What to do about Digital Piracy and/ or Plagiarism

Okay, the big moment has arrived. It took you two years to write your book, another to find a publisher, and now, after another year of reading and correcting proofs and Okaying your cover, and waiting out printer’s delays, the book is ready to be sold. You can’t believe it and you can’t help jumping up and down, while visions of autograph parties and your book’s title as number one on the New York Times Best Seller List dance through your head.
If you’re like me, you’ve already typed your title and name into your favorite Internet search engine and are just waiting to see your name in print. Oh yes, you cry unabashedly, it’s there! I see it at Borders and Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Oh wow! Look at this! It’s even on Target and sites from Japan and Korea and India. Even Australia and Ireland. Oh man! J.K. Rowling, watch out! And then you see it.


The Evil Deed There, in front of your eyes, is one of the things that authors fear most: someone is offering free downloads of your book! Your jaw plummets to the floor as your heart leaps to your throat; your face turns puce as smoke flows from your ears; your visions fizzle away as you think, Oh my heck! What am I going to do now? And then, the nerve. They have some gall! All my hard work, down the drain. So, in other words, someone has violated your copyright without your express permission.(1)
According to Section 501, “Anyone who violates any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner…is an infringer of the copyright or right of the author.” A copyright provides the owner of a work with certain exclusive rights, which are listed in Section 106 of the copyright law. These are the right to:
· Reproduce the work in copies;
· Prepare derivative works based upon the work;
· Distribute copies of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by    rental, lease or lending;
· Perform the work publicly;
· Display the copyrighted work publicly.


What to Do in Case of Infringement You are now faced with the problem of how to proceed. The first thing I did was to see if I could – by informing the infringer that he was violating my copyright – convince him to take my book off the free download list. He did—for about two hours. I tried several more times and then, in the end, gave up. When I spoke to my publicist about it, she tried also, with the same result.
So what comes next? If your publishing company is big enough, they may have a group of copyright lawyers connected to the company itself; however, as in my case, you will need to find legal counsel, because copyright infringement is a civil matter that must be taken care of in a federal court. It is useless to turn to the Copyright Office, because it only writes the law; it doesn’t have the responsibility of enforcing it.
Another good idea is to register the copyright so that, in case of legal action, you will have better opportunities with registration of the work before or within three months of publication, statutory damages will be available, and the recovery of attorney’s fees may be available also. You must have a registration certificate (or a rejection of an application for copyright) in order to begin a case for copyright infringement in a federal district court. A copy of the work sent to oneself is not a valid option for a registration certificate, nor has it any legal or evidentiary value.


Where to Find Legal Assistance Since the Copyright Office doesn’t offer a list of available copyright attorneys, the job of finding one falls on your own shoulders. There are several ways of finding one, including looking in the yellow pages or your favorite search engine. There are several other places to look for a copyright attorney or one specialized in intellectual property, arts or entertainment, such as your local or state bar association; Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in your area should be able to help you find free or reduced price legal assistance, and local law schools might possibly have programs in Intellectual Property or Arts and Entertainment Law.
A complaint may be filed with the FBI, in the case of criminal copyright infringement - where the infringer willfully violates the owner’s copyright for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain. The Agency has two main divisions that investigate these crimes: the Cyber Division regarding all property crimes regarding all digital and electronic crimes, and the Financial Institution Fraud Unit for all other intellectual property crimes.


Damages Awards Copyright owners whose works have been violated are entitled to actual damages undergone and any profits received by the infringer. However, if, at any time during the time spent waiting for the judge’s decision, the owner decides that he or she would prefer to receive an award of statutory damages he could receive a minimum of $750.00 and a maximum of $30,000.00, at the discretion of the court. If the copyright owner can prove that the infringer willingly violated the copyright – knowing that the work was under copyright law – the court could possibly increase the statutory damages up to $150,000.00. This is part of the reason that it is important to register your work as quickly as possible. I hope that no one has to look on internet and see their book or other creation being offered free, like I did. But if you do, know at least that there is something that can be done to recover what has been done. It will probably take time and a lot of effort, but only we can help to eliminate digital piracy.
_______________
Information for this article was obtained from the following sites:
¹ Story based on the author’s personal experience


Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-infringement.html http://www.publicdomainsherpa.com/copyright-infringement-definition.html



This article originally appeared on the Suite101.com website on March 17, 2011.
©Mary Purpari March 17, 2011. Renewed © March 03 2016 by Mary Purpari. All rights reserved.

