EBay is frauding me
I do not wish ANY buyer to help EBay to continue stealing my intellectual property. This is happening everytime someone buy my book "The Spinal Engine" which represents 10 years of my research. When a buyer buys from EBay, I collect ZERO royalties from the sale. This is very different from Amazon who gives me $90 for each sale.
Even if you buy the books from Lulu.com, please be informed that Lulu do not have my permission to sell my books without informing me of how much my royalty is.
Conclusion. By continuing to sell my book, you are helping to commit a fraud against me and that will have consequences. Ii am sure you are aware of the Digital Millenium Act that forbid explicitely the traffic which you are doing. Please stop immediately.
104 comments
gosimus
·9 months ago@segraco-0
< When a buyer buys from EBay, I collect ZERO royalties from the sale >
That book had to come from somewhere. Every book that is sold on eBay had to have been previously purchased new somewhere earlier in its lifetime. You got your royalty from the original purchase. An author isn't entitled to royalties from every subsequent sale of a secondhand book.
Maybe the previous has already been said in this thread. I did read the first two pages of replies, but I didn't read all 96 replies that preceded mine, as of this writing.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·9 months agoWhat I am going to write may offend many. Please understand that I am writing it respectfully. However I am not a lawyer and me remark is that of a simple nuclear physicist who has a sometimes warped method of analyzing data.
I have been confronted with many situations and in many instances I have reached the following conclusion.
First the intent of a law is generally very good. That being said, the rules that intend to implement the law are so twisted that they provide a mechanism to bypass the intent of the law.
The digital millennium act is a good example. Protecting the inventors from being robbed of their work is very commendable. But twisting the definition of a used book encourages scammers to zoom on that opportunity.
Here we have a seller of an idea (Lulu) that fake the selling of the book so that the book (still virginal) is classified as used and hence able to be resold as USED and hence free from any obligation to the inventors (authors).
That contradict fully the honorable intent to insure minimal protection for the inventors.
You have to realize that a nuclear physicist like me does not think is such complicated and twisted manner. Hence it seems probable to me that millions of authors/creators are being ripped from their intellectual property.
Again, I have not written these words to insult anyone. But when you cannot invent or create something new, and you have to make a living, the not so straightforward strategies become necessary.
Sorry for those angry against me I apologize for your feelings.
The
r_lresale
·9 months agoHey @segraco-0 @segr0570.7kwack1oy I'm not sure if it makes a difference on your royalties from Amazon, but copies of your book is on sale for $66. Perhaps the ebay seller is buying it for $66 and selling for $90+ and that is how they are making a profit. I saw this when we corresponded earlier this month but I forgot to mention it.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·9 months agoThank you. What you tell me is very constructive but sad. I must consider the evidence that you put forward and unfortunately you might be right. Let me still discuss this with Amazon since you are revealing that essentially authors are dispossed systematically by some international teams of crooks.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·9 months agoCould you please tell me where you saw that ad for sale for $66 ?
I never saw that before.
Thanks in advance.
r_lresale
·9 months ago@segr0570.7kwack1oy @segraco-0 So when I go to each of those sites it shows either none available or limited availability. Here are the three links ( included US amazon & amazon CA) and what each page says.
The Spinal Engine by Serge Gracovetsky (9780387820309)
The Spinal Engine - Gracovetsky, Serge: 9781427629975 - AbeBooks
The Spinal Engine: Gracovetsky, Serge: 9781427629975: Amazon.com: Books
The Spinal Engine: Gracovetsky, Serge: 9783211820308: Neurosurgery: Amazon Canada
lacemaker3
·9 months agoNo, that AI search result does NOT show copies being sold for $66. If you check the link you provided in a later post (above), it shows that the original retail price was $66, when the book was first published by Springer in 1989, as a hardcover.It's not being sold at that price now, because it is out of print.
This site is basically a search engine for books, which searches many other sites and displays the prices when it finds copies available. At the moment, it isn't finding any copies at all, but that seems to be because it is searching for the original hardcover published by Springer. There are softcover, print-on-demand copies available from OP's store on Amazon.
https://www.allbookstores.com/The-Spinal-Engine-Serge-Gracovetsky/9780387820309
lacemaker3
·10 months ago@segraco-0 and @segr0570.7kwack1oy
Hi Serge. I believe that you are the same person, using these two similar user IDs.
