[An editorial update is included at the end. Note: As of September 9, 2013, this book is shown, under a certain Google search criterion, as in a metadata listing by Google Books, but this book remains unavailable from myself, the publisher.]
As comes as no big shock, on June 28, I found at least two search results for the Google Books preview version of my novella Professional Help: A satire turning up on a Google search. This morning (June 29), I found only one such search result. Whoever is responsible for this and for whatever reason, a few simple facts should be noted:
As comes as no big shock, on June 28, I found at least two search results for the Google Books preview version of my novella Professional Help: A satire turning up on a Google search. This morning (June 29), I found only one such search result. Whoever is responsible for this and for whatever reason, a few simple facts should be noted:
This book was pulled from the Google Books preview program in early January 2012. There should have been no copies of it in the Google Books system afterward, from what I was led to believe by Google Books.
I am trying to get in touch with the relevant persons/office at Google Books to get this situation mitigated, if they can do it. I expect good-faith cooperation from them, but trying to get a communication to the right person in this organization is like trying to get in touch with the right person at the IRS on a specific issue, or what dealing with the Soviet bureaucracy was probably like. No snide attitude intended here; am commenting on a practical bear.
Meanwhile, copies floating around online would technically be a copyright violation.
This book is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, and for this reason, if an infringement case were brought, the plaintiff would be able to recover costs, which is one benefit of registering a manuscript with the Copyright Office. This statement does not constitute a threat or advisory that such a case will be brought.
Further, while the registration is in my name in the Copyright Office, I have been in the process of transferring the ownership of this copyright. For ongoing legal purposes, I am the technical owner, but (as is not really relevant to this statement) if/as things work out per my wishes, another person will be the owner.
Simply, this book is not available for sale (nor would I expect it to be in the foreseeable future), and any distribution of copies of it online would technically be a copyright infringement.
Any questions of a serious nature should be addressed to Bootstrap Editorial Services, Attn: Gregory Ludwig, P.O. Box 146, New Milford, NY 10959-0146. No e-mails (from anyone other than Google Books) will be responded to on this matter.
[Editorial update, 7/3/12: Google Books has responded to me, by e-mail, twice, and has given me assurances that the full book has been removed from its files in a way that should prevent its fully being available online. (This is in accordance with the Preview Program's terms of service, as well as with what understanding we should have had with my request to remove the book in January of this year.) Thus, any further availability online, as I investigate in coming days in my own layperson's way, would seem to be the responsibility of people outside Google Books, and these people I refer to my advisory information above. Any continual instigation of unauthorized availability of this book could, in my opinion, constitute issues related to harassment, stalking, or something similar, as well as a copyright violation.]
