Hank Bracker has spent the better part of the last two and half years crafting his book, “The Exciting Story of Cuba.”
“It has stories in it that really nobody has written before,” Hank said.
The 600-page book is a labor of love that chronicles Cuba’s colorful history through photos, poems and history lessons. The book went on sale on Amazon.com just one month ago, available electronically and as a hard copy.
However, Hank found his book on another site – one he didn’t permit. Even worse, this site was giving away the book for free.
“My first reaction was ‘Oh my gosh, this is insane,” he said. “You hear about so many things being hacked into, but I never dreamt this would happen.”
Legal expert Brittany Maxey says this is copyright infringement and that Hank could take the unauthorized site to federal court.
“It’s very important because whether it’s a movie or a song or a book, it’s someone’s hard work,” Brittany said. “It’s their blood and sweat and tears and their creative content. And as more and more books go digital, we have to be able to maintain that you need to purchase these things.”
Though frustrated, Hank said this breach won’t stop him from writing about what he loves and what everyone shares.
“History is not owned solely by historians,” he said, reading from his book. “It is a part of everyone’s heritage.”
Hank has reached out to his publisher and Amazon to settle the issue. On its website, Amazon states that it “respects the intellectual property of others.”