I checked into the book Spinal Engine, and it was written by Serge Gracoveski, Ph.D. (retired from Concordia University, Montréal, Canada) and published by Springer, in 1987. I believe that is you, I have no reason to think otherwise.
Springer was, and still is, one of the largest and most prolific publishers of textbooks in the world. Congratulations on having your book published by them. That is an accomplishment to be proud of.
I can also see that your book is being sold as print-on-demand through Amazon, with a "publication date" given as 2010. You have mentioned Lulu (Lulu Press, Inc., doing business under trade name Lulu, is an online print-on-demand, self-publishing, and distribution platform.) I presume that you have found that this company is fraudulently producing copies of your book without permission? Or did you give them permission to produce and sell the books through Amazon (only)?
My understanding is that, for textbooks like this, it is the publisher that is responsible for enforcing copyright violations. (Copyright violation would be the correct legal term here, rather than a patent violation. For one thing, copyright protection is for a much longer time interval than patent protection, usually just 20 years).
Have you contacted your editor at Springer about this copyright violation? Are they not able to protect you, for your book that was published almost 40 years ago (which is out of print but still under copyright protection)? (My colleagues have told me that the income from a published textbook is very small, presumably because of the small publishing runs.)
Or is the problem here because you (as the author) gave this self-publishing company permission to produce and sell the books through Amazon, but now they are selling them through other venues, and are not living up to their royalty agreement with you for copies that are sold through other venues? (Have you checked the fine print on your agreement with them?)
If it is the latter, then I think you will need to take legal action against the self-publishing company. That would be the only way you could hope to achieve significant results.
If you want to just address sales on eBay (made below the Amazon asking price), then you would need to go through the eBay VeRO program, as @r_lresale has explained here. That is eBay's way of enforcing the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
estate_echoes
·10 months ago@lacemaker3 @r_lresale the book for sale on ebay, 32ish sold, more than 10 available is by Aardvark Global Pub
lishing.
lacemaker3
·10 months agoYes, I know. That is the listing which is selling the book for less than the asking price on Amazon (which is suspicious in itself). That listing has the condition "Brand new" so those are not used books which are being resold. The author's royalty should have been paid for all of those sales, but apparently was not.
It can't be making money for the eBay seller if this is a "drop-shipping" situation, where they are ordering the books from the OP's amazon listing. It would be a loss each time it was sold, with an average sale price of $92.50, maximum of $95.00.
Something else is going on, and it looks as though it is the self-publishing company that is not paying royalties to the author for those sales.
segraco-0
OP9 months agoI believe you are right. I am basically being cheated by the publisher that was very honest with me for 25 years till march 2025. My understanding is that Lulu was then bough by a group of investors from Dubai. But I have no written proof of that. That would explain the change in relationship.
1786davycrockett
·9 months ago@segraco-0
@segr0570.7kwack1oy
There is also the possibility that your book is being re-published in another country (possibly India or Pakistan) without your knowledge, and that these are the editions currently being offered for sale on eBay and other websites (not Amazon, as you have apparently authorized those printings).
There have been a couple reports during the past few years of unauthorized and unlicensed "pirate," "counterfeit" and/or "bootleg" editions of multiple book titles, which allegedly are being published (and promoted) by several overseas publishers, and sold on various internet sites.
The editions appear to be authentic; but only the authors and the current rights owners can determine if these editions are phony.
So you might also be a victim of one of these scams, as well -- which will be very difficult to shut down entirely.
segraco-0
OP9 months agoWhat you wrote is very constructive. Thank you very much. I will now inquire with Amazon.ca to understand better the relationship with Lulu regarding that particular book (sold without problem by Amazon for 20 years). There is a rat somewhere. Since Amazon was always honest and open with me, I can now guess where the problem very likely come from . Since now we have two honest companies (eBay and Amazon.CA) it should be just a matter of time before the culprit is flushed out.
segraco-0
OP9 months agoTo help you decode the trick, I have an Exell file listing the sales made by Lulu and Amazon. You will see a potential entry for eBay dated June 7 and 8 2025 (for a total off 45 books, where is got a huge $45 royalty (that is one dollar per book.) Please compare with the others entries when Amazon sells the book directly. You will see royalties of $90 etc..) You figure what happened !! May be you might appreciate my questions.
I tried to upload but the message I get is that "The file type (.xlsx) is not supported.
