Over 7,000 books are available free on-line in breach of
copyright, according to a new report from UK-based internet
monitoring company Envisional. According to the company, popular
titles such as the Harry Potter series are being swapped on
Napster-type services.
The piracy gives the publishing industry similar problems to
those experienced by the recording industry through the rise of
on-line file-swapping services.
Two main methods were used in copying the books onto the web.
The most common method is to have traditional print books scanned
and converted into an electronic format. The other option is to
offer “cracked” copies, where the copyright protection mechanism in
e-books is disabled.
Envisional recently developed search technology which tracks
down illegally copied material such as this on the internet. Its
Automated Anti-Piracy System (AAPS) claims to find infringing
material on the web and alerts the owners
