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M$1 April 12, 2009 06:02 AM

How can I harass a guy selling my ebook on ebay? Didn't even have the courtesy to list my name.

http://myworld.ebay.com/nik1414_2009/

Ebay sent me a form to be filled out and sent back by snailmail. Auction ends in 13 hours.
Interesting Question?  Yes (2)   No (0)   

Interesting: interzone, bunnyphuphu

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April 12, 2009 06:31 AM
Create a new eBay name (optional), buy your e-books, don't pay for them, and then leave the guy negative feedback. He can't leave you negative feedback in return.
Asker's Rating:
• I sure thought about this. I might do it if there is a next time.


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Helpful: interzone

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April 12, 2009 07:13 AM
Now that is a good idea.

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April 12, 2009 01:51 PM
"An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind."

I guess you want to sink to his level...

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April 12, 2009 05:36 PM
All right drmatt, you have a point. It's not that I mind so much him taking the ebook and reselling it. I could live with that. It's that my name was taken off.

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April 12, 2009 05:51 PM
As I understand it, on ebay the seller doesn't have to deliver anything until the payment has cleared. So even if this was a good idea, I don't think it would work.

Looks like the guy is selling a whole bunch of e-books. Quite likely they are stolen from a lot of different people. So rather than taking personal revenge, I would go through e-bay and put him out of business once and for all.

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April 12, 2009 08:04 PM
I do have the form, I have filled it out and I will send it in. I notice that no one bought the ebook. What a pain. I don't know whether to be happy or depressed.

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April 12, 2009 08:08 PM
My suggestion wasn't based upon 'personal revenge' so much as warning potential buyers about the true nature of this guy's business. He deserves negative feedback that lets people know that he is stealing other people's work to make a profit.

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April 12, 2009 07:30 AM
you can play whack a mole on ebay and other places, or you can change your business model.

If someone is publishing your work after editing out your copyright info, they are certaily breaking some law. good luck, though, getting some police force to work to protect your IP rights.

Francis Hammit is an author i became aware of from Jerry Pournelle's site. He self publishes his work and has a blog about his efforts to protect his copyrights.

http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/

http://brasscannonbooks.net/

Interestingly, he does not subscribe to the "give your e-book away free and the world will pay you for paper books and tee shirts and mugs and speaking fees" that works so well for Jonathan Coulton and Cory Doctorow.

I'd imagine that you are not the only author he is ripping off. Good luck.

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Helpful: drmatt

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April 12, 2009 07:46 AM
Thanks for the info. I have several of Pournelle's books. Nivens, too. I wonder if they ever remember signing "Footfall" for the guy who said that he "makes little Japanese androids?"

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April 12, 2009 01:52 PM
The best revenge is success!

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April 12, 2009 05:17 PM
Inform ebay about the IP violation through their VERO program.

You could also purchase the item and not pay for it. Ebay allows non-paying buyers to leave negative feedback.
Source(s):
http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/programs-vero-ov.html


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Helpful: philipy

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