Could you please give me a way too send you that Excell file ?
lacemaker3
·9 months ago@segraco-0, @segr0570.7kwack1oy
Serge, there is no need to send me the file, I believe that you have reported the data correctly.
Yes, that "sale" of 45 books, with $1 royalty each for a total of $45 in royalty fees, is probably the copies that are being sold by the eBay seller.
At this point, you need to pursue this with Lulu, and ask why they did not collect the proper royalties for those sales. I think that you may need a lawyer to pursue this for you. That is what I would do, if it were my book.
First though, have you checked the fine print on the contract you signed with Lulu, to produce these books for you as print-on-demand? You mentioned that they were sending the correct royalty amounts honestly, for 20 years. Maybe the contract expired after 20 years? Maybe you need to renew it, or something like that?
asset_liquidators
·10 months agoOne seller has sold 32 of your books.
Conclusion: By them selling 32 of your new books, that is royalties you received for the 32 books sold.
Go ahead and get all these places (here on ebay) and elsewhere shut down but don't complain when your royalty checks dwindle to less than nothing.
All these places that are selling your book in turn have to place an order for your book from one of your authorized sellers. This is really expanding your market base without you having to do a thing. Kick back, relax, enjoy the royalties their sales are actually providing for you.
stainlessenginecovers
·10 months agoYou keep changing your sign on name that you are posting with.
This is fraud.
Stop it.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoThat sign is not for me to decide. It is a feature of the eBay communication system. Your accusation is unfortunate since it could be interpreted as a preconceived hostility without basis. Not reassuring.
kathiec
·10 months agoWhat's not reassuring is your total lack of knowledge about how eBay works. Your user ID is absolutely for you to decide. You somehow have opened two separate eBay accounts. The user ID you post with at any given time is determined by which account you're currently logged in with. EBay's "communication sytem" has nothing to do with that. It's totally under your control.
But now that we get down to the nitty gritty, every post you've made could be interpreted as preconceived hostility without basis.
r_lresale
·10 months ago@segr0570.7kwack1oy @segraco-0 Why will you not answer direct questions to you, such as my question about if the copies being offered on eBay right now having your professional email on front cover is yours and authorized by you?. Instead you just keep deflecting and asking posters to defend some delusional moral quandary or conspiracy you think we all know about.
Also you keep mentioning something about people helping you sell copies of your book and not getting the royalties you should "Waiting for the pleasure to finally understand how lucky I am to have volunteers doing the selling for me". Again you have been asked repeatedly of proof of "acquisition of close to 100 copies without my receiving anything."
This leads me into the conclusion that you may have authorized a seller to reprint your book and they told you that you would receive royalties of certain amount from eBay when books ordered like Amazon does. Is this what happened @segr0570.7kwack1oy @segraco-0 ? If so, either you misunderstood eBays interest in this matter OR that person lied to you and your beef is with them NOT eBay. As well if this scenario is correct, I'm assumig NO contract was signed because if there was one you would have utilized the legal system to recoup your losses rather than dry begging for help in the forums.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoIt is true that I assumed my publisher to be fair and not to enter into agreement with several friends. I have read the agreement between Lulu and Amazon, com, ça, UK ,DE . Not sure for some like eBay because the lulu person that emailed me the agreement lost communication with me. My mistake was not having downloaded the agreement immediately. However the conditions for virtually anyone to buy from Lulu was that the sale price was below $50 and that I would be paid one dollar per sale. I have several sales reports from Lulu and I have no problem to email them to you. That will demonstrate that it is not as bad as you imply. But the reality is that there exist many crooks that make money by essentially stealing authors, and that is the reason of my questioning.
The strategy of having a seller buy a book from Amazon and then resell it via eBay is totally unrealistic, hence my request for clarification. That being said, I have been stolen many times, and have requested decent companies to remove the crooks from their selling platform.
Hence in my mind, if eBay has a department that is aware of this behavior and is determined to intervene, such as Amazon does, then these crooks will be restricted and that's for me is a very healthy response. I have been surprised that virtually nobody in that group has raised at least the possibilities that something might be warm enough to require an investigation. My surprise was fueled by the impossibility of having a credible scheme for using eBay given the market prices.
