Dark Castle Lords: Are They Operating Illegally Or Not?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008Posted in: Dark Castle Lords, e-book publishers behaving badly?
I got this e-mail yesterday, and to be honest I can’t really make head nor tail of it, so because I simply don’t have time (Read: I can’t be arsed), I’ll let you clever people out there tell me whether DCL are being naughty or not.
They registered the company as a LLC in Ohio. (Contact Info Business Filing Info Prior Business Name Info
DCL PUBLICATIONS, LLC 1760375 Domestic Limited Liability Company Feb 19 2008 Active )They register the books with the Australian address (of the co-owner) in Australia with their library of congress, because the ISBN’s are free.
According to the state of Ohio and the ISBN commission, you can’t do that, it is considered an illegal act.
http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnus.asp
http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/major.aspAn example of the ISBN’s in question:
(Book title)
© 2008 by (Author name)
All rights reserved
First Edition April 2008
DCL Publications
36 Monash Street
Melton South
Victoria
Australia
3338
www.thedarkcastlelords.com
ISBN 978-1-921347- (shortened to protect the author in case this is just a misunderstanding)This was published as DCL, being a registered company of Ohio, yet the ISBN is Australian.
It states on the first link that the US ISBN agency “cannot assign ISBNs to foreign publishers”, but I guess if DCL are registered in Ohio, then this might not even apply? Although the above ISBN details clearly lists the Australian address, rather than the Ohio one.
I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation, because I don’t for one moment believe that an e-book publisher would be so blatant about breaking the rules. *g*
I must admit, at first glance, I couldn’t see much wrong with it, but then I’m not an expert on these things.
Anybody out there want to shed some light on this for me?
Thanks to you-know-who for the e-mail.
Capo
April 8
7:27 pm
Is it just me, or does the Mid-Western US seem to breed these dubious publishers like rabbits?
Gail Faulkner
April 8
7:49 pm
Hey now. Ohio has some very nice perverts. I don’t know DCL from the next LLC, jus sayin.
CJ England
April 8
10:17 pm
Hmmm…I’ll have to hear from the experts. I’m so not in the know on this.
*smile*
M
April 8
11:17 pm
Can they be even classified as an epub when their business is peddling model photos to their authors?
Sorry, it does seem shady to me. The US address for the LLC but the Aussie ISBNs.
Angelia Sparrow
April 9
12:43 am
A lot of companies incorporate in Ohio for legal and tax reasons. I don’t know the details, but I have worked with 2 publishers (Phaze and EC) and a truck line incorporated in OH.
Falcon incorporated in OH, based its terminal just over the PA line, and ran its drivers through an IN leasing company. Just for a look at how convoluted a legit company (around since 1930) can be.
Dorothy Mantooth
April 9
12:58 am
Everything about this company seems shady to me; I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone is submitting to them.
Devon
April 9
4:30 am
Ummm…hate to be a bitch, but why would anyone submit to a publishing company called Dark Castle Lords? What do they publish, dark angst ridden poetry by 16 y.o. girls?
Teddypig
April 9
6:56 am
Dark Castle Lords?
Sounds like a retirement home for old drug addled Gay porn stars addicted to mini sliders. Or would that be Dark Abyss Lords?
Quick someone get me a rope! I told you not to stand so close to Ernie or you would fall in.
Karen Scott
April 9
8:39 am
Funny. As. F*ck.
Karen Scott
April 9
8:41 am
Hmmm… I see that all is quiet on the western front as far as DCL are concerned.
Mariana S.
April 9
11:47 am
I don’t expect them to answer either – it seems that based what I saw on the Erec site a month or so ago they use the old deflect and dodge ploy to work around any legitimate questions anyone might have regarding their company.
This seems to be their main focus doesn’t it?
veinglory
April 9
12:33 pm
I am still checking this out but so far it seems to me that Aussie ISBNs are not free. As for the illegality, it depends on what is allowed for Aussie ISBNs and companies legally existing partly (soley?) in the US.
I will have a longer look at the whole thing later.
bam
April 9
5:31 pm
Okay, that made me snicker.
CJ England
April 9
10:49 pm
Teddy! You crack me up. LOLOLOL
anna v
April 11
6:58 am
ISBNs are not free here.
https://www.enett2.com/ThorpeBowker/ISBN/
I got bored trying to figure out how much they now cost. It was about $50 a few years back but I could just be plucking that number out of my arse. But def not free.
Victoria Strauss
April 11
6:07 pm
I’m definitely not an expert on ISBNs, but I did a bit of checking, and the ISBN group identifier (the part of the ISBN that identifies country or region–it’s the number that directly follows the 978 prefix) for Australia is the same as for all other English-speaking countries. In other words, the identifier for Australia is the same as for the US, UK, Canada, etc., and there’s no way to tell from the ISBN number where it was issued.
The Australian ISBN agency charges a fee, just like the US one.
Chrissy
April 12
5:17 am
I don’t know about legalities, but I purchased one of their books in support of a writer I SIMPLY ADORE who pubbed with them.
Within a day or two she was asking people on one of my author forums NOT to buy the book, nor promote it. And she broke ties with them (I believe she got her rights back but could be wrong).
I never asked her for details but she’s not a trouble maker and I trust her judgment. So I’ve been expecting something like this. Prior to her book I had never heard of them.
veinglory
April 13
11:32 pm
p.s. Aussie ISBNs are $75
Mary
June 2
11:22 pm
There is a big fight now between the company, authors and artist in DCL. Apparently, one of the owner stepped down from the shame and fear of being liable of any charges. I also heard that their original artist left when she finally saw what one of the owners is all about… getting drunk and stalking models at RT.
The original web and artist paid for a lot of things in the company, including their promotions, photo, photo shoots and even sponsoring their models. Tell me what does this company really pay for when their authors are paying for their covers and promotions? They are now opening another company for their models to get paid. With all this hooplas, the owner is still pushing and advertising for her movie. I’m confused about this company. Are they publishing, movie producers or model agency? Where are they getting all the money and who’s getting paid?
Jennifer
July 15
6:33 pm
DCL is still around, functioning successfully with everything legal. The publisher pays the models, the editors, the designers and for promotions. The authors get their royalties quarterly. The original cover designer passed away shortly after leaving the company, if anyone would like to speculate on her intentions or accept the fact she was ill. As for what they publish, they have an entire catalog of successful books by a handful of talented authors. I know this blog post is 12 years old, but seeing as most of the people who commented on it did so just to be mean and pick on people, a company name, or even slandering people, I feel it best to chime in. Research is the key to all.