Simon & Schuster reiterated its “firm commitment to battling piracy” in a statement released this morning, perhaps in response to the news that bootleg editions of The Lost Symbol started popping up online less than a day after the book’s release, despite Doubleday‘s best efforts to control the flow. “Since we began publishing ebooks more than 10 years ago,” the announcement says, “the security of our authors’ copyrights has been a primary concern in every digital partnership or project we have undertaken. Unquestionably, however, as the digital world has expanded and ebooks become more popular, the rise of peer-to-peer file sharing and sites that feature user-posted content has led to a higher level of unauthorized posting and sharing of our copyrighted content. Responding to these evolving threats requires vigilance and innovation.”
So what does S&S do? About what you’d expect: The company’s legal department works to get unauthorized electronic editions of its books taken down as quickly as possible; it’s cut a deal to sell authorized ebooks at Scribd.com now that they’re sure it’s a reliable site; it’s talking to other companies (though an “Online Piracy Working Group” at the Association of American Publishers) about the best solutions that could be implemented throughout the industry. “As long as there have been publishers, there have been scofflaws who see fit to deprive authors of their livelihood,” the statement winds down. “But as the potential for this kind of behavior is amplified in the digital world, keeping our content secure, enforcing our copyrights, and creating a robust marketplace for easily accessible, reasonably priced content will be the pillars upon which we build our future as a digital publisher.”
Oh, and if you see something, say something: “Readers, authors, booksellers and concerned citizens” are invited to report any pirated editions of Simon & Schuster books they see floating around the Internet.