And contrary to what you imply, and I confess to my great pleasure, the theory of the Spinal Engine is slowly catching fire simply because there have been no proof of its uselessness. The beginnings were hard as it can be expected.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoYou reach conclusions without evidence. So I will simply say that I never authorized anyone to copy my book except for the publisher that printed hundreds of copies. I however never authorized that publisher to sell copies without my agreement or consent. For example, an Amazon sale was always done as FBS of FBM, that is fulfilled by seller ( i.e myself with Amazon, or the new definition fulfilled by merchant, the new definition of yours truly since 2025).
Hence whatever agreement between Lulu and anybody else was certainly not approved by myself. Who can believe that since the usual royalty of Amazon is about $90 per book, I can be realistically delighted to cash in ONE DOLLAR PER BOOK.
And your references of Kennedy and others don't affect any such common sense decisions. I have the actual proof that these events took place, and my immediate response was to forbid, in the strict definition of the word to do any such manipulation. Every decision to sell a book must be approved in writing by yours truly. But these dishonest tricks cost me a few thousand dollars before I was made aware of their existence and could stop it.
I am sure you can appreciate that my losses are the profits of these crooks. I suppose that is life. Neither funny nor honest.
estate_echoes
·10 months ago@segraco-0 @segr0570.7kwack1oy
Sorry, you had to deal with so much nit-picking and abuse. Not sure why so many were confused.
Is the publisher Aardvark Global Publishing? You originally published in the 80's and then republished....perhaps it was digitized and it is now being printed on demand without consent?
r_lresale
·10 months ago@estate_echoes Regardless it sounds like his beef is with "lulu" as he has alluded that he authorized a hundred copies from them and they are selling it without giving him royalties. He needs to pursue them legally and if he finds any unauthorized copies on eBay he needs to join the Vero program to take them down.
@segraco-0 @segr0570.7kwack1oy To do anything about unauthorized copies on eBay you MUST join the Vero program. Once you do this you report listings that are against your copyright, trademark, patent, etc. and eBay WILL take them down.
@segraco-0 @segr0570.7kwack1oy follow this link Verified Rights Owner program | eBay.com to read about the Vero program and sign up.
mam98031
·10 months ago@r_lresale
You can't have a Patent on a book. Certainly they could on some of the stuff they talk about in the book, but the book itself can not have a patent.
r_lresale
·10 months agoI was just giving him examples of what Vero program can get taken down, not necessarily that they all applied to his book.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoOk. You are right. Tell me what I can make this happen because I was truly penalized by crooks. So I will be delighted to join. Where do I sign up.
r_lresale
·10 months agoDid you click the link I provided? You have to sign up and be a member of the program. I have never had a need to be a member but I know a couple of posters here have and perhaps they could further assist you!
house*of*paws
·10 months ago@segraco-0
If you actually had clicked on … and read … the link that @r_lresale provided, you would have seen the contact information for signing up for the VeRO program at the end of the article.
If you’re able to research and write a book … you should be able to follow the simple, printed directions that you’ll find in that article without being spoon-fed tiny bits of information.
PLEASE do that … and let us move on to answer the questions of other eBayers who can use our help. You really don’t need us any more. Have a good one! 😊
[I will now move my spinal stenotic back elsewhere.] LOL 🙃
marnotom!
·10 months agoI think we're being wound up and strung along here. No author worth their salt would say that someone is "frauding" them. The proper term is defrauded.
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoYou do not have much experience with authors, or how common this complaint is. And how common misuse of the English language is, even among authors.
The facts as stated by the OP may be correct, and he still has no remedy other than action against his publisher. And if his book is printed on demand, he should have expected not to see any royalties, no matter what his contract says.
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoThe First Sale Doctrine which justifies much of what is sold on the internet was written by the courts specifically to permit the resale of books or their use in a lending library.
If book is initially purchased from its publisher, no further royalty other than has been paid based on that purchase accrues to the author.
So long as a reseller does not sell a counterfeit copy of your book, no rights are violated.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoThat is not the probable cause. I have evidence of acquisition of close to 100 copies without my receiving anything. Suppose these are then proposed to eBay for resale. How do you classify that move ??
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoIf your publisher or distributor has not paid you any royalties, that is a civil matter between you and them. You should have your attorney review your contract with them to see whether they have breached it, how much you might have lost and whether the costs of litigation are justified by your losses.
