My stuff has been plagiarized. Again. I need a better strategy

Tracy Rimmer · #41 08/21/10, 05:22 PM

When you figure it out, let me know. I'm pretty willing to let others take my material and reproduce it as it is of use to them or others they know, so long as my name isn't removed, and my own website is cited, and of course, so long as they ask nicely and I don't dislike them

-- I seldom ask for anything in return -- but having people plagiarize my original stuff ticks me off beyond belief.

It's an ongoing problem, and one that (eventually) the internet will catch up with. For now, though, the technology is changing more quickly that the solutions, and there are many, many people out there willing to take advantage of the gap.

wyld thang · #42 08/21/10, 05:28 PM

i wonder if more work on branding yourself and getting more exposure as yourself would help--you building more links, submitting your stuff around etc. you have a distinctive voice(writing voice and actual voice) and original ideas--if you are more well known or infamous that would help on people stealing your stuff anonymously. i mean, get your articles out to a wider audience FIRST as coming from YOU.

i dont think there really are magic words as mentioned above, the people stealing your work are already defensive with shame. since you want to stay positive i think the best route would be to publicize your "brand", which is awesome btw, and work your great voice--and seek out radio commentary on npr for example, or tv shows, like victory garden, and i think osu has or had a garden show too on opb, also try oregon field guide, they have done segments on ag/organic etc, forest gardening would rock.

Kari · #43 08/21/10, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelenaka

Couldn't get the link to work for me.
I find this very interesting on several levels. One, I had no idea that an author could without involving lawyers ect. stop plagiarism. Second is that now I feel less of a better person because truthfully I really wouldn't care that they disliked me.

~~ pelenaka ~~

I fixed the link in my original post and have included it here.

Sample DMCA take down notice.

SolarGary · #44 08/21/10, 05:43 PM

Hi Paul,
I have a fairly popular website, and I find fairly often that whole sections of it have been duplicated verbatim on another site.
I have mixed feelings about this-- on the one hand, its getting to the material out to more people, which was the whole idea of the website. But, I find it really irksome that they do this without giving any credit at all to the originator of the material (me

.

What I've done so far is similar to what you have tried. I write a fairly friendly note and encourage them to copy a few highlights out of my material and duplicate it on their site, and then link to mine for the rest.

Most times I get no response at all. It seems like in this case, there is not a lot to be done short of hiring a lawyer, and its just not worth that.
Sometimes they do go ahead and do as I suggest, or just drop the material.

My feeling is that:
- You are already approaching them in a friendly way that allows both their site and your site to get some benefit from your material.
- You probably already get some favorable responses to that approach if the people copying your material are basically honest and want to do the right thing.
- But, there are a subset of people out there who know they are stealing material when they copy your content without permission. A new set of nice words won't make any difference to these folks. They will continue to steal your material as long as they think they can get away with it.

Sorry that's not much help.

If you do come up with a tactic that does work, I'd really like to hear what it is.

Gary
www.BuildItSolar.com

Maura · #45 08/21/10, 05:45 PM

Can you publish your articles first in a newspaper? Perhaps your local rag would consider printing your article before you put it on the net. They are often looking filler.

This is why I put my dog advice into a book. You want to know how to teach your dog to stop jumping on the kids? Buy the book.

Minelson · #46 08/21/10, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

You want magic words to either 1) make people stop, or 2) make them not get mad when they are caught.

There is no solution for either desire.

People are human. There are no magic words to make them behave in the way you desire. People will behave in a way that 1) benefits them, and/or 2) makes them feel good.

The anger expressed toward you is the way they 'feel good' after getting caught.

You can't change people.

I think this is what I was trying to say

paul · #47 08/21/10, 06:54 PM

Monitary value does not make any difference in copyright law. Once you create something, it is copyrighted no matter who thinks it may or may not have value.

Mailing things to yourself (or anybody by the Library of Congress) had NEVER held up in court. This had been rumored to help for over a century, but is legally worthless. You could get blank paper stamped and claim copyright for anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shrek

If your published pieces have monitary value and you are publishing them to the www, these are the steps you must take to preserve your copyright.

