Fanfic Pocket Archive and AO3

[sgamadison]

So it has come to my attention someone has created a phone app that mirrors AO3, making our stories available through the app for a modest fee of 99 cents per month, along with the option of additional purchases.

From the site on Apple (the Google Play site has been pulled):

This app is an UNOFFICIAL fanfiction Reader for the Archive Of Our Own (AO3) site. I created it because I am a fan of fanfiction, and I wanted to help people access the stories they love. No subscription is needed to use this app. Downloading and using this app is not a substitute for getting an Invitation to post stories on AO3; nobody needs an Invitation to read stories on AO3, or give kudos. Archive Of Our Own is created, hosted and maintained by a team of volunteers, and they do not ask anyone to pay to share or read stories on the site. If you are kind enough to give me a "tip" that money goes to me, not to The Organization for Transformative Works or AO3.

Thank you for using Unofficial fanfiction Reader for the Archive Of Our Own (AO3) site!

Search your favorite fanfics by multiple tags, exclude tags, search by fandom, fanfic title, author, characters and other options; read fanfics right from the app with no need to open them in separate reader app, download the best fanfics for later offline access.

Log in to AO3 to access your bookmarks (favorite bookmarked fanfics), check your History, leave kudos (likes) and view and leave comments for the fanfics.

Night Reading Mode: switch to day/night theme by using icon on Navigation Bar while reading the fan fiction story.

Fullscreen mode: tap in the centre of the screen while reading the fanfic to enter full screen, tap again to go back to normal view.

When you launch the app, it shows list of fanfics from AO3 main page. To filter results use Search option. To view fanfic, click on the item with its description. Then you will be taken to the fics details page which show all the information including author name, title, number of chapters, kudos, comments, views and other info about the story (fandom, characters, relationships etc).

As AO3 doesn’t have any API, so issues do occur. Thanks for understanding.

The application includes Auto-Renewable Subscription (Prosub).

Once you have purchased it, the subscription starts. Since then every week you will get digitally generated recommendations of fan fics (fan fiction works). Subscription length is 1 month and it its auto-renewable.

The subscription price is 0.99$ per month.

Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase.

Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period.

Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal.

Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase.

No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period.

I have real issues with this. Apparently, the fee generated goes to running the app, code developing etc, but that doesn't change the fact someone out there, not affiliated with AO3, is making money off OUR fanfic. Since they aren't charging for the fic itself, it seems to be legal. I shared this with some friends, who pointed out it's been all over tumblr and shared links. Passing the information on here because I haven't seen anything about it on DW (but then again, I'm not here that much).

As the Pen Pot Tumblr said,

If your works are on AO3, they will also be on these apps, making the app creators money. They are not copied or disseminated, but mirrored, meaning their app reads AO3, reskins it, puts in ads and then offers special features for subscribers/members. 

These are not small apps. I can’t get figures for fluff ao3, but fiction pocket has more than 100,000 downloads on google play. If only 1% of those people subscribed for one month (current cost is 99 cents) the app creator has made themselves $1000 off of essentially taking your work and putting in in their app skin, and that’s not including any ad revenue.

Screenshot of AO3's response (also on the Pen Pot Tumblr link:





 

Here are the relevant posts on tumblr:
AO3 Comment of the Day
The Pen Pot Tumblr

I'm passing the word on because damn it, it's bad enough to fight piracy for my original fiction. This feels like piracy to me, pretty up the language any way you like. Leaving this post unlocked so you can share. As of this moment, the app seems to have been removed from Google Play, but it's still up on Apple. Let's hope enough people complain and get the whole thing shelved.

Comments

[danceswithgary]

This is infuriating. I have sent a DCMA takedown notice and have complained to Apple.

[sgamadison]

You go! It looks like it's come down off Google Play. Hopefully enough pushback will make it fold.

[timespirt]

Why isn't there a way to keep people from doing that? What if all authors lock their content to A03 members only, will the app work then?

[sgamadison]

Locking the content to AO3 users is being recommended, but if an AO3 user gets the app, they can still access the stories I believe. Don't know for sure, that was one of my questions as well.

It may explain why all the sudden I'm getting a crapton of guests leaving kudos on stories recently... I just haven't had time to change the settings on my stories yet.