected to Yogesh, who will be with you momentarily.
Yogesh
8:35 PM
Hi, thanks for contacting Google Books Partner Program support! How can I assist you?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:36 PM
I have a book on Google Books and I find it seems to be being pirated by eaststemcell.com via googleapis.com. How can this be prevented because they have not sent me any royalties?
Yogesh
8:37 PM
I understand that your book is available on Google Books via googleapis.com without your consent. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:40 PM
Not quite. I did submit it to Google Books, but I assume that Google would pay royalties. It seems to be offered by eaststemcell.com without my consent. They claim almost 4000 downloads and say it's had 566 reviews. I received an alert about this a short while ago and the link was to googleapis which then took me to eaststemcell.com
Yogesh
8:41 PM
Could you please share the URL of the book in question?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:42 PM
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&...
Patrick C Notchtree
8:42 PM
That gets you a PDF which has a link which takes you to eaststemcell
Yogesh
8:43 PM
Thanks for sharing the link.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:43 PM
This is via storage/googleapis.com
Yogesh
8:44 PM
Please allow me a few minutes to look into your concern.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:44 PM
Then you get this
Patrick C Notchtree
8:44 PM
http://eaststemcell.com/files/storage...
Patrick C Notchtree
8:45 PM
Their DCMA contact link is a 404!
Yogesh
8:48 PM
Thanks for waiting.
Yogesh
8:49 PM
The book "The Clouds Still Hang" is available on Google Play in GB at the price of GBP 2.99. You'll receive earnings from Google if your book has been bought from Google Play.
Yogesh
8:50 PM
The link that you've shared leads to the eaststemcell web page and if your book is available on this site I suggest you to contact the eaststemcell and also, the DMCA link is working on my end.
Yogesh
8:50 PM
Here is their DMCA link: http://eaststemcell.com/storage/dmca....
Patrick C Notchtree
8:52 PM
Correct. It gives lots of details but they say they can only handle a complaint from their contact page which is 404. Try the link in that page.
Yogesh
8:54 PM
I suggest you to scroll down to the bottom of this page: http://eaststemcell.com/files/storage.... You'll find a DMCA hyperlink that should not give you a 404 error as it's working on my end.
Yogesh
8:55 PM
Hi, are you there?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:56 PM
That's just the same page again
Patrick C Notchtree
8:56 PM
It sends you round in circles but you always get directed to the contact page in the end which is 404
Yogesh
8:57 PM
Could you please try this link once: http://eaststemcell.com/contact.php?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:57 PM
They claim they do not host any files themselves so where are they getting the PDF from? Because of the link with googleapis I can only assume that this is a security flaw in Google Play.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:59 PM
If you follow the chain of links from there you end up in the same place. They're bloody clever and I guess just hope people will give up.
Yogesh
9:01 PM
Please know that your book is DRM enabled. DRM is intended to protect the content owner and keep e-books secure from unauthorized sharing. Your book is completely secure with us and only those users will be able to read it who have bought it. Please refer to our Help Center article on DRM: https://support.google.com/books/part...
Yogesh
9:01 PM
I apologize but I won't be able to help you with their website.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:02 PM
That’s what I thought. So is there a way of breaking their link with googleapis on grounds of abuse? It makes them appear legitimate and abusing Google's name.
Yogesh
9:04 PM
Please allow me a minute to fetch relevant information for you.
Yogesh
9:07 PM
Thanks for wating. I apologize but there is only one way which is to contact them as they are holding your book on their website.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:08 PM
It's impossible to contact them
Patrick C Notchtree
9:08 PM
Every DMCA circuit ends up at the 404
Yogesh
9:09 PM
You can email them at their email address.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:11 PM
They are quite clear that DMCA can only be handled via the specific page which is a 404. Maybe my only option is remove the books from Google Play and see if that makes it unavailable on eaststemcell.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:11 PM
If I email them I can bet that that's the reply I will get.
Yogesh
9:12 PM
Please know that removing the book from Google Play will not make any difference as it isn't linked with Google.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:13 PM
So why is the link forwarded from storage.googleapis.com?
Patrick C Notchtree
9:13 PM
Google could break that link.
Yogesh
9:15 PM
The link doesn't open on my end. Also, on clicking download button on http://eaststemcell.com/files/storage... leads to a page which claims that one needs to sign up first to read as many ebooks as they want.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:16 PM
Correct. And they say 4000 copies have been downloaded. But I've received nothing from them and I never uploaded the book to them so they are pirating it from somewhere and keeping my cash!