Mary Purpari is the author of the book Old McDonald had a Funny Farm under the name Mary McDowell. The book is available in e-book format on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Old-McDonald-Had-Funny-Farm-ebook/dp/B00BAKH33G/ref=la_B00B56T2WK_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413429653&sr=1-1

The Elixir of Life

Throughout the millennia of human history, perhaps the most sought after treasure has been the key to Eternal life: the continuance of life without passing through death.

                                                                                         History of the Elixir

The Elixir of life

Most ancient cultures spoke about a draught that would prolong life indefinitely, or even bring a dead being back to life, even more glorious than before. In fact, alchemy was already flourishing during the 3^rd or 4^th Centuries B.C. in Asia and the Middle East. In fact, the word elixir originates from the Arab term Al eksir اکسیر, meaning panacea, or Al iksir, meaning composite or mixture.

The Chinese were probably the first to have a written record of the elixir of life, written around 650A.D. by the Chinese alchemist Tan Chen Yae Ch’eh and entitled “The Great Secrets of Alchemy”. The elixir was so revered that there is a list of Chinese emperors who died from its use, beginning with the Ming Dynasty emperor Jiajing, whose demise was caused by an overdose of mercury—one of the major ingredients in most recipes.

Indian legend has it that just a drop of Amrita (the elixir of life) was sufficient for the imbiber to gain immortality. Earliest mention of the elixir in India took place at around the same time as its use in China. It is unknown as to whether the Chinese passed the idea down to the Indians or vice versa. As with the Chinese, the elixir was also known to be an active ingredient, working with the philosopher’s stone, in the process of creating gold from common, but both cultures were more interested in the healing and continuation of life aspects of the elixir.

The elixir came to life in Europe during the later years of the medieval era. The Comte de St. Germaine (who was reputed to be several hundred years old) and Nicholas Flamel were both accredited with being alchemists who had created the elixir. It was also called the Universal Tincture.

The elixir continues to fascinate mankind even today, and several recipes have survived the ravages of time. I would like to present one that originally comes from Germany and was translated from German to Italian to English. IF you decide to try it, be very careful to follow the instructions exactly, and to then try it out on something other than yourself—like a dead plant, perhaps.

The Recipe

Take 50 pounds of pure zinc argentite also called Bismuth’s mineral, completely without quartz; the whiter and more silvery the latter is, the more universal spirit it has. Break it up into little pieces; put them into a wooden barrel at night, when the moon is almost full, out in the open air, so that the stars can work on it. In this way, the mineral will be heavily saturated with the universal spirit, taken from the air and the moon. Near the end of the lunar cycle, place the mineral in well-closed wooden or clay pots, so that it can’t be touched by sunlight or air, which would contaminate it and completely eliminate its curative powers.

Take several pounds of the saturated mineral and place it in a number stills that have been surrounded by glass or soil that will render them fire-resistant; close these containers with four layers of canvas and bladder that have been coated with: beaten albumen, rye flour, red lead that has been mixed with a little bit of minced slaked lime; mix and when the lutum has dried, distil over well-regulated heat for 12 hours, slowly for the first 3 hours, then a little higher for the next 3, and then very high for the last 3 hours, after which a deliciously sweet white water will emerge.

This water, aka Aqua Alba Suavis Dulcis Spiritus vini philosophicus, will need to be filtered 3 times, very gently, into a gourd, which will make it even sweeter and completely pure, transparent, and clean. Marvelous and nearly miraculous things can be made with this heavenly, magnetic water, which has the pleasant, strong aroma of violets.