2. Before publishing the text to the web, hard copy print out the article and address an envelope to yourself. Then take the hard copy and unsealed envelope to your local post office clerk counter and ask them to hand cancel all pages of the hard copy and watch you seal the copy in the envelope to yourself and have them hand cancel and mail the hard copy to you. The date and time round hand cancel on each page of the hard copy and envelope and the formality of it being delivered to you via the USPS establishes the origination date in event of copyright litigation for the cost of a few minutes and applicable postage.

Patt · #48 08/21/10, 07:52 PM

I am going to throw out a thought here and I hope it comes across the right way. We all know that people regularly plagiarise stuff on the internet right? So it seems to me just putting it up on your site with no attempt to protect it with one of the content protectors available out there and mentioned in this thread is like leaving a $100 bill on the front seat of you car and all the doors unlocked and then getting frustrated that somebody stole it.

It's not fair or fun that people steal your stuff but it is reality. And there is no way that you are going to have a nice dialogue with a thief. So just like you don't leave your car doors unlocked in order to prevent someone from stealing your radio don't leave your website unprotected.

Darren · #49 08/21/10, 08:02 PM

Paul did you read what Rocktown Gal posted? Here's a repeat: "You need a disable right click script. I found mine at http://www.dynamicdrive.com"

If you do that, it means no one will be able to easily cut and paste your articles.

There's a local website I know of that you cannot use cut and paste on. You can protect your articles unless someone wants to type them in again.

mistletoad · #50 08/21/10, 08:27 PM

I have been dealing with the same thing for the last 14 years and have not found an absolute answer.

People do not need to right click to steal content, so it doesn't matter how big of a font people use to yell it here, it still doesn't work.

I do not care to be friendly to thieves, so I send a cease and desist notice to the thief and if they do not comply I send one to their host. The one to the host usually works.

I make liberal use of map bunnies. It takes a little getting used to seeing an obvious error on your page, but it makes it much easier to prove the other person has stolen your work - ask them to explain the meaning of the bunny and they will find they cannot. I keep a page on my desk with the bunnies listed - once a month I go bunny hunting and that way I can identify all new thefts.

big rockpile · #51 08/21/10, 08:39 PM

Paul my wife has copyright on her Site for 5 years.

But I know about stealing I took a Photo and had Copyright on it went to a gallery in Colorado there it was hanging on the wall.Needless to say I was POed got it straighten out that day.

big rockpile

BoldViolet · #52 08/21/10, 09:03 PM

My fiance tried to use HIS OWN material that he'd written and posted on our car forum in a paper for an online class that he took. These days, there's a database that can be checked to make sure nothing is plagiarized.

Guess what? Two people in Florida had already used his articles in their college papers.

texican · #53 08/21/10, 09:46 PM

Copyright your work. Then sell it to the folks mentioned in an HT thread http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/sho...d.php?t=361447 This group buys copyrights, after the fact (plagiarized elsewhere), and sues the pants off of them.

If it were me, I'd contact him, sell/rent him the rights for a song, and then split whatever he can squeeze out of them. Getting taken to the cleaners sometimes clears a persons mind...

motdaugrnds · #54 08/21/10, 10:30 PM

What I am hearing is that you don't mind their taking your stuff as long as they post a link and/or give you credit for it. In this way what you write will be spread around more than you could have done yourself.

If this is accurate, I see nothing wrong in it and am thinking maybe if you stated that in the article, you might get more desirable results.

If I were you, I would try Pony's suggestion as that wording may get you better results than what you have been getting.

mduncn52 · #55 08/21/10, 10:57 PM

Paul, I think Alice hit it on the head. You aren't going to change anyone, especially the ignorant and the dishonest. I guess you need to not worry about offending. The thieves are of little or no value to you anyway. Do what Kari suggests and send a takedown notice to the ISP. Or just sue, sue, sue. Maybe if these idiots had to start paying for their dishonesty, they might think twice.

Stann · #56 08/21/10, 11:24 PM

Paul,
You're looking for cureall solution to thievery. You have a higher opinion of human nature than I do. IMO, a thief is always reluctant to return what was stolen.

