I googled capt8td and found 8 of her(his?) books on Bookmate.com. Guessing from what I read, anybody can upload books there, they assume he holds the appropriate rights.
I found books by Ernest Bywater there: 'Same Sex Marriage' 'Débâcle', 'Contagion', 'No Names – No Pack Drill' and others.
HM.
Thanks for the Heads Up, HM. Do they have those books as being free or are they charging for them? I ask as the ones you list are all given away free on Lulu, D2D, and a few other sites, but almost all the rest are sold via Lulu and D2D outlets only.
I tried to open an account but they wanted a credit card which I couldn't give them. Thus I couldn't access the site to check.
Thanks. So she/he is probably receiving some kind of return on her works at the pay site Bookmate.com, even though it is free elsewhere. Wonder what kind of money you get there?
Wonder what kind of money you get there?
I checked their terms of service and couldn't find anything about payments to authors. I also emailed their lawyer as per their ToS states to, but haven't had a reply from them yet.
The site seems to be a pay for reading access library service, but I can't tell for sure without joining it.
I don't have an account with them, and I've not listed any of my works with them, so none of my books should be available through them. However, there is a slight possibility they may have got the freebies via Amazon via Lulu or got them via D2D - don't know.
The site seems to be a pay for reading access library service, but I can't tell for sure without joining it.
If it is a library related reading site, then my works should be listed, as D2D has more extensive library sharing outlets than any other independent outlet, so many I have trouble keeping up with them, despite my earning diddly on most (cents for each read, as opposed to the list price for purchasing).
However, any site which doesn't list the Terms of Service before requiring a credit card to join is beyond questionable, it's a complete scam site!
Bookmate.com is not listed as one of those linked through D2D, and due to the list of books they do have available I know they aren't getting the books from D2D, but are getting them from Amazon. Since many of their ToS are the same as Amazon I suspect there is some sort of relationship there as well.
I found this site via a Google search and tried to understand their Legalese. Mind you my first language isn't English. You can upload your books and share (or not) them with other members. They firmly state you must have the appropriate rights for sharing, but they trust on your say-so.
After I found Ernest's books I seached for "John D. MacDonald" and they have a few of his books too. The stories are old and due to the old US copyright now free.
At least one of them seems to be ripped from Project Gutenberg and all passages about Gutenberg removed. There is one statement about the expired copyright with the same wording as in Gutenberg books.
You can read the first few pages of the books then they want you to join their club. I didn't go into the joining process so I don't know what it takes. I'm not this curious.
HM.
Edited to correct spelling of copyright
The site owner has re-posted the stories under the correct authors.
It's nice when someone finally does the correct thing.
They firmly state you must have the appropriate rights for sharing, but they trust on your say-so.
Every story sharing site has to take their poster's work for having the rights to post a story. Absent mandatory registration of copyrights, there is simply no way for anyone to verify such claims up front.
At least one of them seems to be ripped from Project Gutenberg and all passages about Gutenberg removed. There is one statement about the expired copyright with the same wording as in Gutenberg books.
And that's perfectly legal, at least in the US.
All the stories on project Gutenberg are public domain (expired copyright).
And as to the statement about expired copyright:
Under US copyright law, simple facts, (name/phone# data, sports scores, that a book is off copyright) can not be copyrighted or protected as a subset of a larger work.
There are too few ways to make the expired copyright statement in a grammatically valid way. Any attempt by Project Gutenberg to try and claim copyright on that statement is US courts would be doomed to failure.
Every story sharing site has to take their poster's work for having the rights to post a story. Absent mandatory registration of copyrights, there is simply no way for anyone to verify such claims up front.
That's valid, but they'd also have an easily accessible copyright violation filing, and list the TOS before accessing your credit card info!
So far, we've heard LOTS of theories of where they might have gotten the stories, but so far, I suspect they're just a plain ol' slipshod 'post whatever shit you stole here' site.
but they'd also have an easily accessible copyright violation filing
Only if such a filing has been made.
but they'd also have an easily accessible copyright violation filing
Only if such a filing has been made.
That was my point. Worthwhile sites make it relatively simple to file a complaint, while those skating under the radar typically make it as difficult as possible to file complaints.
But seeing as how they did respond, they are at least receptive when a report is filed.