Take a pound of this universal mineral water, placing it in an ampoule with a glass stopper, the opening upwards. One third of the ampoule must be left empty. Place the ampoule in front of a window, leave without disturbing for four weeks. You will see it increase, become heavier and fill the entire ampoule.

Universal Tincture or Elixir of Life

The discoverer of this particular recipe has said regarding its usefulness: “It is a bath in which the king and queen wash and cleanse themselves, appearing a thousand times more splendid and lovely than they were naturally… If you take a dried weed, or flowers or a small lemon tree, completely dried and withered and place it in the [tincture], with the roots still attached, in a large bowl for 8 days, this little tree will return to life, verdant and growing flowers, as though it had been planted.

“If you put the [thus resuscitated] plant, flowers or tree into the soil outside, they will no longer wither for many years, flowering continuously and bearing fruit twice a year.”

He also said of its spiritual quality, “It is truly a great wonder of nature to recognize the magnetic forces in this manner and see how the astral spirits have such a great harmony and relationship with the mineral spirits. During the period in which the ampoule rests in the air in front of the window you will be highly amazed to see a marvelous reflection of fluctuating solar rays; it’s as though the rays were strongly and violently attracted by the ampoule.”

This recipe is also one of the main ingredients required for preparing the Philosopher’s stone, the base for transforming common metals into gold.

Warning about the Possible Identity Theft of Daniel Allyn

This is not the article I would like to have written as my first article of the year, but I really think I should share so that anyone lucky enough to read this can be alerted to a possible identity theft of a fairly important man in the world of military politics. If the man who was in contact with me is actually General Allyn, and I have posted classified information, please have someone in command contact me through official channels.

On Thanksgiving Day of 2015, I received an invitation to become a contact of a man who claimed to be Daniel Allyn. His profile photo was of a man in military clothing. When I saw the request, I said, “Who are you?” he replied, “Daniel Allyn”. I thought well, duh, that I can read on my own. I said, “Yes, that’s obvious, but WHO are you? Why should I accept?” He informed me that he was a 56 year-old man from New Hampshire and that he was, at that time, in Afghanistan.

All right, so I’m very leery of people, especially men, who I don’t know. I told him I wasn’t interested in amorous relationships (this usually stops them for a moment or three; some drop out of the conversation, while others accept this idea and keep on going. This guy was one of the latter).

The following is a copy of our conversation that day; please take note of Allyn’s grammar (not typos or possible typos—we all make typos; it’s Skype’s fault ;) ):

 

[11/26/2015 11:04:34 AM] *** Hi mary.mac ., I'd like to add you as a contact. ***

[11/26/2015 11:09:15 AM] mary.mac .: who are you?

[11/26/2015 11:10:21 AM] Daniel Allyn: I am Daniel Allyn from United  States

[11/26/2015 11:10:51 AM] mary.mac .: but why do you want me as a contact?

[11/26/2015 11:11:28 AM] Daniel Allyn: I was searching for friends then I found you

[11/26/2015 11:12:00 AM] Daniel Allyn: i just love the smile on your profile picture

[11/26/2015 11:13:59 AM] mary.mac .: Oh, I'm not accepting people I don't know. Thank you for the compliment, though--even if you don't know which of the two I am. I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and hope you find some good friends around your age.

[11/26/2015 11:14:22 AM] Daniel Allyn: How old are you?

[11/26/2015 11:14:37 AM] mary.mac .: XX

[11/26/2015 11:14:40 AM] Daniel Allyn: I am XX years old

[11/26/2015 11:15:00 AM] Daniel Allyn: But that does not stop us from been friends

[11/26/2015 11:15:26 AM] Daniel Allyn: These are opportunities that comes once in a life time

[11/26/2015 11:15:55 AM] Daniel Allyn: Why don't you try me you wont regret been my friend

[11/26/2015 11:16:43 AM] mary.mac .: Where are you?

[11/26/2015 11:16:55 AM] mary.mac .: in the U.S., I mean

[11/26/2015 11:17:53 AM] Daniel Allyn: Why don't you add me so we can know more about ourselves

[11/26/2015 11:22:02 AM] mary.mac .: I'm not really interested in romantic friendships if that is what you are looking for. I've found the love of my life and I just don't need another.

