Online Journalism News

PPA warns members against magazine sharing website

A group representing the UK's magazine industry has slammed a website for illegally reproducing its members content.

Mygazines.com is 'flagrantly breaching the intellectual property rights' of PPA members, whose magazines are being digitally reproduced by the site, the organisation said.

The service, which allows users to upload scanned copies of magazines to share and customise, features several PPA members' publications without their permission.

Titles from PPA members Haymarket, Future and IPC Media feature on the website, as well as copies of Hearst, CondeNast, NatMags and Economist magazines.

The legal departments of the affected members have been informed, a spokesman for the PPA told Journalism.co.uk.

A briefing is being drafted for members on what to do if their content is found on Mygazines.com.

“Copyright protects creativity – and is a permission based right: the content owner’s permission must be secured before that content can be used. Mygazines.com has chosen to ignore this principle and provided a platform for the illegal uploading and sharing of magazines,” he said.

“There are websites and businesses offering similar services and digital editions of magazines – but crucially, with the permission of and in partnership with publishers.”

The industry body is urging members to contact them if they spot their content on the site and issue a cease and desist notice to the operator of the website.

Members should follow this course of action for all suspected online breaches of intellectual property rights and contact the website's host or internet service provider, the spokesperson said.

At the time of writing Mygazines.com failed to respond to Journalism.co.uk's request for comment.

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