14 DAY TRIAL // One month ago, some embraced with great joy the launch of Mygazines, a website where people can "upload. share. archive" any edition of their favorite publications. Users can register free of charge and they also access all the content for free. Adding up the fact that the website doesn't display all those annoying ads, Mygazine really seems to be the heaven of worldwide coverage of magazine content.
But things cannot be that simple, as the company behind the website doesn't pay anything for copyright (although it doesn't seem to be gaining anything either). A policy that is displayed on Mygazines says that only the users who purchased the content, created it or own the rights can upload materials on the site. Another option is that the articles are freely distributed by their author. The companies whose products are published by the online magazine service don't agree with the fact that those who purchased the content have automatically the right to reproduce it, by uploading the whole edition to Mygazines.
Magazine owners and publishing houses frown on the website, as their articles and pictures are used without consent and without a legal retribution to the creators. Several sources say that some of the most important magazines are already preparing to take legal measures against Mygazine. Its tracking down might be a difficult task, as the owner is indicated to be a certain "John Smith", whose name might have as well been John Doe. The fact that the contact information provided by the registration records may be false is once again indicated by the address of the office. It is headquartered in The Valley, Anguilla, a small island in the Caribbean.
Anguilla is a British territory, so U.S. laws have no power there, although the content is addressed, primarily, to Americans. This means that it is difficult for the owners of the magazines and for the publishing houses to get damages, as they can't even force Mygazines' representative to show up at the trial.