It was brought to my attention that a site is posting a large number of stories all sourced from SOL.
The site is a Wordpress site.
https://machinebookss.wordpress.com/
to request your works to be taken down from the site, here is the DMCA form for the Wordpress hosting company:
https://automattic.com/dmca-notice/
Browsing the beast, there are more stories there than it first appears. I don't understand the index structure but it seems you need to go through the various categories.
Whoever did this has had Premier Membership at one point, https://machinebookss.wordpress.com/2018/06/20/past-lives-ms-friday/ was originally posted that way rather than through account inactivity.
The date the stories were copied is not the date shown in the links, I have seen stories which had definitely been deleted before 2018 but which appear with that year in the link.
But only the description and the synopsis (if provided). Seems they are just translated, the stories are still in English.
HM.
I have been experimenting with google (works badly with my browser) and duckduckgo, and can now only see two of your stories there. Both have Portuguese descriptions:
https://machinebookss.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/michael-loucks-uma-vida-bem-vivida-2-livro-6-samantha/
https://machinebookss.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/michael-loucks-uma-vida-bem-vivida-2-livro-8-nika/
Both with the User Comments at the end!
Those User Comments make it clear that the offender was not using the Zip / TXT / Kindle / EPUB buttons, still - as I said earlier - one of the stories was posted as premier-only right from the start.
Both with the User Comments at the end!
I think Lazeez has a compilation copyright on the comments! :-)
I couldn't spot any of mine, but I don't think I was able to check the whole site. I also saw a lot of them had fancy covers as if they were posted for sale on Amazon as well. So, if any of your stories are on there, you should check Amazon as well.
Lazeez, I selected the "Read more" for "Sean David Kilpatrick Flynn Book of Wizard 1-3 – MisguidedChild" and found some links at the bottom of chapter 1. "Home" returns you to SOL's home page, the other to MisguidedChild's author page on SOL!
The setup suggests to the unsuspecting user it was done with cooperation from SOL.
HM.
Their search engine is a nightmare, as whatever you type, it returns a list of their 'most viewed' stories is seemingly random order. They also limit you to 6 listings at a time (probably a non-member limitation), which further limits searching for copyrighted material.
I posted a DCMA notice for the only story I could find of mine at the site, from my first-ever posting back in 2011. They didn't seem to have captured ANY of the subsequent revisons of the book, nor any of my other books (15 to date). Given the date of the material, I'm guessing he actually got the pages from the WayBackMachine, rather than directly from SOL. :(
I don't believe you *can* pick SOL stories up from the Wayback Machine, someone had premier membership and then uploaded previously downloaded stories to that site last year.
It would be interesting to know who the machinebookss site belongs to.
Some of the pages appeared to have been indexed by Google. I found only one of your stories using site search
26 Jun 2018 - Storiesonline.net ------- An Awkward Awakening by Crumbly Writer Copyright© 2011 by Crumbly Writer ------- Description: A young man, just ...
AJ
Some of the pages appeared to have been indexed by Google. I found only one of your stories using site search
Some? That would be unusual - it is usually all or nothing and my money is on "all" in this case.
(oh, and I used duckduckgo to find a story there, it's not just google)
Some? That would be unusual - it is usually all or nothing and my money is on "all" in this case.
Michael Loucks reported issuing DMCA notices for 22 of his stories. IIRC, my google site search found 7.
When I do a vanity search on SOL, I find that google doesn't return all my stories.
IIRC, google drops unpopular pages.
AJ
I don't use Google itself nowadays, but I seem to remember that there was normally a little button at the bottom stating that similar search results had been suppressed and "click here to display them".
Of course you can ignore that if that is what you did.
I don't use Google itself nowadays, but I seem to remember that there was normally a little button at the bottom stating that similar search results had been suppressed and "click here to display them".
I'm not sure how that works.
I did a vanity search on another name. Google returned 4 pages of results but no stories by that author. I clicked on the Google thingy to show all results. It reported finding 195 instances, but would only show me six pages of results. However those six pages of results included four (about half) of the author's stories.
AJ
I have just been notified by - AmigaClone - Crumbly - Ernest
The Man From Eagle Creek &
The Legend of Eli Crow
Have both been posted on WordPress
I have submitted a take down application
on both stories.
WordPress would rather make a dime
than deny anyone falsely posting a story
JRyter
I was just doing some random searches and saw RoustWriter's -Arlene & Jeff - posted on the Machineworks page. First time I've seen this one in my searches. May have been there all the time - dunno -
JRyter
I was just doing some random searches and saw RoustWriter's -Arlene & Jeff - posted on the Machineworks page. First time I've seen this one in my searches. May have been there all the time - dunno -
It was there when I first checked on Sunday.