1786davycrockett
·10 months ago@segr0570.7kwack1oy
@segraco-0
"I have evidence of acquisition of close to 100 copies without my receiving anything. Suppose these are then proposed to eBay for resale. How do you classify that move ??"
I classify it as pure assumption and supposition on your part.
Present your evidence "of acquisition of close to 100 copies without my receiving anything."
First of all -- the market for non-fiction works about the human spine (originally published in 1987) is nearly non-existent -- this is not a current hot best-seller, and is unlikely to be on the "must read" lists of very many people. So the rumor that "close to 100 copies" have gone unaccounted is definitely not a retailer issue -- but an issue which you should take up with your publisher.
If yours is a self-published work, you need to be addressing your complaint to your publisher; and, if your book is a "print-on-demand" book, you again need to discuss how "close to 100 copies" could have been published, without a notification from your provider.
Secondly -- you are "supposing" that eBay is an on-line retailer, that "close to 100 copies"of your book may have been "proposed" to eBay for sale. As others have attempted to explain to you: eBay is NOT in the retail sales business (except for shipping supplies). The eBay platform is set up so that independent sellers may attempt to sell their items on the eBay site, from which eBay is provided a portion of the final sale price. Thus, eBay is a marketing platform, and NOT an on-line retailer.
And, even if eBay WERE an on-line retailer, it is very highly unlikely that eBay would wish to purchase nearly 100 copies of a nearly 40 year old book about the human spine. That's just ludicrous.
If you are planning to make any further accusations against others, you are advised to provide better "evidence" than suppositions and assumptions.
mam98031
·10 months agoI don't think anyone was implying anything to you. They were clear and detailed in what they said. I am sorry we have been unable to explain this to you in a way that makes sense to you. I hope everything works out for you.
r_lresale
·10 months agoI think what is burning this guys biscuits is perhaps on October 20 an original HC 1988 Edition sold for over $200 and perhaps thinks he is entitled to that?? Also the only other copy's I could find in stock anywhere was the other guy selling a 2008 edition and it was printed in Canada and the authors email address is printed on the cover is that yours @segr0570.7kwack1oy
albertabrightalberta
·10 months agoBut what you aren't understanding is that even if the ebay seller is engaging in disallowed retail arbitrage and selling a book they haven't yet purchased, once they sell that book, they need to purchase it in order to fulfill their obligation to the buyer and to ebay. And when they do that, you will be compensated your royalty. And if the seller can't fulfill their obligation to their buyer, they'd need to cancel for OOS (out of stock) and their account will be dinged.
mam98031
·10 months agoJudging from the price the Ebay seller is selling the book for, I think they have it in hand. This books is sold more places than just Amazon and typically for more than the Ebay seller is charging for the book.
albertabrightalberta
·10 months ago@segraco-0
Anyone who bought your book, even if they purchased from a thrift store or yard sale has the right to resell it when they no longer need it.
Please refer to first sale doctrine which allows the owner of any legally obtained item to sell, gift or dispose of as they choose.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoYes. The key point is legally acquired. I have the data table of a printer having sold 45 books of mine for $25 each and giving me $1 dollars for generous royalty. Of course without my knowledge or permission. Then what ? Are you saying that stealing a book under these conditions is legal !!!
Sorry. I can't agree with your definition of legality.
One trivial question. Does EBay verifies if whatever they sell is legal ?? It is too easy to pretend that they don't know where the book comes from.
house*of*paws
·10 months ago@segr0570.7kwack1oy
Broadly, yes it does. Listings for items that are obviously illegal (like a bazooka) are prohibited on eBay … and generally are removed by bots.
But eBay takes the position on most items that the seller is totally responsible for whatever is said in a listing … and doesn’t try to second-guess the seller’s assertions.
