If Bookshop.org lists a title whose content is discriminatory, hateful, false, AI-generated or otherwise objectionable, can it be removed?

Modified on Fri, 27 Oct 2023 at 10:40 AM

The books listed on Bookshop.org reflect the stock of our distributor, Ingram, which also automatically includes self-published books. While we don't have the capacity to audit every book that is imported to our site, our Content Removal Policy states that we may remove titles (Content) that portray in writing or through images any one or more of the following:
• False Basis for Discrimination: Content that uses demonstrably false or pseudoscientific claims to pathologize or advocate for discrimination against a particular group (based on race, ethnicity, culture, or gender).
• Hate Speech: Content that promotes violence or hatred against people based on characteristics like race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, disease, age, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity. This includes, without limitation, explicit racism, promoting racial hierarchy theories or affiliation with known hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
• Misinformation: Content that promotes harmful conspiracies, represents gross exaggerations or distortions as fact, or contains outright lies. This includes, without limitation, health claims or advice which, if acted on, are likely to have detrimental health effects on persons or public safety, conspiracy theories which have an associated history of harassing, hateful, or violent incidents among its adherents or theories which may foreseeably incite or cause harassment, physical harm, or reputational harm, intentional distortions and especially systematic false claims about historic events and facts.
• Content Produced by Non-Human “Authors”: If Bookshop.org learns or has reason to know that all or part of a particular book sold on the Platform is created primarily using artificial intelligence (AI) programs and such book is not clearly labeled as such.
• Government or Publisher Takedown Requests: If Bookshop.org receives a request from a government actor or authorized representative of a publisher to remove specific content for legal reasons.  These include, without limitation, as a result of a successful infringement, defamation or right of publicity lawsuit or other legal process.

Please get in touch with us through our Contact Us form to request the removal of any title you think violates our policy. Be sure to specify "Author / Publisher" under the "Type" selection, and if possible, provide the ISBN/EAN number of the title.

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