No response except the automated one saying they got my DMCA notice.
Holy cow.
I just scanned through the recent posts and 75% were taken from SOL....
Crumbly, jtryder, docH, JoeJ, John Wales,K randel, feral lady,misguided childe,Michael Loucks Raven Soule,Don Lockwood, Lubrican,Shrink42,Old Fart, Rare Dream,Dark Pen,Pettybox,Ms. Friday,bluedragon,SmokinDriver,Will Bailey, T-Rix,Martinmac,Ken Randall...
this was just from a casual glance
sheesh
Is there anything that can be done about this site through WordPress, since they are hosting the website.
ETA: WordPress's Terms of Use expressly forbid copyright violations such as those occurring on Machinebookss and the violations are extensive, not a one-time thing.
Is there anything that can be done about this site through WordPress
The OP by Lazeez has a link to an on-line DMCA notice page for Wordpress' parent company.
Is there anything that can be done about this site through WordPress, since they are hosting the website.
If they receive enough DMCA take down notices, they might decide to take down the whole account.
But other than DMCA take downs, not much can be done.
If they receive enough DMCA take down notices, they might decide to take down the whole account.
But other than DMCA take downs, not much can be done.
This can be tricky. While they can take down sites residing on their website, many users 'opt in' to WordPress through their service providers, which offer the software (and support) free of charge and with NO supervision of content!!! So it's clearly not as cut and dried as it's being portrayed here. Especially when the sites are NOT in countries with ready internet access, but those with poor internet restriction laws or little access to the more commonly used sites.
they can take down sites residing on their website
This particular site is hosted on wordpress.com so Automattic has full control, hence the DMCA link that I provided.
This particular site is hosted on wordpress.com so Automattic has full control, hence the DMCA link that I provided.
Correct.
For Crumbly: there's a difference between a "wordpress site" hosted on wordpress.com and the wordpress software that is made available by hosting companies. With my hosting company I can have a "wordpress site" with a few clicks if I wanted to, but that is on my own domain name, not wordpress.com.
If they receive enough DMCA take down notices
If I understand the situation correctly, there are two websites involved - WordPress and Machinebookss. The stories are on the Machinebookss website and WordPress only hosts the Machinebooks website.
Do the take down notices go to WordPress or Machinebookss or both? If they only go to Machinebookss, there would be no reason for WordPress to shutdown the site.
I believe that WordPress has a Facebook page. I would suggest that the authors who had their copyrights violated post comments on WordPress's Facebook page about WordPress not enforcing their Terms of Use policy and tolerating the copyright violations that the website they are hosting is committing. That type of negative publicity may have more effect on WordPress than a DMCA notice.
There are other stories on the Machinebookss website and I suspect those stories were posted without the authors' permission. It may be worthwhile for some of the effected authors to post comments on the other story sites about this situation so other authors can issue DMCA take down notices.
Do the take down notices go to WordPress or Machinebookss or both?
Since it's hosted on their servers, Automattic has an obligation to respond or potentially loose their section 230 protections. Which means they have to pass the notices on to Machinebookss and see to it that Machinebookss doesn't ignore the notices themselves.
I just got through sending seven - yes (7) more DCMA takedowns on more of my stories.
AmigaClone made me aware of them, just by entering jryter in the search box and clicking it.
Something has to be done.
Something has to be done.
Sadly, there isn't much which can be done except the DMCA, unless you want to engage an attorney (and hopefully have registered your copyrights so you can extract maximum damages). A lawsuit would be expensive, with no guarantee of results in any reasonable timeframe.
Sadly, there isn't much which can be done except the DMCA, unless you want to engage an attorney (and hopefully have registered your copyrights so you can extract maximum damages). A lawsuit would be expensive, with no guarantee of results in any reasonable timeframe.
What's more, although most get the message fairly quickly, for the persistent abusers, all they have to do is to shift the content to another unauthorized site, and the entire 'take-down' process begins again. It's NOT an efficient deterrent agent, and the entire copyright protection ISN'T geared to protecting authors at all. There's really little you can do to stop anyone from knowingly stealing your work and passing it off as their own (or, more commonly, as was done here, to use an existing site to give your new site the 'sheen' of respectability and quality content, when it HAS no access to stories/photos/content of its own).
I found "The Legend of Eli Crow" on this Russian site:
https://tl.rulate.ru/book/19295/468726/ready
You will have to use Google to translate but it is all there so probably other authors will find their works.
We're hitting the law of diminishing returns here.
