This afternoon I reported a seller on eBay, because in searching around aimlessly I happened across his items, every one of which were bootlegged DVDs with copies of television shows/series that have never been released on DVD to begin with. No UPCs, no regions, no jewel cases. Just DVDs with labels made from photographs of the shows' characters using label software. All I could think about was how I felt each time I found a stolen copy of one of my stories posted on the Internet somewhere (it's happened about six times; thus the reason I don't submit to online magazines or post full stories, just excerpts). I also remembered several sites where entire books -- by King, Ellison, many familiar authors personally known to me and a lot of LJ users out there -- were scanned and uploaded without the permission of publisher or author. And I dug my way through eBay's policies and forms and general murkiness until I found where to fill out the report form.

Once, years ago at a convention in Chicago, I ran a little Dusty Stacks table and found my table in the dealers' room placed next to a woman who was clearly selling bootlegged DVDs. It was right after the musical Buffy episode, "Once More, With Feeling," had aired on television. I mean right after. Yet there she was, selling copy after copy of it at forty bucks a pop, and generally ticking me off because she aimed a portable television at the crowd (which meant in my damned direction) and blared this episode as loudly as she could, non-stop, throughout the weekend. Mind you, while it's just my personal opinion, that is my least favorite Buffy episode. That was bad enough, but the volume was so loud I literally couldn't hear my customers asking me questions. I spent the weekend having this woman get crappy with me when I asked, then finally INSISTED, she turn down the volume on the television. I was just trying to get through the weekend and run my table, but in retrospect, I should have simply called the police and had her arrested for selling stolen intellectual and media property. Next time, I will. I can't remember her name, but if she, or anyone who does that same kind of stuff, reads this-- take warning. I am an author, and just like the screenwriters, I make a somewhat shaky partial living on what comes out of my brain and goes on paper. I have a husband and friends who do the same. And if I'm ever in a position to stop someone from stealing from us, I will not hesitate again.

So there.

On the lighter side, here's a shot of The Ghost that proves you're never too big to sit on Mommy's lap: