No author should really have to say this, but:
If you have obtained a “free” copy of any of my Kindle books from a site other than Amazon.Com, you are reading stolen merchandise. All of my books are copyrighted (or in the process of being copyrighted) via the US Copyright Office and no one other than Amazon.Com or myself is authorized to provide downloads of free copies of them.
Valid “free” copies are those borrowed via your Kindle Unlimited account, or purchased and lent via Amazon’s Kindle Book Lending to someone you know. You can even buy a copy to give to someone else. Note that in order to be part of KDP Select at the 70% royalty level, authors have to agree to let their book(s) be available to the Kindle Book Lending program.
Readers DO NOT have an ownership right to put the book up on a website for anyone and everyone to read. Period.
People who do that crap should be hit with a kinetic weapons strike from orbit.
It shouldn’t matter, because any book an author asserts copyright in is automatically protected regardless of registration status, but for what it’s worth, I’ve spent $65 each for the following titles to be registered with the United States Copyright Office:
| # | Name (NALL) < | Full Title | Copyright Number | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Autumn’s Smile. | TX0009231979 | 2022 |
| [ 2 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Cross-Time Kamaitachi. | TX0009215493 | 2022 |
| [ 3 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Dragon in the Foie Gras. | TX0008957769 | 2021 |
| [ 4 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Fox in the Henhouse. | TX0008936368 | 2020 |
| [ 5 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Huntress on the Rocks. | TX0009148077 | 2021 |
| [ 6 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Lion and the Lizard. | TX0009070440 | 2021 |
| [ 7 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Lion in Paradise. | TX0009215492 | 2021 |
| [ 8 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Lion of God. | TX0008886448 | 2020 |
| [ 9 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Midsummer Night’s Hunt. | TX0008937318 | 2020 |
| [ 10 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Reason. | TX0008936363 | 2020 |
| [ 11 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Saving the Spring. | TXu002190800 | 2020 |
| [ 12 ] | Brindle, Nathan C., 1959- | Tale of the Crane Princess. | TX0009248389 | 2023 |
And surprise to overseas pirates who claim otherwise: The Berne Convention actually does protect American authors’ copyrights in member countries, and vice versa (though I’d have to sue the Canadian asshole who is currently pirating at least one of my books IN CANADA, and I don’t have the money or the time to do that). So pirating e-books on websites hosted outside the US may make you think you’re thumbing your nose at the authors and their publishing houses, but eventually you’re going to go up against an author with deep pockets who will, very likely, sink you.
Bottom line: If you didn’t get my book(s) from Amazon (or shared through Amazon by someone who bought it on Amazon), you’re reading a copy I made zip zero nada on. And while I’ve said in the past I don’t write for profit, but for fun, the point is, nobody should be sharing my books (or anyone else’s!) on the open Internet for free. Not even if you claim you’re doing me a favor by getting more people’s eyes on my books. Guess what? That’s not up to you.
Because that’s how you kill a thriving ecosystem and end up with books you want to read simply not being made available anymore as e-books.