Plagiarism on This Site - Page 3 - Writers Forum

nliedel · 03-21-2006, 02:27 PM

I never worried about it till I came across a whole site that had basically copied my old web pages down and put new backgrounds behind them. I had a site with over 300 pages on it and she had copied the entire thing. I sent her a nasty note and she argued with me that it was really hers but I had several articles copy protected properly and she eventually had to back down. It really upset me. I am very careful now. I hate to have to police work like that but I do.

Aeternalis · 03-21-2006, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nliedel

I never worried about it till I came across a whole site that had basically copied my old web pages down and put new backgrounds behind them. I had a site with over 300 pages on it and she had copied the entire thing. I sent her a nasty note and she argued with me that it was really hers but I had several articles copy protected properly and she eventually had to back down. It really upset me. I am very careful now. I hate to have to police work like that but I do.

Dear Nliedel:

Bravo! Good for you that you that you managed to take her down. But, for someone like me, living in an Asian country and having a chap from England plagiarizing my work, what possible legal force can i possibly enact? Absolutely none! That's primarily why I stopped sharing my work online.

teflon · 03-21-2006, 02:41 PM

The real, complete legal advice is to mail a notarized document to yourself. This method using a registered mail has won many a court case in patent presecutions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBlissett

I know this has been covered by previous posts, but I'd like to add why it doesn't work. Actually, you can do this at home - for just the cost of an envelope and stamp. Mail yourself a blank, unsealed envelope. A couple days later, take a page from your daily newspaper, fold it up, and put it in the envelope - seal it. Now try to convince your friends that you mailed yourself the winning lottery numbers a couple days in advanced.

If it was accepted as "proof", then enterprising, unethical writers would mail themselves unsealed envelopes and hang on to them for years in anticipation of using them to steal a work. Actually, that's exactly what the other guy's lawyer would claim that you did.

-Frank

dhom · 03-21-2006, 07:24 PM

If you post to a well-known site, your material may eventually get spidered by the Web Archive. I assume this would be something else to check if someone ever infringes your copyright.

Beardedtroll · 03-21-2006, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teflon

The real, complete legal advice is to mail a notarized document to yourself. This method using a registered mail has won many a court case in patent presecutions.

Why would you have to mail a notarized document to yourself? The notary will surely include the date with the notarization, won't they?

mammamaia · 03-22-2006, 12:36 AM

it's only the notarized/dated document that's the proof, not the mailing, as troll so astutely noted...

and the whole mail stuff to yourself is an old wive's tale, as i noted earlier... see the link i provided to the us copyright office, for proof!... in the uk it may have some standing, but has NONE in the us...

and, as i posted in another thread on the subject, that plagiarism check site is only a link to a google or yahoo search, so why bother going to all that trouble, when you can do it directly on google or yahoo?...

Mike C · 03-22-2006, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aeternalis

Dear Nliedel:

Bravo! Good for you that you that you managed to take her down. But, for someone like me, living in an Asian country and having a chap from England plagiarizing my work, what possible legal force can i possibly enact? Absolutely none! That's primarily why I stopped sharing my work online.

Name and shame. Tell us who he is.

Aeternalis · 03-23-2006, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

Name and shame. Tell us who he is.

I'll be glad to. The guy's name is Garth and he's the Admin of www.embracingdreams.net . He plagiarized the story I posted on these forums in October 2003 entitled " The Love of My Life". When I raised an outcry highlighting this fact to the members on his site, I was promptly banned.

My Story [October 2003]:

http://www.writingforums.com/showthread.php?t=24993

Plagiarized by Garth, Admin of "Embracing Dreams" posted in June 2004.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:....php%3Ft%3D682

There is also another culprit by the name of S. Ing who has stolen the same story, though any attempts that I have made in contacting him have been thwarted by his non-responsivness:

http://www.kellicb.com/tft.html

-----------------------

What has made the theft of this particular story so heinous for me is the fact that it touches upon a personal experience in my life directed towards a very special person. And to see it plagiarized so wantonly belittles and makes sordid not only the effort and emotional involvement that went in writing this particular piece of work but also the sentiments I expressed in it.

I guess that fact that I used to have a pretty prolific portfolio on Stories.com at one time could also be the cause incidents such as these even though a different revamped version of the same story I had posted on Stories.com has thankfully not been plagiarized (to my knowledge).

