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Wednesday 5 November 2008

Thar be pirates...


In the last couple of days I have found myself under threat of pirates. Shiver me timbers….I would like to say it's a pirate like Captain Jack Sparrow but alas me hearties it's not. Its e-book pirates…little buggers. Who are they? They are illegal book sites that basically sell, swap or trade your e-book to people. I have found myself and quite a few other authors I know on these sites.

Now, I won’t say it doesn't piss me off - because it does. You put hard work into a book and you want to see the rewards - i.e. $$. That's just common sense. But with these sites neither you nor the publisher sees that money because some unscrupulous little bastard has made copies or on sold your book for their own profit. It stinks and it's wrong but some people will always do the wrong thing without giving a rat’s arse for anyone else - and me jumping up and down and chucking a wobbly (tantrum) is not going to get me anywhere.

How do you combat these wankers? Well, the only re-course is through cease and desist legalese from publishers letters to these sites. There are huge fines involved. It's written on the inside of every book. Yay - you say - not yay - because these individuals will cease and then start up somewhere else. It's sort of like fleas jumping from one dog to another.

Yes and it's wrong and it stinks and people should act with manners and be respectful but some people never get that. So, as always every week I do a search on Amarinda Jones and send off the illegal sites to my publisher and they stop them until they start up somewhere else. So these 'pirates' aren’t glamorous or even vaguely interesting. It’s basically theft and there will always be thieves amongst us. I’ll let karma get them.

Now - in saying all this - if any e-book pirate or piratette is out there and would like to email me on amarinda_jones@yahoo.com.au to explain how they can justify their actions or just to discuss the topic - please feel free. I am happy to listen and even air your views on my blog, facebook, myspace etc. And - not to discriminate - if there are any real pirates - ala Jack Sparrow out there - can you email too if you want…actually please do - real pirates rock. So go ahead - justify yourself…I dare you.

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Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

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