This can't last, can it? But Spotbit.com has been up about a week, and it's no secret (MediaBistro, 2DayBlog, and Digg.com) that the site is offering PDF downloads of 150 hundreds current magazines.
Penthouse is the most popular title. Its May and June issues are the top downloads. The list includes at least four more "men's" magazines, as well as Scientific American and What Digital Camera.
SpotBit calls itself "the Free e-Magazine Archieve". (That's not my spelling. It's the site's.)
The site carries a silly notice in the lower right hand corner, in a barely-noticeable gray small font. "If the copyright of any magazine belongs to you, contact us and we'll remove it!" This is the same kind of thing the folks at YouTube say. "If we've broken the law, tell us, and we'll take down the file." Hah!
A check of site information at GoDaddy.com found the registrant is DomainsByProxy.com of Scottsdale, Az., a firm which sells a service to hide a Web site operator's personal information. It calls GoDaddy.com an affiliate, and its site looks remarkable similar to the layout of GoDaddy's.
The only clue to SpotBit.com's genesis is one its tabs, "Add to Favourite." Perhaps the U.S. publishers' work is being from an offshore site.
It would seem that in the three years since the previous comments were made, Spotbits dodgy business practices continue!
I made the mistake of trying to buy a repair manual from them. They took my money but have not replied! No activation codes for this manual have been forthcomming!
DO NOT buy from spotbit.com. They are thieves and rogues!
Posted by: Ben | Mar 31, 2009 at 19:39
Take a look at the sign-up page.
"We just need your email address so that we are able to keep you inform in case we are moving to other address."
Maybe they can sneak over the border into the USA for some English as a Second Language classes.
Jake
http://compound1000.blogspot.com
Posted by: Jake Wolf | May 18, 2006 at 07:18