Just a short note here.
I do not like it when people pirate my work, especially since the people doing it get paid more than I do. I do not like it when I go to a 'fan' website where I'm told I'm popular and I see links to pirated copies of my work. Not just because I'm seeing people stealing from me, but because I MUST (by law) do something about it.
You see, if the copyright holder does not protect his copyright, he loses it. So if I see someone infringing on my copyrights, I am required by law to file a DCMA and a C&D (Cease and Desist), or it can be said I ignored violations of my copyright, that I knew about, and therefore have 'given it up'. It takes time having to do those, and it is a pain in the ass. I'm split between annoying people who like my stuff, and having to protect my work, not a fun place to be (even if they are ripping me off).
So please, don't steal my work.
And please, don't bring up sites to me where others are stealing my work.
Yes, I know people think authors make a lot of money, but the truth is, I'm making less than $10 an hour here (I have to work +80 a week to maintain the publishing schedule I have), and I pay twice the tax rate as you do, because I'm 'self-employed' and there is a penalty for that.
And I just blew half my day dealing with all of this. That's ten pages.
You see, if the copyright holder does not protect his copyright, he loses it.
ReplyDelete[citation required]
As far as I'm aware, that applies to trademarks, not copyrights. See 10 Big Myths about copyright explained, myth number five, for more info.
Actually, no.
ReplyDeleteYou see, judges being what they are, they have a tendency to write or re-write law on whim (don't say they don't, I've had it happen to me in court). If you have a copyright, and you blatantly do not defend it, when you know it is being abused, then when you try to defend it, the judge will want to know why you are defending it here, but not there?
And then he'll throw your case out, and possibly even rule your copyright is now void as you were selectively enforcing it, or knowingly not enforcing it.
Now yes, if you have MONEY, you can appeal that, and will eventually (probably) win, but if you don't? You're screwed.
Judges often treat copyright law like trademark law in the lower courts. It does happen, and I've seen it happen. If I had a legal library and cared enough to search it, I'd go look for the cases involved.