The Novel Network / MyPadMedia - SCAM WARNING! Selling access to a free site - Page 2

Donnageddon · 06-03-2010, 01:29 AM

I am correctly renowned for my plague avoidance. And my earnest distaste for all forms of douchbaggery.

I thank you my Queen Zelda, and a tip of my chapeau to Gear Diary for the prompt BS detection.

I remain,

Eternally grateful,

And comfortably numb,

Donnageddon

AprilHare · 06-03-2010, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

I am correctly renowned for my plague avoidance. And my earnest distaste for all forms of douchbaggery.

I thank you my Queen Zelda, and a tip of my chapeau to Gear Diary for the prompt BS detection.

I remain,

Eternally grateful,

And comfortably numb,

Donnageddon

Keep away from the lidocaine!

Donnageddon · 06-03-2010, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

Keep away from the lidocaine!

I only apply it internally.

Donnageddon · 06-03-2010, 01:51 AM

But I approach the topic with a great deal of trepanation.

rogue_librarian · 06-03-2010, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iphinome

it is douchbaggery but why criminal?

Because it is tricking people into believing they have to pay for something that's either free (like tricking the gullible into paying an air tax) or not the seller's to sell (like selling the Brooklyn bridge).

Your weather.com example is not quite the same.

rogue_librarian · 06-03-2010, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iphinome

Since I object to thief in the copyright argument i can't sit and let you apply it to someone here. Scammer would work I think.

Surely "scam" is just a colloquial expression for the act of fraud?

Quote:

I think someone else made a case for fraud though I'm not sure it technically meets the definition.

That would have been me, I think. One common definition of fraud is "an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual". Surly this case fits that bill.

rogue_librarian · 06-03-2010, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

They're thieves ...

Nope.

Quote:

... because they're stealing money from the suckers they victimize

That's what fraud does, without being having to call it theft.

Quote:

and stealing reputation from Feedbooks

No such thing as "theft" of reputation.

Quote:

It has nothing to do with copyright.

On that we can agree: as far as I know these works are all in the public domain.

idraw22 · 06-03-2010, 05:02 AM

Let me get this right. They scammed money outta people to pay to goto a site that was already free, or to pay for books that were pd and cc? Anyone who didn't know paid dearly...?? It's cold blooded. I dunno how they expect for us to progress to ebooks with stuff like that happening.

GeoffC · 06-03-2010, 05:08 AM

The worrying thing is that newbies will have been drawn to this after seeing prices in bookstores linked to the Kindle and (especially) iPad....

beachwanderer · 06-03-2010, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

The worrying thing is that newbies will have been drawn to this after seeing prices in bookstores linked to the Kindle and (especially) iPad....

And even worse that they charge upfront. (There where some crooks with a german website some time ago who tried to charge people for downloading public domain or free software (not ebooks though). They did it afterwards and apparently even they succeded in tricking lots of people into paying ...

)

Thanks for the info, zelda!

tompe · 06-03-2010, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

Because it is tricking people into believing they have to pay for something that's either free (like tricking the gullible into paying an air tax) or not the seller's to sell (like selling the Brooklyn bridge).

If the actual books are in the public domain they can sell them.

Why is it then not a scam selling a PD book an Amazon?

I would have thought that the real possibly illegal thing was using the webpage without permission.

Logseman · 06-03-2010, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

If the actual books are in the public domain they can sell them.

Why is it then not a scam selling a PD book an Amazon?

I would have thought that the real possibly illegal thing was using the webpage without permission.

It is not a scam because Amazon is telling you that it stores the book inside its servers, and it actually does. These people apparently failed to mention that they were just linking to feedbooks. Not only did they fail to mention it, but they obscured the source of the books through misleading banners.

HarryT · 06-03-2010, 06:59 AM

It's unquestionably despicable, but it may not be illegal, if they are saying "pay us $50 and we'll tell you where to get free books". You pay them the $50 and they say "you can get them from feedbooks". The $50 is for the information, not the books.

That's the way that a lot of these scams work.

rogue_librarian · 06-03-2010, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

If the actual books are in the public domain they can sell them.

Yes. But it's fraud to charge money for simply framing an external site.

Quote:

Why is it then not a scam selling a PD book an Amazon?

It would be, if all they did was send you a link to Project Gutenberg.

Quote:

I would have thought that the real possibly illegal thing was using the webpage without permission.

That, too.

simplyparticular · 06-03-2010, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

May the fleas of a thousand plague-infected camels take up residence in their own personal armpits. That's per armpit, not shared.

Just had to point out this beautiful curse.

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06-03-2010, 01:29 AM	#16
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	I am correctly renowned for my plague avoidance. And my earnest distaste for all forms of douchbaggery. I thank you my Queen Zelda, and a tip of my chapeau to Gear Diary for the prompt BS detection. I remain, Eternally grateful, And comfortably numb, Donnageddon

06-03-2010, 01:51 AM	#19
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	But I approach the topic with a great deal of trepanation.

06-03-2010, 05:02 AM	#23
idraw22 Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 1094380 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: arkansas Device: Jetbook Lite, Kindle 3, jetbook mini, sony clie, sony prs-T1	Let me get this right. They scammed money outta people to pay to goto a site that was already free, or to pay for books that were pd and cc? Anyone who didn't know paid dearly...?? It's cold blooded. I dunno how they expect for us to progress to ebooks with stuff like that happening.

06-03-2010, 05:08 AM	#24
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	The worrying thing is that newbies will have been drawn to this after seeing prices in bookstores linked to the Kindle and (especially) iPad....

06-03-2010, 06:59 AM	#28
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It's unquestionably despicable, but it may not be illegal, if they are saying "pay us $50 and we'll tell you where to get free books". You pay them the $50 and they say "you can get them from feedbooks". The $50 is for the information, not the books. That's the way that a lot of these scams work.