[11/26/2015 11:22:18 AM] Daniel Allyn: I am not looking for that

[11/26/2015 11:22:36 AM] Daniel Allyn: Is any thing wrong in ask9ng for friendship

[11/26/2015 11:23:08 AM] mary.mac .: I don't know; I'll need to think about it. Right now, I'm on my way out the door.

[11/26/2015 11:23:59 AM] Daniel Allyn: okay when you come back just let me know

[11/26/2015 11:24:31 AM] mary.mac .: all right.

[11/26/2015 11:24:48 AM] Daniel Allyn: Safe Journey.

 

I really was on my way out, but, being a curious person, I looked up the name Daniel Allyn on internet when I arrived home. I was amazed, to say the least, at what I found. His Linked-in status states that he is a brigadier general while Wikipedia and Google both add that he is the 35^th Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. Other information included was correct, but that stirred up another set of questions: other than my smile (even though there was no way of him knowing which of the two people in my profile picture was me, since we are both women) Why me? Why was he looking for new friends in the first place? Here is the next section of conversation between the two of us (mostly invites from him and questions from me):

 

[11/27/2015 10:42:30 PM] mary.mac .: I have another question: Why would a Major General in the US Army, with a family, need to find  friends by looking through Skype? I'm sure you have a bevy of friends in D.C. and New Hampshire without having to look for a woman with a smile you like (even if you don't know which of the two women in my avatar is me) Please forgive me for being suspicious, but despite the goofy look on my face, I'm an intelligent person who looks very carefully before jumping.

[12/1/2015 5:56:47 PM] *** Daniel Allyn would like to add you on Skype

 

Hi mary.mac ., I'd like to add you as a contact. ***

[12/2/2015 12:07:43 AM] mary.mac .: Again?

[12/2/2015 2:33:30 PM] *** Daniel Allyn would like to add you on Skype

Hi mary.mac ., I'd like to add you as a contact. ***

[12/2/2015 2:48:55 PM] mary.mac .: Go away

[12/2/2015 2:50:47 PM] Daniel Allyn: Why do you want me to go away

[12/2/2015 2:52:18 PM] mary.mac .: Because I don't believe you are really BG Daniel Allyn. Too many grammatical errors.

 

I must admit that he took a bit of unwarranted offense at my answer. Below is a slightly watered-down version of his response which, in my mind, is not a very politically diplomatic answer…

 

[12/2/2015 2:53:13 PM] Daniel Allyn: What sort of nonsense is that

[12/2/2015 2:53:23 PM] Daniel Allyn: f*** off

[12/2/2015 8:22:56 PM] mary.mac .: Excuse me? As I recall you invited me, not the other way around. And not once, but three times. At the end of the first time I asked you a question which you didn't answer. And, also in the first conversation, there are at least 5 grammatical errors, which do not include typos. Even I make typos, mostly because skype eats letters while posting comments.

And really, there's no need to use foul language. I never used it with you.

Had that been the end of it, I probably wouldn’t have minded so much, but then, my real problems began. Fortunately for me I have an excellent Anti-Malware program on my computer. About that time, I began receiving messages that my program had blocked an inbound malicious site that originated from Skype. The port was always the same; although the IP changed from time to time, this was the most common:

 

 

If you should happen to receive an invite from said Daniel Allyn, his skype name being daniel03935 and having the above IP, block him immediately. I’ve had no more problems with the malicious website since I blocked him, so it should be sufficient.

I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERLINE THAT THIS ARTICLE IS MEANT TO BE A WARNING, BOTH FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND FOR THE REAL GENERAL ALLYN. IDENTITY THEFT IS BAD FOR BOTH GROUPS, AND I MEANT NO OFFENSE FOR THE REAL GENERAL.

 

All Rights Reserved, including the reproduction in whole or in part in any form Copyright © Mary E. Purpari. January 6, 2016