Protests and lawsuits have been increasing in recent months around the question of artificial intelligence (AI) training and copyright infringement claims. From authors, musicians, and actors to record company executives and Hollywood insiders, those involved in creative work are demanding that courts and governments address rampant violations of copyright law. AI companies claim fair use […]
AI Training and Copyright Infringement Update Read More »
Four major educational publishers have filed a lawsuit against Google. They accuse the tech giant of promoting pirated eBooks through its advertising platform. McGraw Hill, Cengage Learning, Elsevier, and Macmillan Learning allege that Google’s actions have caused significant harm to their businesses and violate copyright laws. Google Ignored Infringement Notices, Advertises Unauthorized Textbooks The lawsuit
Google Sued by Big Publishers for Pirated eBooks Read More »
According to a recently released report by the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), which is based in Japan, Japanese entertainment piracy in 2021, which included music, anime, manga and video games, cost these industries ¥1.9 to ¥2.2 trillion yen (US $14.2-$16.5 billion). This study, which is based on requests and questionnaires from consumers, shows a
Industry Lost 2 Trillion Yen to Manga Piracy in 2021 Read More »
One indication of how hard it is to completely eradicate book piracy is how quickly shuttered websites can find a new online home. Recently Z-Library head librarians were federally charged with copyright infringement, money laundering and wire fraud, and several of their websites were seized by the FBI. Shadow archivists—the digital librarians that maintain the
Z-Library and LibGen Move Book Piracy to the Dark Web Read More »
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Russian nationals Valeriia Ermakova and Anton Napolsky were arrested in Argentina on November 3 and charged with criminal copyright infringement in addition to money laundering and wire fraud. The Russians are allegedly the architects of the popular textbook piracy platform, Z-Library. The e-book pirates are accused of illegally
TikTok Hashtag Brings Down Z-Library Textbook Piracy Site Read More »
Angry authors, publishers and customers say that Amazon is rife with counterfeit books—and is doing virtually nothing to stop the perpetrators. Pirated books include fiction and non-fiction, but the problem is especially widespread with textbooks since their high prices attract pirates. Authors and legitimate publishers are hurt by lost revenues, but readers are also victims
Authors Say Amazon Ignores Fraud as Book Piracy Flourishes Read More »
The popularity of Japanese anime and manga, a particular style of Japanese comic books, has attracted the attention of pirates. Anime and manga piracy has flourished since the pandemic, which costs the growing industry billions of dollars. In 2020, manga sales were slated to reach 612.6 billion yen, which is approximately U.S. $4.6 billion. This
Anime and Manga Piracy Now Worth Billions, Hurts Artists Read More »
On Wednesday, five major textbook publishers sued Shopify, accusing the Canadian e-commerce company of letting its vendors repeatedly commit digital piracy. This trademark and copyright infringement case was filed jointly by McGraw Hill, Pearson, Macmillan, Elsevier and Cengage. Shopify, based in Ottawa, was first launched in 2006 as a platform to sell snowboarding equipment. It
Textbook Publishers Sue Shopify for Copyright Violations Read More »
