Legal Question in Technology Law in California

I am an author with a book on sale on Amazon. I notice that Google has a site offering my book for free. How can I stop this and can they be sued for damages? Thanks


Asked on 3/19/16, 6:31 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Bryan Whipple Bryan R. R. Whipple, Attorney at Law

First, I would suggest that this question be re-asked under the topic heading "Intellectual Property" rather than "Computer & Technology Law." One may use a computer to reach the Amazon and Google web sites, but the issues here seem to involve intellectual property (copyrights, author control, etc.). I would recommend adding some information about whether the book is copyrighted, whether you have a publisher or have self-published, and how many books are involved in the give-away. You might also describe in more detail whether and how you are harmed by the free distribution, for example, do you have a royalty arrangement under which you are paid a percentage of the retail selling price? I think that unless you can demonstrate how the free distribution impacts you financially, or that there is a copyright infringement, finding a basis for a successful lawsuit will be difficult. Finally, I suppose you know that the prospective defendant almost certainly wouldn't be Google; it would be the particular site operator (probably).

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Answered on 3/19/16, 10:02 am


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