Yogesh
9:17 PM
It seems to me a fake link which leads to another fake link. Every link keeps you rotating to another link which leads you back to the same link.
Yogesh
9:18 PM
Please understand that they're not getting your book from Google.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:18 PM
That's what I've been saying all along. But I guess I'm getting nowhere. According to a whois search their server appears to be in San Francisco.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:19 PM
Possibly not, but people see the storage.googleapis.com and assume it's legitimate. So break that connection.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:20 PM
Wherever they got it, they are using Google's good name to carry on their scam.
Yogesh
9:21 PM
Please know that we only assist with queries related to Google Play Books Partner Center program. I request you to search for this google apis website and contact them as we only assist with Partner Center queries.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:21 PM
OK. Good bye
After a bit of a hunt I found the email address [email protected]
And so I sent them information, only for Google to bounce that saying it doesn’t exist.
I do not know where eaststemcell got my book in PDF format or any other, but does seem to me that Google are complicit, or at least negligent in allowing a server under their control to host pirated material.
So that’s my rant – any ideas or comments?
The other day I got one offering a free download of my book from storage.googleapis.com. Naturally I was concerned about piracy of my book, although my book is on Google Play etc. it’s not free.
When I clicked the link I was offered a PDF. This turned out to be a page that described my book using my own blurb etc, and a download link. This took me to a site called eaststemcell.com which wanted money for a subscription after which I could download thousands of books for free – including mine.
At the foot of the page was a link called DMCA and as I knew my book is copyrighted I clicked this. The page described in detail how to lodge a complaint and then had a link to another page to fill in a contact form. Guess what, 404.
So I decided to contact Google support to see why storage.googleapis.com seemed to be in collusion with pirates. Here is the ensuing conversation:
Google Support
Yogesh
8:35 PM
You are now connected to Yogesh, who will be with you momentarily.
Yogesh
8:35 PM
Hi, thanks for contacting Google Books Partner Program support! How can I assist you?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:36 PM
I have a book on Google Books and I find it seems to be being pirated by eaststemcell.com via googleapis.com. How can this be prevented because they have not sent me any royalties?
Yogesh
8:37 PM
I understand that your book is available on Google Books via googleapis.com without your consent. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:40 PM
Not quite. I did submit it to Google Books, but I assume that Google would pay royalties. It seems to be offered by eaststemcell.com without my consent. They claim almost 4000 downloads and say it's had 566 reviews. I received an alert about this a short while ago and the link was to googleapis which then took me to eaststemcell.com
Yogesh
8:41 PM
Could you please share the URL of the book in question?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:42 PM
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&...
Patrick C Notchtree
8:42 PM
That gets you a PDF which has a link which takes you to eaststemcell
Yogesh
8:43 PM
Thanks for sharing the link.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:43 PM
This is via storage/googleapis.com
Yogesh
8:44 PM
Please allow me a few minutes to look into your concern.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:44 PM
Then you get this
Patrick C Notchtree
8:44 PM
http://eaststemcell.com/files/storage...
Patrick C Notchtree
8:45 PM
Their DCMA contact link is a 404!
Yogesh
8:48 PM
Thanks for waiting.
Yogesh
8:49 PM
The book "The Clouds Still Hang" is available on Google Play in GB at the price of GBP 2.99. You'll receive earnings from Google if your book has been bought from Google Play.
Yogesh
8:50 PM
The link that you've shared leads to the eaststemcell web page and if your book is available on this site I suggest you to contact the eaststemcell and also, the DMCA link is working on my end.
Yogesh
8:50 PM
Here is their DMCA link: http://eaststemcell.com/storage/dmca....
Patrick C Notchtree
8:52 PM
Correct. It gives lots of details but they say they can only handle a complaint from their contact page which is 404. Try the link in that page.
Yogesh
8:54 PM
I suggest you to scroll down to the bottom of this page: http://eaststemcell.com/files/storage.... You'll find a DMCA hyperlink that should not give you a 404 error as it's working on my end.
Yogesh
8:55 PM
Hi, are you there?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:56 PM
That's just the same page again
Patrick C Notchtree
8:56 PM
It sends you round in circles but you always get directed to the contact page in the end which is 404
Yogesh
8:57 PM
Could you please try this link once: http://eaststemcell.com/contact.php?
Patrick C Notchtree
8:57 PM
They claim they do not host any files themselves so where are they getting the PDF from? Because of the link with googleapis I can only assume that this is a security flaw in Google Play.
Patrick C Notchtree
8:59 PM
If you follow the chain of links from there you end up in the same place. They're bloody clever and I guess just hope people will give up.
