Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Anti-Piracy Post: A Call to Arms


I didn't have time to find a good photo that was open source. Sorry.


This is a call to arms, to all my readers who are

a) buyers or sellers on Etsy

and

b) against theft,

and

c) support my efforts as a self-published author.

This really bugs me, and yes, this is a bit in my self-interest, but it just chaps my hide, so I thought I'd ask. Every once in a while I do a search on Etsy for "soap making." I have written and published two books on soap making that I offer on my website and on Etsy, and I like to check on the competition. On Etsy, there isn't very much.

But recently, I discovered these books: here, here, and here. This person has taken other folks' ebooks, burned them to CDs, and is selling them. Heck, she's not even burning them to CDs. I have MANY problems with this, foremost that is is theft. It's outright theft.

Second that's not handmade, which is what Etsy is supposed to be about. If you wrote it, and you are selling it, that's fine. I have no problem with competition. I do have a problem with thieves.

So, my Call to Arms is this: if you have the inclination, would you please click those links (and look at her other listings, where she's selling them as pdfs), and at the site, on the right side, click on "Report this item to Etsy." Then, choose, "Handmade: not made by seller," and then click Submit. That's all.

You see--I keep reporting these items, but nothing happens. If many people click them, maybe they can be removed.

You see what I mean? Snarky, right? My competition, right? Wrong. I don't compete with thieves. The other folks who are selling actual books they wrote--no problem. Stealing? Problem!

4 comments:

  1. Ugg. That totally sucks. People have no common sense sometimes, do they?

    :(

    *goes off to report the pirates*

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  2. I like Etsy because it's handmade and in that sense, unique. It's really sad (and frustrating) when people abuse the system. Consider it done.

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  3. Absolutely I will click on those. And you should have a load of self interest about the hard work you put into your books. You're a rock star!

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  4. Thanks, Lisa. I appreciate that. It is hard to battle pirates of my own work, let alone others.

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