Print Books Are Target of Pirates on the Web

This is an interesting article that I found in the New York Times, published May 11, 2009. The article dives into the issue of copyright novels/books being released on the Internet without the authors permission, which is illegal. Like illegally downloaded music, ebooks are becoming more and more common as it is easier to access them from home and doesn't cost a cent. It is actually very easy to obtain these digitally pirated copies because websites such as Scribd and Wattpad make them readily available to anyone with access to a computer and the Internet. Internet users can also just go to google and type in books that they are interested in and will mostly likely find a digital copy somewhere on the Internet, whether it be part of the novel or the entire thing, users are still obtaining these ebooks without the authors permission. The author has put alot of hard work and effort into writing his or her novel and going through the trouble and expenses to publish it as well. This is becoming a concerning issue for many writers and publishers because they are losing out on money and essentially people are stealing there work, making it accessible to the cyber world for free. People are also gaining access to ebooks through file-sharing services like Rapidshare and MediaFire. Similar to programs such as Limewire and Napster for downloading music and movies. Many record companies and artists are losing a tremendous amount of money on these programs because it's easier to just download the music and its free. This is an ongoing issue that has developed into a problem over the past seven years or so and now illegally downloaded ebooks are becoming a concern. Many prominent publishing companies, such as John Wiley & Sons, known for their "Dummies" series, are hiring employees dedicated solely to searching the Internet for these unauthorized copies of books. They reported over 5,000 unauthorized titles in which they asked these websites to remove these digital versions of Wiley's books. Electronic reading devices such as the Kindle from Amazon and the Reader from Sony make it easier for hackers copy files. The unauthorized copies are uploaded as PDF's which can easily be emailed to one of these devices. New technologies and advancements are always going to pose problems within digital piracy. You can find almost anything you want on the Internet these days as it has become a vital part of people's lives, to the point where a majority of the world would freak out and go into a state of chaos if it ceased today. It is nearly impossible to remove all illegally downloaded music, ebooks, or any other digital files off the Internet because so many people are doing it and because there is so much out there. If I want any new cd I just go to Limwire and download it than transfer it to my Ipod, its that simple and it probably will become even easier as time goes on. Now that more and more books are becoming available digitally, the same problem will begin to develop and I don't see a solution in the near future.