Book, e-book, and audiobook piracy is now one of the biggest—yet still underestimated—problems faced by publishers.
In practice, it often looks the same: a book is released, and almost immediately its pirated version appears online—on forums, file-hosting services, or in closed messaging groups.
Many publishers try to respond on their own. They quickly discover, however, that manual searching for infringements and filing reports is time-consuming, frustrating, and ineffective in the long run.
In this article, we show what the process of removing pirated e-books and audiobooks from the internet really looks like—step by step—and why only a systematic approach delivers real results.
Step 1: Monitoring the Internet for Pirated Content
The foundation of combating piracy is continuous internet monitoring, not a one-time check.
Pirated copies of books and audiobooks appear, among others:
- in search engines (Google, Bing),
- on forums and thematic websites,
- on file-hosting services,
- in messengers and closed groups,
- on classified ads platforms.
Effective monitoring involves:
- searching for titles, authors’ names, and fragments of content,
- analyzing sources that regularly publish illegal files,
- repeating these actions on a cyclical basis.
Without monitoring, piracy simply remains invisible, and publishers and authors do not even know they are being robbed.
Step 2: Identifying Copyright Infringements
Not every file found online is automatically illegal.
That is why the next step is to verify whether a given publication infringes copyright.
At this stage, it is checked, among other things:
- whether the profile or channel is an official one operated by the rights holder,
- whether the form of distribution is permitted,
- whether the file was published without the consent of the authorized entity.
This is crucial, because only unlawful distribution can be effectively removed.
Step 3: Reporting the Infringement to the Administrator or Platform
Once the infringement is confirmed, the formal reporting process begins.
Depending on where the content is published, this may involve:
- a request to remove the content (the so-called notice & takedown),
- reporting to the website operator,
- reporting to the hosting provider,
- reporting to a search engine,
- a cease-and-desist notice sent to the person who illegally uploaded the file.
An effective report must:
- precisely identify the infringement,
- precisely indicate the location of the infringement (exact URL),
- include a legal basis,
- clearly identify the work and the rights holder,
- clearly communicate the demand for removal.
Formal errors often cause reports to be ignored or rejected.
Step 4: Removal of Pirated Content and Blocking Access
If the report is valid, the service administrator:
- removes the file,
- blocks access to the content,
- and then it is necessary to ensure that links leading to the page with the pirated file are removed from search engine results.
In practice, this does not always happen immediately.
Some services respond quickly, while others require follow-ups or additional actions.
That is why fighting piracy is a process, not a one-off action.
Step 5: Secondary Monitoring – Piracy Comes Back
Removing a single link does not solve the problem.
Very often:
- the same file appears elsewhere,
- links are copied,
- pirated content circulates simultaneously across multiple sources.
Therefore, the following are necessary:
- secondary monitoring,
- repeated reports,
- continuous response to new infringements.
This stage is the one that most often discourages publishers acting on their own. Combating online piracy is tedious, requires iron discipline, and is therefore extremely time-consuming.
Step 6: Reporting and Documentation of Actions
Professional anti-piracy activities always conclude with a report.
The report includes, among other things:
- the number of detected infringements,
- places of publication,
- effectiveness of removals,
- recurrence of sources.
Thanks to this, the publisher:
- gains a realistic picture of the scale of piracy,
- can demonstrate to authors that anti-piracy measures have been taken, thereby gaining a competitive advantage through the protection of their partners’ creative works,
- can make business decisions based on data derived from the report.
Why Fighting Piracy Manually Makes No Sense
Manual actions have three fundamental drawbacks:
- they consume an enormous amount of time,
- they are irregular,
- they do not cover the full scale of the problem.
As a result:
- piracy returns,
- creators’ frustration grows,
- the team focuses on putting out fires instead of developing the publishing business,
- publisher profits are lower than they should be, while real costs are higher.
Summary: Fighting Piracy Requires a Systematic Approach
Removing pirated e-books and audiobooks from the internet is possible—but only if it:
- is carried out continuously,
- is based on a structured process,
- does not burden the publisher’s internal team.
That is why more and more publishers choose systematic anti-piracy actions carried out by specialized entities such as Legal24 – Anti-Piracy & Content Protection.
About the Company
Legal24 – Anti-Piracy & Content Protection is a Polish company specializing in the removal of pirated content, copyright infringements, and online reputation protection for publishers, creators, and businesses. For over 10 years, it has been fighting online piracy. We have the tools and the know-how to effectively remove pirated files from the internet.
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