How to Prevent Book Piracy: 5 Things Authors Can Do

Whether you’re a reader or a published author, chances are you’ve come across a book piracy website and know that piracy is a pretty prevalent issue. And of course it’s not just books that can be pirated, but also films, music, and any number of counterfeit goods.

While a cheap and convenient solution for many consumers, the consequences of book piracy are far-reaching, especially given its massive scale. So is there anything authors and publishers can do to fight the parasitic effects of piracy? In this post, we’ll take a look at available options for preventing book piracy and reducing its occurrences.

What Is Book Piracy?

Book piracy is the unauthorized reproduction of an author’s copyrighted work. Just as many films are illegally reproduced and distributed, printed books, ebooks, and audiobooks can also be copied and sold without permission.

In fact, piracy of physical books has taken place for hundreds of years, with counterfeit versions often appearing with missing pages, typos, or smudged text.

The advent of ebooks, however, has made the problem even more of a threat, as pirated copies are more easily available for illegal replication, download, and distribution.

In fact, according to a 2017 Nielsen consumer survey, ebook piracy has cost U.S. publishers $315 million annually in lost sales.

Thus, the threat of piracy is worrisome for many authors and publishers, as it can have not only financial repercussions, but also emotional ones, since authors essentially have their work stolen from them.

Author Michelle Harrison told The Guardian she was attacked online for calling out pirates as a single working mother. She says, “[As a single working mother] I can’t afford the time and expense it would take to continue to pursue this and make deadlines… I can’t understand the mindset of a person who thinks it’s acceptable to harass an author for wanting to protect their rights.”

How to Prevent and Reduce Book Piracy

So, what can be done to reduce and prevent book piracy? It’s definitely easier said than done, since even shops that are reported and closed often pop up later with new domain names.

However, there are a few measures you can take to prevent piracy or stop it as early as possible.

1. Register for copyright protection.

Technically, every original work is automatically protected by copyright (you can use our copyright page template if you’re not sure what your copyright page should say).

However, simply having that “protection” in place isn’t enough to really take legal action if you find someone has been bootlegging your book online.

Registering your book for copyright protection with the U.S. Copyright Office will allow you to actually sue if you find your copyright is being violated.

2. Create alerts.

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to find pirated copies of your book or other forms of plagiarism is to set up Google Alerts.

You can select a passage from your book and create an alert that will notify you if that text appears anywhere on the internet.

Learn more about how to create a Google Alert.

3. Make your book available internationally.

One common reason that readers may seek pirated copies of your book is because they couldn’t access legitimate copies from their country.

If you make your book available to as many countries as possible, you can reduce the incentives for people to seek pirated versions. The sooner you release your book internationally, the better!

4. Publish your book in all formats.

Another reason that people will purchase illegal copies of your book is that they couldn’t find it in their preferred format via legitimate platforms.

To counter this, make sure that your book is available in print, digital, and audiobook formats. For added convenience, offer your book on multiple platforms for each format (i.e., both Kindle and Nook for your ebook).

5. Consider making your first ebook free.

If you’re a brand new author and haven’t quite gained a following, readers may be wary of paying for a book that they might not like, and therefore turn to pirate sites free or low-priced versions.

This is one reason why you may want to consider offering your first ebook for free. It will allow readers to get a feel for your style without putting their money on the line and eliminates the need to turn to pirate sites. In the meantime, you can rack up reviews for your free book and grow your following.

Learn more about the benefits of selling free ebooks.

Is Book Piracy Illegal?

While it is illegal to download any material that is protected by copyright, it is not often criminal. This means that those who simply download pirated copies can technically be sued by the copyright holder—but if you think about how impractical it would be to hunt down every person who holds an illegal copy of your book (already virtually impossible) and sue them, you can see why most of these downloads take place without consequences.

It is criminal, however, to intentionally infringe copyright “for the purposes of commercial advantage or private gain” or by distributing “a work being prepared for commercial distribution,” which means the site you got the pirated copy from is more likely to face criminal charges than you are to face civil consequences.

What you should consider before downloading a pirated copy of anything, though—whether it be an ebook, film, or song—is not the potential legal consequences (or lack thereof) that you could face, but the impact your choice has on an artist’s creative incentive.

Creating anything takes an enormous amount of energy, time, and dedication; while many writers do what they do out of love for their craft, it’s easy to see how one can become jaded and discouraged from continuing if after all their hard work, you clicked a button and downloaded a stolen copy in a “sale” that they’ll get no credit or financial compensation for.

If you really need to get a copy of a book for free but can’t obtain it from any legitimate online sources, try your local library. You can even borrow ebooks for free without leaving your home! In this way, you can rest assured that you’re not doing anything illegal, and also not infringing on anyone’s creative rights.

Fighting Book Pirating

While it would be virtually impossible to stop book piracy completely, it’s reassuring to know there are steps authors can take to reduce occurrences.

And if you’re a reader who has used or considered using pirate sites before, hopefully this post has shown you that there are better and less harmful alternatives.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

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Kaelyn Barron

As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.