Anne Lacey · 03-23-2006, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aeternalis

I'll be glad to. The guy's name is Garth and he's the Admin of www.embracingdreams.net . He plagiarized the story I posted on these forums in October 2003 entitled " The Love of My Life". When I raised an outcry highlighting this fact to the members on his site, I was promptly banned.

My Story [October 2003]:

http://www.writingforums.com/showthread.php?t=24993

Plagiarized by Garth, Admin of "Embracing Dreams" posted in June 2004.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:....php%3Ft%3D682

There is also another culprit by the name of S. Ing who has stolen the same story, though any attempts that I have made in contacting him have been thwarted by his non-responsivness:

http://www.kellicb.com/tft.html

-----------------------

What has made the theft of this particular story so heinous for me is the fact that it touches upon a personal experience in my life directed towards a very special person. And to see it plagiarized so wantonly belittles and makes sordid not only the effort and emotional involvement that went in writing this particular piece of work but also the sentiments I expressed in it.

I guess that fact that I used to have a pretty prolific portfolio on Stories.com at one time could also be the cause incidents such as these even though a different revamped version of the same story I had posted on Stories.com has thankfully not been plagiarized (to my knowledge).

I registered there and posted about Garth's deceit.

Just for you!

Anne Lacey · 03-23-2006, 12:23 PM

Banned... Hmmm...

petitions author · 03-23-2006, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anne Lacey

Banned... Hmmm...

Better that than being Plagarized, huh..?!

We'd rather have you here anyway.
You've got guts!!!

I've learned from earlier Posts, and Threads that most of the people on this site do not believe that this happens.
If they refuse to believe, then how do they expect a Judge to believe them without proof?
Putting words in 'Tangible' form or medium only assists the thief, and doesn't guarantee Copyright.
Accusations alone will never hold up in court. Positive proof even has a hard time in our Legal system. (U.S.A.)

Thanks for listening, and good luck with your projects. p.a.

Anne Lacey · 03-23-2006, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petitions author

Better that than being Plagarized, huh..?!

We'd rather have you here anyway.
You've got guts!!!

I've learned from earlier Posts, and Threads that most of the people on this site do not believe that this happens.
If they refuse to believe, then how do they expect a Judge to believe them without proof?
Putting words in 'Tangible' form or medium only assists the thief, and doesn't guarantee Copyright.
Accusations alone will never hold up in court. Positive proof even has a hard time in our Legal system. (U.S.A.)

Thanks for listening, and good luck with your projects. p.a.

Oh, I'd rather be here too! it was fun to ruffle feathers though... As a writer I enjoy conflict. Oh, and I'm very balllsy online.

petitions author · 03-23-2006, 12:53 PM

There are many 'Idea Theft' cases. Put it in your search bar if you don't believe me.
The key is to have actual 'Evidence' to back you up.

'Project Runway' producers sued by man claiming idea theft ... Joel Lamontagne's, (Pending?)
then there's the 'EPCOT' Center, they won!
http:/www.realitytvworld.com/news/project-runway-producers-s

'Patents' are soley based on ideas, and drawings of those ideas.
Good luck on your projects, and have a great day! p.a.

Anne Lacey · 03-23-2006, 03:55 PM

Ha! I got an email from one of the administrators! lol! Here it is:

Quote:

Dear Anne.

I am a moderator at embracing dreams.
I do not know who you are or what your intent is. But I will take the time to tell you what I see.

I saw several posts from soinlove (whom I suspect you know) declaring theft of a story, but the truth is and I went to check both the link soinlove supplied and the entry by Garth. In Garths entry there is a final paragraph saying he dosn't know who the author is but we should all learn to express like this.

Why soinlove did not see this I don't know, I saw it and the second admin saw it and she has removed the post from public view for the sake of peace and sanity.She is preparing new site rules regarding posting of material from authors known and unknown.

I don't think it was a good idea for you to post what you did without having witnesed it for yourself because of the possibility of you perpetuating someone else's error.

Regards
Tomomi

She's off her rocker...

Beardedtroll · 03-23-2006, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petitions author

'Patents' are soley based on ideas, and drawings of those ideas.[/size]

You're seriously mistaken about patents. Patents are explicitly not granted for "mere ideas or suggestions," but only for inventions.