
It looks like Google has mostly solved the piracy issue, but it’s coming at a cost. Martin for only a few dollars each, while the legitimate version cost a heck of a lot more. You could buy Fifty Shades of Grey, the whole Harry Potter oeuvre and some work by that Game of Thrones guy, George R.R. Will we get a similar system for Google Play Books? Likely not without a major lawsuit.Google Play Books experienced a massive piracy problem last year and many unscrupulous individuals were uploading other peoples e-books and making a ton of money. When this happens, the video gets a Content ID claim. Copyright owners get to decide what happens when content in a video on YouTube matches a work they own. This results in videos uploaded to YouTube are scanned against a database of files that have been submitted to them by content owners.


After all, it took a lawsuit against YouTube to implement ContentID. Will it take a lawsuit by a major publisher in order for Google to see the error of their ways? After all, lawsuits have spurned innovation that has reverberating effects on the entire industry. We have highlighted this to Google and are working closely with them to resolve the issue.” We are aware that there is currently an issue with pirated titles being uploaded onto Google Play. They said they are aware of the issue are doing their due diligence to see how wide spread the issue is. A HarperCollins spokesperson said: “Piracy threatens the creativity and intellectual rights of authors as publishers we seek to protect both our authors and their work. Authors closer to come are start to bring it to the attention of Penguin Random House and HarperCollins. Googles indifference to piracy may change as the Dutch Publishers Association has been made aware of the issue, due to Netherlands based authors complaining that their books are being pirated. Not does it employ any methods to scan for ISBN numbers and reference it against the Open Library or any other mainstream database. They do not have cover art algorithms that cross-reference newly published content with an original author. It honestly does not seem like Google is taking piracy seriously at all. Additionally, we’re constantly improving our systems to provide a better experience.” We take swift action when we receive a DMCA complaint, which the copyright holder can complete here. Google made the following statement to Good e-Reader when asked about the rampant piracy issue on Play.
#Google play books customer service android#
It is no small wonder why pirates are turning to Play Books, after all it comes installed on most modern Android smartphones and tablets, similar to how iBooks is bundled on the iPhone and iPads. Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Google fight over the rest of the users. Likely the publisher is already back on Google Play Books under a new name.Ĭurrently Amazon controls 75% of the digital book market in the US and 95% in the UK. What is not known, is how much the pirate publisher made in the last few years selling bestsellers for only a few dollars. One dastardly company particular is called Bestsellers – Books USA Press and they sold hundreds of pirated e-books for a number of years.īooks USA Press is officially shut down, but it took a number of news outlets to petition Google in order to bring it to their attention. This allows anyone to call themselves a publishing company and sell books on behalf of the authors. Upon closer inspection these books were really written by legitimate authors such as Sylvia Day, Orson Scott Card or Tom Clancy.įake publishing companies are also taking advantage of the Google Play Books Partner Program. Fake authors such as Flamanca Hollanda are posting a ton of books and racking up thousands of dollars in sales, which Google gets a cut. So how exactly are pirated books being uploaded to Google Play Books? There are a few commonality factors that are currently being employed.
#Google play books customer service series#
James, all seven Harry Potter books, or even George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series – all bundled together and sold alongside legitimate content offerings. This includes pirated copies of the entire 50 Shades trilogy by E.L. If you casually browse the Google Play Books section, it is fairly easy to find all of the modern bestsellers, at a fraction of the price. It is a vicious cycle and so far Google Play Books is firmly endorsing piracy.

Google won’t do anything about the pirated copies and has even told authors inquiring about their illegitimate books that they have to contact the publisher.

It is ridiculously easy for someone to start a publishing company and upload thousands of pirated books and piggyback on the success of established authors. Google Play Books is quickly becoming a den of iniquity and a veritable cesspool of piracy.