Either someone has translated this story into russian by hand or it was done automatically.
By hand? Wow.
Automatically? Is it even readable? My russian was exhausted after having clicked the "da" button which allowed me to read this porn so I can't judge.
Either someone has translated this story into russian by hand or it was done automatically.
If they're good translations Lazeez should scrape THAT site and start storiesonline.ru
ROTFLOL
I found "The Legend of Eli Crow" on this Russian site:
https://tl.rulate.ru/book/19295/468726/ready
You will have to use Google to translate but it is all there so probably other authors will find their works.
Hey, if nothing else, at least they produced a Russian translation for you (though passing something through Google Translate hardly counts as a translation, as they're mostly garbage).
Got a reply to my DMCA notice saying the infringing works on machinebooks had been removed. We'll see if that sticks.
The non-english copies/translations are still there.
I hope this doesn't turn into some perverse version of whack-a-mole.
The non-english copies/translations are still there.
I hope this doesn't turn into some perverse version of whack-a-mole.
The titles of my works are there, but the content has been replaced with DMCA notices.
I received 10 replies to all my DMCA notices
Just now looked up the link to Eli Crow being posted on the Russian site.
Something is bad wrong here. U.S. Copyrights mean nothing anymore.
Something is bad wrong here. U.S. Copyrights mean nothing anymore.
That's becoming true across the board, as there is little teeth to copyright law other than the individual suing the thief (if they can identify them). But it's likely worse in Russia, since they've mostly dismissed ALL American/European legal claims. Again, there IS no 'international' copyright facility, as it's governed by the rules in each country. If Russia (and now most countries, companies and online firms) routinely ignore those laws, there's little you can do. :(
Again, there IS no 'international' copyright facility, as it's governed by the rules in each country
Try looking up the Berne Convention. On the otherhand, I would be surprised if Russia was a signatory.
Try looking up the Berne Convention.
The reality is that there are many conventions, all accepted and signed by countries around the world. Except, when the convention gets to their border, many signatory countries response is basically; "Yes we signed it, but you're in our country now and our rules apply, |(or are not enforced unless broken by a foreigner).
Simple example, US Embassy in London owes $15.2 million in unpaid traffic charges.
A drop in the ocean when compared to the The United States debt of $381 million owed to the United Nations.
Every European country is a signatory to the UN regulations concerning the transport of dangerous goods, yet Germany and certain other countries demand compliance with their own rules over those set out in the UN agreement.
Whilst neither example concerns copyright, it would seem simple enough that if a Government cannot pay a parking charge or stand by a something it is a signatory of, it is to be expected that something as trivial as copyright isn't even considered.
I describe it as trivial not because I don't think it is important, but because unless it involves a great deal of money, the authorities basically don't care. If you bootleg a Disney product, copy an EMI record or a blockbuster movie, things end up in court, news reports, a headline or two. But a breach of the Berne convention by some thieving asshole plagiarising a story posted to a free story site? Forget it. Whilst the convention applies across the board, it is only enforced if it affects major investment/revenue.
Justice isn't blind, she just can't afford the legal fees.
The reality is that there are many conventions, all accepted and signed by countries around the world. Except, when the convention gets to their border, many signatory countries response is basically
There is some truth to this, but the Berne Convention doesn't work like this. The Berne convention requires the signatories to create copyright laws with certain attributes, and to recognize copyrights for works created elsewhere.
To the extent that US based independent creators have trouble enforcing US copyrights abroad, it may have more to do with the fact that the US is NOT a signatory to the Berne Convention than it does with the issue you describe.
the Berne Convention doesn't work like this.
It is not about how a convention should work, but about how it actually works in practise.
The difference between the ideal and the reality.
To the extent that US based independent creators have trouble enforcing US copyrights abroad, it may have more to do with the fact that the US is NOT a signatory to the Berne Convention than it does with the issue you describe.
The US is a signatory to the Berne Convention. They entered late but are now: Berne Convention Contracting Parties
Every European country is a signatory to the UN regulations concerning the transport of dangerous goods, yet Germany and certain other countries demand compliance with their own rules over those set out in the UN agreement.
Does these UN rules forbid stricter rules? I don't think so or Germany wouldn't have signed the convention.
However some international treaties were signed by the German government but not ratified by Germany because parliament insisted on the stricter German rules already in place.
Signatory and ratification are two different stages, sometimes a government signs a convention well knowing it will never be ratified.
HM.
Does these UN rules forbid stricter rules? I don't think so or Germany wouldn't have signed the convention.