There is always deterrant. Make it difficult to "cut and paste". Many good replies are above. There is always negotiation. Appeal to their sense of fairness, which may work, sometimes. Then, there is negative reinforcement. Hmmm. You can threaten a lawsuit. But, will they take you seriously?

How about distraction. Make it difficult for them to fully comprehend the consequences of their bad ways!!! No, don't tell them that you'll get the mafia after them. Tell them you know people that will put their name on a SPAM BUSTERS list IF THE OFFENDER DOESN'T GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR THE ARTICLE. How about SPAMHAUS.ORG...

Well, it's not really true. They don't do Copyright-Infringement-Busters. But what-the-heck? It's worth a try!!! LOL HTH

meanwhile · #57 08/21/10, 11:48 PM

Hummmm - I understand your point and what you are trying to do but, I don't know - seems to be that someone who would "steal" your stuff is not likely to respond to positive manipulation? Or - maybe they thought it was OK to steal someone else's work?

Good luck with it. I enjoy your site and articles.

Navotifarm · #58 08/22/10, 01:54 AM

Paul, many people read your writings and enjoy you website and youtubes (starting with me) who enjoy and learn A lot from your stuff and simply incorporate it in their general body of knowledge (gratefully) without stealing it. I do not see how you can approach a thief in a way that will make him or her not be nasty. If they are thieves they are probably assaultive, too. So why try to control them for TWO things? Protect your creative works as best you can, including contacting them but just accept their hostility as part of their make-up. It may be you can deter them doing a repeat theft by publicly shaming them such as quoting something nasty they said in response to your catching them, but they might sue you for slander.
Mistletoad said, "I make liberal use of map bunnies." I do not know what a bunny is but I'm guessing it is a deliberate error. I do a column for a newspaper including property transfers. Another newspaper was republishing this work word for word. My editor told me to put in a false transaction, which was published. I then wrote the editor of the other paper of this bogus material and they stopped publishing the rip-off of my work, so if that was a "bunny," for a specific purpose, it worked but if other people were checking for accuracy, and of course didn't know it was a trap, they would lose confidence in the integrity of my work. So you sure have a razor's edge. You've had some wonderful suggestions here. And you're a smart guy, always thinking, so I know you'll figure out an effective deterrent and coping strategy and I wish you all haste in doing so!

Witterbound · #59 08/22/10, 06:56 AM

I looked at your lawn care article. I didn't see anything in the article (did I miss it), where it said you wrote it. In today's internet world, I wouldn't have assumed you wrote it, because as you know so much is now copied from somewhere else.

My suggestion would be to add somewhere that "This article was written by Paul W in 19xx. If you wish to add a link to it on your webpage you may certainly do so. If, however, you want to steal it so that others think you wrote it, I will take whatever steps are necessary to stop that and hold you responsible for the theft."

By putting this on your webpage, you're claiming the article as yours, and if someone else then steals it, you've warned them that you're coming after them, so they might not argue as much with you when they get caught.

HOTW · #60 08/22/10, 08:20 AM

Paul

Let's face it there are honest people and DISHONEST people. One will gladly fix a mistake the others will get mad cause they got caugt. I have some of these issues with a photo of mine which if I find it on a site I email them to ask they put my copyright on it. Most wil otehrs won't and I then contact either yutube(where it is a lot) or the ISP and ask that the content be removed. It usually works either way. I don't get mad at the dishonest ones who claim they have NO CLUE where the photo came from I just ask nicely and then turn to the ones who will obey the law if they are jerks.

People prefer to remain ignorant of the law. i suggest you include a link to the us gov't copyrigth FAQ so people can read and be aware that there are some very heavy fines for violating copyright. My DH and I have had issues about photograph many times which is why we do not deal with a lot of dance schools anymore because they feel they own the photo copyright of their production where they actually own th ecopyright of their choreography. Life is too short to get upset by people who don't really care about yoyur effort and just want to make themselves look betetr by lying. Gte the right click disable and start going after the violaters in print form it ight make it worth your while.