Turning The Tide On Book Piracy With Technology

Piracy is part of today’s publishing reality, whether we like it or not. “But that doesn’t mean publishers are powerless, or that technology is something to be afraid of,” shares Fatimah Abbas, who has developed a monitoring tool for anti-piracy in book publishing.

“In publishing, we are the ones responsible for shaping how these tools are used. If we build them thoughtfully, they don’t take our place; they support better decisions, protect creative labor, and allow us to focus on what humans do best.That balance — between experience, ethics, and technology — is what will keep publishing sustainable in the years to come,” she adds.

On anti-piracy project for book publishing…

“Honestly, this project came out of lived experience more than planning. I’ve worked in rights and international publishing for years, and I kept running into the same situation — book launches, things look promising, and then suddenly someone sends you a link saying, “By the way, this is already online.”At the same time, I’ve also spent several years working closely with AI and technology, so I naturally started looking at the problem differently — not just emotionally as a publisher, but analytically as well. That combination really shaped the project,” shares Fatimah.

“The result is a monitoring tool built specifically for books. It helps publishers see where their titles are being shared illegally, instead of discovering it randomly or far too late. It’s not about policing the internet; it’s about giving publishers basic visibility over their own content,” she shares.

The tool…

“In simple terms, it scans the web for book-related signals — titles, authors, formats, keywords, ISBNs — and flags anything that looks like unauthorized sharing. When something comes up, the publisher gets a short, clear alert explaining what was found and where,” she shares. “Because I come from both publishing and AI, I was very intentional about keeping the tool understandable. You don’t need a technical background to use it. If you work in publishing, you’ll immediately know what you’re looking at.”

The beneficiaries…

“It can benefit large publishers, independent houses, educational publishers, agents, and even authors who manage their own rights,” shares Fatimah.

The USP…

“There are tools in the market, but many of them were built for music or film, or they focus heavily on legal enforcement after the damage has already been done.What makes this project different is that it’s publishing-first, but tech-aware. It understands editions, translations, territorial rights, and how books move across borders and languages. Instead of overwhelming publishers with data, it focuses on what actually matters,” she shares.

On Indian publishing market…

“India is a fascinating and incredibly important publishing market — large, multilingual, and fast-moving. That same richness also makes it vulnerable to piracy, especially in education and regional publishing.This kind of tool helps Indian publishers track piracy beyond the obvious platforms, including in regional languages that global tools often miss. It also supports international rights and export sales, because piracy often quietly affects negotiations long before anyone talks about it openly.For many publishers, just having visibility is already a major step forward,” opines Fatimah.

Role of government in anti-piracy measures…

“Technology can support the process, but governments play a key role. Faster takedown procedures, clearer enforcement, and better cooperation with platforms are essential. There also needs to be more awareness that piracy isn’t just a legal issue, it’s an economic and cultural one. It affects authors, translators, educators, and local publishing ecosystems, not just big companies,” says Fatimah.

On a concluding note…

“Early detection is probably the most important one. If publishers can see a problem early, they still have choices. Projects like this one are an example of how new technologies can work with us, not against us. I strongly believe that technology becomes a threat only when we treat it as an enemy or leave it to develop without human guidance. When we approach it as a collaborator — as a tool that assists rather than replaces — it actually strengthens our work,” concludes Fatimah.

Fatimah Abbas is a distinguished international publishing consultant & AI Stratgist. She was also the Head of External Relations and Translation Department for one of Cairo, Egypt’s most esteemed publishing and distribution houses. In addition to her accomplished translation work, which encompasses 34 literary works translated both from English into Arabic and vice versa, Fatimah now oversees her agency, known as FALA (first & only of its kind in the region). She serves as an international publishing consultant.