Piracy Shield Help

Protect your intellectual property with automated scanning and DMCA takedown notices.

Overview Scanning Detections DMCA Notices Workflow

Quick Start

1

Configure Settings

Go to Piracy Shield Settings. Add your pen name and legal contact info for DMCA notices.

2

Run Your First Scan

Click "New Scan", select a published novel, and let the system search for pirated copies.

3

Review Detections

Review detected URLs. Mark false positives, or select URLs for DMCA notice generation.

4

Generate & Submit Notices

Create DMCA notices, attest to their accuracy, then submit to Google's Lumen database.

What's in Piracy Shield

Piracy Shield helps you find and take action against pirated copies of your books. Here's what you can do:

Automated Scanning

  • Google Search Integration - Searches Google for your book titles on known piracy sites
  • Intelligent Matching - Uses your pen name, book titles, and common piracy keywords
  • Scheduled Scans - Auto-scan published novels on a configurable schedule
  • Confidence Scoring - Each detection includes a confidence score based on match quality

Detection Management

  • Detection Dashboard - See all detected piracy URLs with status tracking
  • False Positive Marking - Mark legitimate URLs as false positives
  • URL Deduplication - Same URLs from different scans are tracked as one detection
  • Novel Reassignment - Move detections to a different novel if misattributed

DMCA Notice Generation

  • One-Click Notices - Generate legally-compliant DMCA takedown notices
  • Attestation Workflow - Attest to notice accuracy with digital signature and IP logging
  • Google Submission - Copy notices and submit directly to Google's web form
  • Status Tracking - Track notice status from draft through confirmed removal

Detection Status Reference

Detections move through these statuses as you take action:

Status Meaning What Happens Next
New Just detected, needs review Mark as false positive, or select for DMCA notice
Notice Draft Included in a draft notice Complete attestation to move to Ready
Notice Ready Notice is ready to submit Copy notice and submit to Google
Submitted Notice submitted to Google Wait for Google to process, typically 1-3 weeks
Removed URL removed from search results Done! URL no longer appears in Google searches
Ignored Marked as false positive No further action needed

Usage Limits

Piracy Shield has usage limits based on your tier:

Feature Standard Professional
Daily Scans 2 scans Unlimited
Monthly Notices 10 notices 50 notices
Scan Sources Google Search Google + Anna's Archive (coming soon)
Weekly Summary Email Yes Yes

Note: Usage counters reset daily (scans) and monthly (notices) at midnight UTC.

Glossary

DMCA Notice
A legal takedown request under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Sent to search engines or hosting providers to remove infringing content.
Detection
A URL where your book was found on a known piracy site. May be a direct download link or a page listing your book.
Lumen Database
Google's public archive of DMCA notices. When you submit a notice to Google, it appears in Lumen with your contact info.
Attestation
Your legal statement that the DMCA notice is accurate. Required before submitting - includes perjury acknowledgment.
Confidence Score
A percentage (0-100%) indicating how likely a detection is actually your book. Based on title match, keywords, and domain reputation.
Resurface
When a previously-detected URL appears again in a new scan. Increments the "times seen" counter.
Legal Disclaimer

DMCA notices are legal documents filed under penalty of perjury. Only submit notices for content you actually own the copyright to. Filing false notices can result in legal liability. Story Signal provides tools but not legal advice - consult an attorney if unsure.

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