Yogesh
9:01 PM
Please know that your book is DRM enabled. DRM is intended to protect the content owner and keep e-books secure from unauthorized sharing. Your book is completely secure with us and only those users will be able to read it who have bought it. Please refer to our Help Center article on DRM: https://support.google.com/books/part...
Yogesh
9:01 PM
I apologize but I won't be able to help you with their website.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:02 PM
That’s what I thought. So is there a way of breaking their link with googleapis on grounds of abuse? It makes them appear legitimate and abusing Google's name.
Yogesh
9:04 PM
Please allow me a minute to fetch relevant information for you.
Yogesh
9:07 PM
Thanks for wating. I apologize but there is only one way which is to contact them as they are holding your book on their website.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:08 PM
It's impossible to contact them
Patrick C Notchtree
9:08 PM
Every DMCA circuit ends up at the 404
Yogesh
9:09 PM
You can email them at their email address.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:11 PM
They are quite clear that DMCA can only be handled via the specific page which is a 404. Maybe my only option is remove the books from Google Play and see if that makes it unavailable on eaststemcell.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:11 PM
If I email them I can bet that that's the reply I will get.
Yogesh
9:12 PM
Please know that removing the book from Google Play will not make any difference as it isn't linked with Google.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:13 PM
So why is the link forwarded from storage.googleapis.com?
Patrick C Notchtree
9:13 PM
Google could break that link.
Yogesh
9:15 PM
The link doesn't open on my end. Also, on clicking download button on http://eaststemcell.com/files/storage... leads to a page which claims that one needs to sign up first to read as many ebooks as they want.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:16 PM
Correct. And they say 4000 copies have been downloaded. But I've received nothing from them and I never uploaded the book to them so they are pirating it from somewhere and keeping my cash!
Yogesh
9:17 PM
It seems to me a fake link which leads to another fake link. Every link keeps you rotating to another link which leads you back to the same link.
Yogesh
9:18 PM
Please understand that they're not getting your book from Google.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:18 PM
That's what I've been saying all along. But I guess I'm getting nowhere. According to a whois search their server appears to be in San Francisco.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:19 PM
Possibly not, but people see the storage.googleapis.com and assume it's legitimate. So break that connection.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:20 PM
Wherever they got it, they are using Google's good name to carry on their scam.
Yogesh
9:21 PM
Please know that we only assist with queries related to Google Play Books Partner Center program. I request you to search for this google apis website and contact them as we only assist with Partner Center queries.
Patrick C Notchtree
9:21 PM
OK. Good bye
After a bit of a hunt I found the email address [email protected]
And so I sent them information, only for Google to bounce that saying it doesn’t exist.
I do not know where eaststemcell got my book in PDF format or any other, but does seem to me that Google are complicit, or at least negligent in allowing a server under their control to host pirated material.
So that’s my rant – any ideas or comments?
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Sorry you are going through this :-( I don't know what country you are in, but you can try to report it via the RCMP in Canada. https://www.antifraudcentre-centreant... They do take reports of online scam from other countries from what I see on their form. I've been trying to get my book to stop being used with links to scam sites for months. One of the sites suggested they didn't posses the book. But, not sure if they do or don't. No one seems to take this huge issue very seriously. It costs everyone. Actual book sellers, book publishing, book authors. It costs respect for the art form. It costs. Before we even look at money, it costs. IT costs the author time, effort and upset, it creates less productive artists because they are begging and pleading for people to listen and understand what a huge load this puts on us. Even before it costs us money, it costs us trust, it costs us time which could be used to be creative. Oh yes, it also costs morale as people hear about this. It comes at a huge cost to think that our work that we worked very hard on has been used to scam people making us part of it whether or not we want to. We have to put up notices everywhere to not be thought involved with this type of thing. It costs everyone :-(
Kaftogr wrote: "Hi Patrick, have you tried consulting an anti-piracy company so they can help you take down the infringing material? I use them for all my eBooks and AudioBooks and they have solved my piracy prob..." Now, sadly if you are a low budget author, this will not help you. The RCMP might be a possible option, though I have yet to see much come of it. It's sad all around.
Patrick C Notchtree
Rambling rants and reflections of the author of “The Clouds Still Hang”, a trilogy telling a story of love and betrayal, novels that chart one man's attempts to rise above the legacy of a traumatic ch
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I use them for all my eBooks and AudioBooks and they have solved my piracy problem.
In fact because I was in a very bad economic state when I contacted them, they provided me their service for free, until I could start making some money from my books!