There are about 2 billion listings on eBay at any given time … which makes scrutinizing each one a bit challenging.
msha3839
·10 months agoOne trivial answer…with over billion listings, eBay can’t verify every or any listing…you barking at the wrong tree…hire attorney and deal with it …I’m sure there is some billboard lawyer who’s willing to take you for a ride to bright future…
kalyoth
·10 months agoIf anyone purchases your book through your publisher - your compensated as first sale doctrine. Your rights end at that point. Anyone can resell (second sale doctrine) that item any number of additional times now & you are out of luck. Ebay sells nothing. Unless someone stole from your publisher & is reselling that, you have zero legs to stand upon. Any good lawyer will tell you this.
msha3839
·10 months agoLooks like OP trying to make a federal case out of nothing..most likely his publisher explained already about copyright laws, but OP still wants to milk a cow , not realizing that this is a bull..🤷
shado-x
·10 months agoYou have a self-published book, from which you invented the material from Amazon's self-publishing service, once known as Create Space in order to possess more control of your content. Books sold on eBay from 3rd Party sellers give a smaller royalty through Amazon's "enhanced distribution", but it takes months longer (up to 3 months vs 1 month). Outside of that, Amazon's large delay in book royalties, either directly through Amazon or through their 3rd party enhanced distribution program is prehistoric for the digital 21st Century.
As for Copyrights, even if the DMCA is wack-a-mole and designed by Congress (and current case-law) to be that way, you still must possess a hard copy of copyright from the US Library of Congress to gain more traction. Lastly, if you get a publisher (through an agent or not) like, for example, Simon & Schuster, then the publisher has the tools and assets to do what you request.
redmodelt
·10 months agoTo add: the only copies of this book I found on eBay were new and the seller had multiple copies to sell.
The Spinal Engine 9781427629975| eBay
r_lresale
·10 months agoYes and that listing is word for word from amazon listing and says out of print/limited availability. I'm assuming when there is an order it is printed then and sent out. Either way the author is getting compensated for that.
house*of*paws
·10 months agoHi @segraco-0
IF you are a VeRO member … then you can simply contact eBay and ask them to remove all listings of NEW copies of your book.
Anyone is free to resell a Used book.
redmodelt
·10 months agoFrom reading other posts where people get eBay VeRO notifications, seems to cover selling used items as well on this site.
house*of*paws
·10 months agoWell I'll be danged ...
msha3839
·10 months agoEven new unused books can be considered as used and moved as something not in demand and sold at the bottom price…It’s all depends on the contract between publishers and writers..unsold inventory in most cases can’t command royalties, unless the writer is a famous author/person and get a lump sum upfront and in some cases, percentage of the sales above certain numbers…all in the fine print ðŸ§
redmodelt
·10 months agoeBay does not sell anything. They are the platform people use to list their items. The other platforms you have listed have nothing to do with eBay and are not important to this discussion except as a side note.
If people are reprinting your book and selling that is a different story. In the USA that would come under copyright infringements and may be similar to Canadian laws.
There was a link posted above how to protect your intellectual property. That can and will prevent the reselling even the used copies of your book. Open and read it. Unless you do that, as has been post over and over, there is nothing you can do to prevent the reselling of your book on this platform.
You can post all you want but there is nothing we can do for you except offer advice. eBay isn't going to see these post only the other buyers and sellers that help here, many of whom have years of experience.
kensgiftshop
·10 months agoIf the sellers buy the book from you on Amazon, you all ready got your royalties.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoWhy do you avoid responding to my questions ?
1)- Buying a book at Amazon is good and will bring me $90. However how do you explain that EBay can make any money when that book is resold for $90 at EBay??
2)- Some books were stolen by Lulu who made a deal with a few people that were requested to sell for at least $50/ book and gives me whooping $1 royalty. That was stopped since it was clear to lawyers that buying a book at low price without my consent is not the same thing as you pretend. If the book you sell was itself produced fraudulently then you are warned that it is not good for EBay to be complice of that trick.
Waiting for your reply to my two points above.
Regards
msha3839
·10 months agoYou give yourself too much credit..market dictates if your book sells or not and accepted price…simple research on Amazon shows few books for sale..that’s it…
janet9988
·10 months agoSince this is your first response here ..NO ONE HAS avoided your questions up to this point.
1. WE do not have to explain HOW eBay makes money. The Polices explain the HOW.
2, If anything was stolen by Lulu that has noting to do with ebay OR the members of ebay whom you are addressing here.
1786davycrockett
·10 months ago@segr0570.7kwack1oy
or @segraco-0
Whichever one you may be at any particular time.
"Why do you avoid responding to my questions ?
1)- Buying a book at Amazon is good and will bring me $90. However how do you explain that EBay can make any money when that book is resold for $90 at EBay??
2)- Some books were stolen by Lulu who made a deal with a few people that were requested to sell for at least $50/ book and gives me whooping $1 royalty. That was stopped since it was clear to lawyers that buying a book at low price without my consent is not the same thing as you pretend. If the book you sell was itself produced fraudulently then you are warned that it is not good for EBay to be complice of that trick.
