Mary Stewart!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Oh yes, one thing I did miss. These not legal eBooks are also missing the title page.

Gang:

Jon and I have been chatting, and we are going to use a Compare; the new MOBI, from Amazon, against the original ePUB/MOBI that was put up by the dreaded Pirates at SW. Now, if memory serves, everybody here at MR agreed that those SW copies were obviously bootlegged, and despite numerous complaints to SW, nothing was ever done. Is that everyone else's recollection? If I'm misremembering, feel free to correct me.

Spoiler:

I know it's hard to not buy--I feel for ya. She's impossible to find, and I'm in my own quest, for Dixon/Carr's Department of Queer Complaints, my own self. It's frustrating, not to be able to find what you want, when you want. Especially on those long-gone authors.

Back to it: We'll do a compare, like we would at my shop, basically, and if they show up as the same, that's something. Now, arguably, Eos or whomever, some legit company could have, I suppose, used the pirated texts, but that seems damn dumb.

AT that time, once we have any reasonable evidence that it's a not-legit copy (possibly), I'll report it to TPTB.

Presumably, those of you who are contemplating a purchase don't want to reward the bad guys, and thus, won't buy the books. If you do, that's your choice, not mine. I'm not the hall monitor.

Right?

Hope that's remotely helpful.

Hitch

[BenG]

Of course, even if it looks like a pirated book with bad OCR it could still be legit.
Some authors (like Norman Spinrad) were taking unedited pirated versions of their books and offering them for sale themselves.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by BenG

Of course, even if it looks like a pirated book with bad OCR it could still be legit.
Some authors (like Norman Spinrad) were taking unedited pirated versions of their books and offering them for sale themselves.

Agreed. I think I may have said something along those lines myself. But I'm sure that Amazon is far, far better equipped to take this further--should the case arise--than we all are.

Hitch

[JSWolf]

For those who cannot see their noses despite their face, there is now definitive proof that the Mary Stewart books on Amazon.com are bogus.

Please read the following thread and you will have no doubt that the these eBooks are bogus. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=282711

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

For those who cannot see their noses despite their face, there is now definitive proof that the Mary Stewart books on Amazon.com are bogus.

Please read the following thread and you will have no doubt that the these eBooks are bogus. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=282711

I see, so you are pointing to your assertion that it must be pirated in a different thread as proof that it really is pirated.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I see, so you are pointing to your assertion that it must be pirated in a different thread as proof that it really is pirated.

I'm pointing to the thread that has pdurrant saying he contacted Hodder & Stoughton (legal publishers in the UK) about the books and was told the books on Amazon.com are not legal and H&S are trying to get them removed.

Did you read the thread I pointed to?

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm pointing to the thread that has pdurrant saying he contacted Hodder & Stoughton (legal publishers in the UK) about the books and was told the books on Amazon.com are not legal and H&S are trying to get them removed.

Did you read the thread I pointed to?

Given that I posted on the thread, obviously I have read it. As I pointed out, the UK publisher is not in a position to know if the US ebooks, published by a different company is legit or not. HarperCollins would be the company to contact, not Hodder & Stoughton.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Given that I posted on the thread, obviously I have read it. As I pointed out, the UK publisher is not in a position to know if the US ebooks, published by a different company is legit or not. HarperCollins would be the company to contact, not Hodder & Stoughton.

I would think Hodder7 Stoughton (A RIGHTS HOLDER) would know better or be in a better position to find out about the US rights and the legality of the eBooks on Amazon.com.

The fact that you cannot see the evidence that's right in front of your face is worrying.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would think Hodder7 Stoughton (A RIGHTS HOLDER) would know better or be in a better position to find out about the US rights and the legality of the eBooks on Amazon.com.

The fact that you cannot see the evidence that's right in front of your face is worrying.

But not in a better position to know than HarperCollins. I have no idea why you would think that H&S would be in a position to know if HarperCollins is putting out an ebook in the US. Unless they have some particular relationship with the estate of Lady Stewart, they wouldn't be involved in it.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

But not in a better position to know than HarperCollins. I have no idea why you would think that H&S would be in a position to know if HarperCollins is putting out an ebook in the US. Unless they have some particular relationship with the estate of Lady Stewart, they wouldn't be involved in it.

The British publisher also has no interest to protect--they don't have U.S. rights, so the sales of these editions don't undercut them. HC would certainly have an interest since pirated editions might affect paper sales, plus of course the books are plastered with HC's name.

I just wish someone would make the rest of Mary Stewart's works available in digital form in the U.S. These Merlin books are really my least favorite; I want Nine Coaches Waiting and The Ivy Tree and Airs Above the Ground, etc.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I have no idea why you would think that H&S would be in a position to know if HarperCollins is putting out an ebook in the US.

Not sure why they would be either.


There are a number of things that are odd with these releases if they are indeed from HarperCollins, but not sure how they'd involve the UK publisher...

They don't say they're sold by HarperCollins in the sold by field of the books info, they say they're sold by Amazon Digital Services which is not something you usually see with Big 5 books.

They don't say Price set by seller which is something Agency books (aka Big 5) say.

They don't have DRM, & the only books under the HarperCollins umbrella that are put out without DRM AFAIK are those through Harlequin's Carina Press.

They aren't listed in the HarperCollins catalog as available as eBooks and aren't available everywhere HarperCollins books are sold. (in fact I don't think they're available anywhere but Amazon)

They use cover art created by another publisher, Hodder (aka Hachette).

...now unless Hodder has world wide eBook rights the only thing that might concern them would be the fact that their cover art is being used.


NOTE: I'm not saying that this proves they are pirated or anything, just pointing out differences between them and standard HarperCollins releases. As I'd said previously it could mean that someone involved with the estate is putting them out in the US without a big publisher.

(anyone have them & know if they have the big publishers standard copyright & edition info inside?)


On another note, I find it interesting that the omnibus version of these books that got pulled from Amazon for being questionable is still available through Smashwords and through them also at Kobo, B&N and possibly elsewhere.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I just wish someone would make the rest of Mary Stewart's works available in digital form in the U.S. These Merlin books are really my least favorite; I want Nine Coaches Waiting and The Ivy Tree and Airs Above the Ground, etc.

That would be nice. If the rights aren't languishing at some big publisher her books seem like a perfect candidate for someone like Open Road to put out.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

On another note, I find it interesting that the omnibus version of these books that got pulled from Amazon for being questionable is still available through Smashwords and through them also at Kobo, B&N and possibly elsewhere.

The omnibus is in the Overdrive catalog.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

That would be nice. If the rights aren't languishing at some big publisher her books seem like a perfect candidate for someone like Open Road to put out.

When Mary Stewart's books were digitized across the pond, I figured it would only be a matter of time till they were published here as well. But no. There aren't even any audiobooks other than the Merlin books, except for a few abridgments (blech!).

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Catlady

The omnibus is in the Overdrive catalog.

I see that.

Originally Posted by Catlady

When Mary Stewart's books were digitized across the pond, I figured it would only be a matter of time till they were published here as well. But no. There aren't even any audiobooks other than the Merlin books, except for a few abridgments (blech!).

Yeah I know I was surprised something like Nine Coaches Waiting wasn't available when I looked. I don't know if Chicago Review Press (the publisher that puts out the paper versions) has eBook rights for them & just hasn't bothered or if they reside with the family/estate.