
How Google Stole My $3800 - estnon
http://vgvr.svbtle.com/how-google-stole-my-3800
======
nowayout
Why is everybody too focused on the "public domain" part? I do not see any
statement regarding the public domain books on Google Policies, unlike Amazon.

[https://support.google.com/books/partner/answer/166501?hl=en](https://support.google.com/books/partner/answer/166501?hl=en)
[https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A2OHLJURFVK57Q](https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A2OHLJURFVK57Q)

Bookstores, not only the digital ones, are full of public domain books. What
do we want here? Publishers not to publish those classics or to publish them
but give them for free?

Why is this any different for companies who fill empty pets with natural water
and sell it to people? Isn't that public domain too? Don't they just wrap the
"water"? Do they say that indeed they simply put the the free water in those
fancy plastics?

Beyond all my subjective views, there is one thing objective that it's not
fair for Google to keep the money for themselves when there is no policy for
it.

------
lutusp
Quote: "I was told that the reason [for being suspended from Google Play] was
that I had been selling public domain books."

This should have been the title of the submission.

~~~
readerrrr
I thought selling public domain content is legal.

~~~
dragonwriter
Sure.

So what? That something is legal for you to do independently does not mean it
is allowed by the Google Play terms.

~~~
estnon
even if a policy violation appears after over 6 months, that doesn't mean that
google takes all the money on the table.

~~~
lutusp
Consider this from Google's position -- they see an activity that will make
them look irresponsible or in collusion. To minimize damage to their
reputation, they might want to stop the activity even if they can't fairly
redistribute the ill-gotten gains afterward.

Also, if legal authority decided to step in, Google would minimize their own
liability and exposure by stopping the activity rather than by allowing it to
continue.

It also serves as a warning to others who might want to sell content they
don't own -- it discourages a repetition of the same behavior.

------
commentzorro
Looks like Lemur Books is selling public domain Sherlock Holmes books. I'm
guessing the value add is supposed to be nice format/layout on mobile devices
but I can't be sure.

If Lemur were clearly saying they were selling the layout and formatting of
public domain books I'd side with the blog. However, if they were implying
that they were selling the e-books as content w/o clearly stating these were
public domain then I'd side with Google. I hate it when people build a sales
campaign around tricking people, even if legal.

What was the pitch in the play store?

~~~
JohnTHaller
There is no requirement, legal or otherwise, to identify a physical book you
sell in a bookstore as having content available in the public domain. Why
would there be on an ebook?

~~~
commentzorro
The first paragraph stated what I found that the blog didn't make clear to me.
i.e. what was he selling and why was his account suspended. Items the blog
didn't mention.

The second paragraph gave my opinion on the blog post (on which side I fall)
and my reason for my opinion. Specifically point out that either way I didn't
think they did anything illegal ... but possibly (not necessarily) immoral.

The third paragraph asks anyone knows the details about how the sales pitch
was worded in the play store.

------
miohtama
.... and this is why people are excited about Bitcoin. Small business owners
have really difficult negotiation position against big giants in the case
there are any issues (and there always will be).

(This regardless that the author clearly violated Google Play terms of service
and Google allowed money accumulate to the persons account)

------
Broken_Hippo
I'm curios why the author went ahead and starting selling before he was able
to receive payment? My personal 'stop' started there.

------
opless
Sounds like the author was doing 'dodgy stuff', and you can probably bet that
customers were likely compensated somehow.

------
oliwarner
Why are you telling us? Sue them and let the court decide whether they've
stolen from you.

~~~
fasteo
Strange question. This is what HN is all about. Telling histories that might
be of interested to the community. This one is no exception.