Waiting for your reply to my two points above.
Answer to 1 -- if an individual who has previously purchased your book chooses to sell it on eBay, eBay is provided a percentage of the sale of the item, as with every item on eBay. So, yes, eBay will make money from the sale of any used books which you may have previously written, which were originally sold as new.
Answer to 2 -- You are assuming a chain of possession exists between the books which were stolen by "Lulu" (with whom I am not familiar) and eBay, without providing any evidence. What is your proof that the books stolen by "Lulu" are the same as those that may be available on eBay (or any of the other internet bookstore sites which also currently offer used copies of your books)?
Finally -- the Digital Millennium Act of 1998 applies to DIGITAL editions of books -- not PHYSICAL editions of books. You definitely need to familiarize yourself with International Copyright Law.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoDo you realize that everything in print is coming from a digital medium,? When a book is sold in Japan the book is printed in Japan (on demand) to avoid shipping costs.
1786davycrockett
·10 months ago@segr0570.7kwack1oy
@segraco-0
"Do you realize that everything in print is coming from a digital medium,?"
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 refers to finished and published works -- NOT the possible digital source of the unfinished and unpublished work.
So, yes, along the way, most publishers (and writers) undoubtedly use "a digital medium" to create a finished work -- but, UNTIL it becomes a FINISHED and PUBLISHED work, it is not covered by the 1998 DMC.
And I find it difficult to believe that Japan only publishes "books on demand," considering that contemporary photos of several Japanese bookstores show bookshelves overflowing with physical books.
Besides -- comparing the Japanese publishing industry with the American (or Canadian) publishing industry is aimless -- apples to oranges.
mam98031
·10 months agoNow that is an excellent point.
redmodelt
·10 months agoIf it makes any difference, the OP is in Canada.
msha3839
·10 months agoThanks God…😵â€ðŸ’«
albertabrightalberta
·10 months agoInteresting, @redmodelt because the OP, @segraco-0 's profile shows Canada, the other post made by @segr0570.7kwack1oy shows a US profile.
Things that make one say, "hmmmm."
janet9988
·10 months agoYou can state you forbid it to us but is does not change the fact that anyone can buy your book and resell it. Nothing will stop. No one has that power.
kibble-net
·10 months agoSir, this is Wendy's.
christworks
·10 months ago@segraco-0
You’re misunderstanding how this works. Once a physical book is sold to someone, they own that copy. They are legally allowed to resell that physical copy under the First Sale Doctrine. That means they do not need your permission, and they are not required to pay you royalties on secondhand sales. That’s how every used bookstore, thrift store, library sale, and eBay listing works.
If someone were copying your book, distributing PDFs, or printing new copies, that would be a copyright/DMCA issue. But reselling a legally purchased physical copy is not piracy and not fraud. It’s perfectly legal.
If your issue is with royalties, your dispute is with:
Your publisher/printer, or
Your distribution agreements
Not with individual resellers.
If you want to prevent secondhand sales, your only option is to move to digital-only with DRM or change your publishing contract. But you cannot legally stop someone from reselling a physical book they bought.
Threatening buyers and sellers here won’t change the law, and saying they’re committing “fraud†is just incorrect. If you believe Lulu or any distributor is selling without contractual permission, you need to handle that privately with them.
hotwheelsbum
·10 months agoYour Royalties end at the Sale of your book at the time it is sold "New". Your Publishers Distributors collect those Royalties from the Authorized Sellers who are retailing your NEW Book when it is first published. If you think you're entitled to Royalties each and every time that book is SOLD, as in at a Garage Sale or a Flea Market for $1, used Book Sellers/Dealers, online or B&M, even here on ebay, then you need to have a serious discussion with your Business Manager, your Accountant, your Attorney. IS Amazon paying $90 in Royalty Fees every time they sell one of your books? Hell NO they're not. You're making $90 per sale for each book Amazon is selling for you. And from what it looks like, you might've sold 3 of these 35 year old books in the last decade on Amazon. Your 15 minutes is up. The Gravy Train "Authors" experience when their book is first published is over with. Deal with it.