The UN regs pre date the current German ones. The entire point of the UN regs was to unilaterally agree a set of rules that would allow those goods to be labelled, packaged and transported worldwide (between signatories) without the need to relabel, repackage etc whilst enroute.
So, currently these goods shipped worldwide from Germany abide by and conform to UN regs, but an item crossing into Germany HAS to conform to their regs. Hypocritical much?
Note: I'm not picking on Germany, whilst a prime example, they are by no means alone in ignoring Internationally agreed regs within their borders.
When countries or systems agree a standard but 'in house' insist on their own standard being used, bad things can happen. Case in point, NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter.
The navigation team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) used the metric system of millimeters and meters in its calculations, while Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, Colorado, which designed and built the spacecraft, provided crucial acceleration data in the English system of inches, feet, and pounds. JPL engineers did not take into consideration that the units had been converted, i.e., the acceleration readings measured in English units of pound-seconds^2 for a metric measure of force called newton-seconds^2.
Source
Simple example, US Embassy in London owes $15.2 million in unpaid traffic charges.
I disagree. The charges are from the congestion tax and diplomatic rules say that ambassadorial staff are exempt from such taxes. The UK government is trying to be cute in pretending it's not a tax to fool the common people who actually do have to pay it.
AJ
Obviously it is in their interest too claim it is a tax as they are exempt from paying tax. Basic self interest.
However
Under the 1961 Vienna Convention, diplomats are immune from prosecution in their host country and from paying tax. Transport for London insists the Congestion Charge is a service fee, not a tax and says embassies are liable for the cost, although the number of unpaid charges suggest the diplomatic staff think differently.
However, immunity doesn't mean diplomats can't pay them and some nations honour any charges that arise from their vehicles using the capital's roads.
According to the FCO data, diplomats from three embassies – the Central African Republic, New Zealand and Paraguay – owe absolutely nothing, having consistently settled their accrued debts over the years. Others, including Peru, Montenegro and the Netherlands have less than £100 in unpaid parking tickets. (As of 19th June 2019)
Under the 1961 Vienna Convention, diplomats are immune from prosecution in their host country and from paying tax.
The analysis of the convention that I've seen refers to the appointed diplomats, ie the Ambassador, but not the general embassy staff. However, many people claim all of the embassy vehicles and staff are exempt from any fees, taxes or fines for anything done by them - and that is not what the convention is meant to cover. Thus many of the types of fines run up in other countries by embassy staff are by the non-diplomats on the staff.
Thus many of the types of fines run up in other countries by embassy staff are by the non-diplomats on the staff.
The reason they go unpaid is because the perpetrators have diplomatic immunity, thus ARE diplomats. However the account is somewhat balanced by the amount owed by UN staff the NYC in unpaid fines.
The reason they go unpaid is because the perpetrators have diplomatic immunity,
Not true, many of the staff claim diplomatic immunity, but very few actually have it. They claim immunity because they're driving a car with diplo plates on it. However, the driver and occupants often do not have diplomatic immunity because only applies to a few senior staff at the mission. Because of the diplo plates the police can not detain the car except under some very serious situations, thus they can only report the offence.
Many staff will travel on a diplomatic passport but not have diplomatic immunity because their position doesn't rate immunity but does rate an official diplomatic passport. A common position like this is the embassy embedded immigration staff to pre-check migration and visa application. Most such senior staff are citizens working for their government while overseeing a lot of locally employed staff to do the scut work.
If the ambassador is in a car involved in a serious incident serious enough to warrant keeping the vehicle at the senior the car and official driver are detained while the ambassador is allowed to continue on his way since he has diplomatic immunity but the driver and vehicle don't.
Not true, many of the staff claim diplomatic immunity, but very few actually have it.
Agreed. Which was my point.
AJ had posted;
The charges are from the congestion tax and diplomatic rules say that ambassadorial staff are exempt from such taxes.
Which as you say is incorrect. 'Staff' are only exempt if they actually have diplomatic immunity.
Don't forget that there are different levels of diplomatic immunity, at least here in the US. It sounds as if you and Ernest are talking about Full Diplomatic Immunity. That level of diplomatic immunity protects all aspects of the diplomat's life (i.e., professional and personal). Then there is limited diplomatic immunity which protects the diplomat's actions in relation to his professional activities, but not his personal life.
The great majority of UN conventions only require the signatories to enact laws in line with the general terms of the convention to the extent they wish to enact local laws. Thus many countries have laws that do not fully align with the conventions they signed and they're perfectly correct as per the UN convention because they enacted some laws on the subject. There is nothing stopping a country from having laws stricture than the UN conventions for most of them, unless they contravene another UN convention they signed like the civil rights convention.