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B7 · ARC campaigns

Check a copy you found online

For authorsVoice-over · English subtitles

Match a file or Copy ID you found to a copy you issued.

Go to written steps

Before you start

  • Have an EPUB, a PDF or a visible Copy ID you want to check.
  • Have issued personalised copies from your author profile.

Watch the walkthrough

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English voice-over and subtitles; use the player’s captions control to adjust subtitles. The video is embedded from YouTube.

Chapters

  1. Open the copy check.
  2. How a copy is matched.
  3. Upload the file you found.
  4. Identifier found.
  5. A match is not proof.
  6. Check a Copy ID.
  7. Other results.
  8. What the search covers.
  9. Come back any time.Current chapter

Transcript

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  1. If you find a copy of your book shared online, you can check whether it matches a copy you issued.
  2. Open your campaign, select Files, then Check a copy.
  3. Every personalised campaign copy carries the reader's name and a unique Copy ID.
  4. Hamsterra looks for that ID and matches it to the record of the copy you issued.
  5. Under Upload an EPUB or PDF, choose the file you found and select Check file.
  6. The check runs in the background, and the result appears on this page.
  7. The file is deleted after the check.
  8. Identifier found means the file carries a Copy ID from your campaigns or reader magnets.
  9. In this example, you see who the copy was issued to, the file format and version, when it was issued, and whether it was downloaded.
  10. Keep the warning beside it in mind.
  11. A match links the file to an issuance record.
  12. It doesn't prove who shared the file, and watermarks can be altered or forged.
  13. Treat a match as a starting point, not as proof.
  14. If you only have the ID, for example from a screenshot, type it under Or enter a visible Copy ID and select Check identifier.
  15. Here, no copy with this ID was issued in your campaigns or reader magnets.
  16. A file check can also find no Copy ID from your campaigns or reader magnets, or several Copy IDs.
  17. A file with more than one Copy ID can't be matched to a single copy.
  18. If a file can't be checked at all, you'll see File could not be checked.
  19. The search covers only copies issued by your author profile.
  20. Another author's Copy ID never shows you who received that copy.
  21. You can come back to Check a copy from the Files tab at any time.
  22. Next, learn how to manage your reader contacts.

Written steps (text version of this video)

This walkthrough shows how to check a file or a Copy ID you found online against the copies you issued, what each result means, and why a match does not prove who shared the file.

  1. Open the copy check.

    Open your campaign, select Files, then Check a copy.

    0:11 Campaigns →

  2. How a copy is matched.

    Every personalised campaign copy carries the reader's name and a unique Copy ID. Hamsterra matches it to the record of the copy you issued.

    0:21 Campaigns →

  3. Upload the file you found.

    Choose an EPUB or PDF and select Check file. The result appears on the page when the check finishes, and the file is deleted after the check.

    0:33 Campaigns →

  4. Identifier found.

    Identifier found shows who the copy was issued to, the file format and version, when it was issued and whether it was downloaded.

    0:51 Campaigns →

  5. A match is not proof.

    A match links the file to an issuance record. It doesn't prove who shared the file. Watermarks can be altered or forged.

    1:06 Campaigns →

  6. Check a Copy ID.

    If you only have the ID, enter it under Or enter a visible Copy ID and select Check identifier.

    1:22 Campaigns →

  7. Other results.

    A file with no Copy ID of yours can't be matched, and a file with several Copy IDs can't be matched to a single copy. File could not be checked means the check itself failed, not that there is no match.

    1:38 Campaigns →

  8. What the search covers.

    The search covers only copies issued by your author profile. Other authors' identifiers never reveal recipient details.

    1:56 Campaigns →

  9. Come back any time.

    Check a copy is on your campaign's Files tab.

    2:05 Campaigns →

Check you’re done

  • Your file or Copy ID check shows a result.
  • If an identifier was found, you have reviewed the matching issuance record.
  • You understand that a match identifies a copy and does not prove who shared it.

Common questions

Can I check a copy without uploading the file?

Yes. Enter its Copy ID under Or enter a visible Copy ID, then select Check identifier.

Does a match prove who shared the file?

No. A match links the file to an issuance record. Watermarks can be altered or forged.

Can I look up another author’s copies?

The search covers only copies issued by your author profile. Other authors’ identifiers never reveal recipient details.

C1 · 3:40

Your reader contacts

See where your contacts come from, tag them, export your reader list and block addresses.

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