ryry-jj
·10 months agoYou need to have your attorney go after each and every site that has your book listed where you dont receive royalties. It's work, but that is the only way it gets done. They can also go after each seller for back royalties and compensation. The attorneys know what to do
msha3839
·10 months agoEveryone is an attorney..🤧..do your homework…royalties apply for reprint and use in commercial capacity…when someone buys any book, he/she becomes a legal owner of this item and can resell or burn it…the same mostly applies to music copyright…
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoNice to say that. Only one problem. If the book is first bought legally, then fine. But that procedure will not allow EBay to make the profit they need. In fact they will lose money.
mam98031
·10 months agoYou don't know that, you are assuming that. Not sure what you consider an "illegal" purchase of your book or what law they are breaking in order to purchase your book. You will likely never know where the Seller [NOT Ebay] got the book. Heck it could have been a gift. You have no idea what price, if any, they paid for the book.
I did read some of the reviews on this book. You receive high praises for a great book. Congratulations.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoThank you for your compliment. Now think ahead. Why should I spent 10 years of my life doing that work , may be one day, would help you to overcome back pain.
Letting researcher's know that whatever works they do is a free for all.
Do you see see where that strategy goes ??
mam98031
·10 months agoAuthors of books do not control where, when or how much their book is sold for around the world. You simply do not have that kind of control.
I would love for someone to stop my back pain. It is daily and it gets intense.
jonathanbrightlight
·10 months agoAs an author, respectfully, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Unless you think someone is printing their own copies of your books from digital files, you have zero control over who sells copies of your book. Instead of continuing to argue with everyone here, please go learn about the self publishing business you chose to enter.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoSure. But I found it disgraceful for EBay to make a living by stealing somebody else intellectual property.
mam98031
·10 months agoEbay doesn't sell anything. It is simply a site in which individual sellers sell stuff. Books of all kinds are for sale on this site and many others all day every day. While I respect that you are the author of this book, you have no right to restrict the sale or resale of the book. I know you want this to be true, but it simply is not. You have no control over who purchases your book and who may resale your book.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoJust think about what you said. Logically EBay is in this business to make money. Suppose (which is the case) that eBay sells my book for the same price that Amazon gives me as a commission. That is above $90. Unless the book has been stolen, that is not economically feasible. Hence a crook is making a living from stealing the book and having eBay reselling with a profit.
Nothing grandiose here. Just fly by night crooks making a living.
My problem is not with the crooks. It I with respectable companies like eBay to close their eyes to exploit this line of business.
mam98031
·10 months agoThe Seller is likely the one that makes the most money. Ebay has set fees for selling on the site like Amazon does when there is a third party seller such as yourself. Unlike Amazon, Ebay itself does not sell anything at all on this site.
Keep in mind. If I had a copy of your book. I could sell it here if I wanted to, or I could go to Amazon to sell it if I wanted to. You have zero control over that.
IDK why you insist this book for sale on Ebay must have been stolen. Just do a Google search and you will see the book is for sell elsewhere, not just Amazon or Ebay. You are not being exploited. You simply don't understand why someone else could sell your book. Several of us have tried to explain it to you, but you are really fixed on your point of view, so it is highly unlikely any of us are going to be able to change that.
I wish you well.
msha3839
·10 months agoEBAY DON’T SELL ANYTHING!!!🙉
1786davycrockett
·10 months ago@segraco-0
Don't blame eBay -- your book is also available from several other websites, including Alibris and Thriftbooks.
You understand, I hope, that anyone who purchases your book is also entitled to resell it, since it is no longer in your possession -- once your book has been sold, you relinquish all rights regarding resale.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoNo problem with that argument. As long as I have a decent royalty it's ok with me whatever the buyer is doing with it.
The issue is when the book is not paid and yet consider to have been purchased.
That is highway robbery.
segr0570.7kwack1oy
·10 months agoThe fact that many people are cheating is not a sufficient excuse to continue doing it. But I understand the psychological benefits in having theses positions.
kathiec
·10 months ago@segr0570.7kwack1oy
What you still don't seem to understand is that 1) anyone who has purchased a copy or copies of your book has no legal obligation to pay you a royalty for its resale, and 2) eBay has absolutely no way to determine what royalties a seller is paying as a result of a sale. EBay makes exactly the same amount if the seller pays you royalties than if they don't. If you think an eBay seller has illegally obtained copies of your book you need to go after the seller, as eBay has no part in it.