As you may or may not be aware (and if you aren’t aware, you may be a bit blind), content theft is kind of my hot button issue when it comes to blogging. I have my copyrights and licenses displayed everywhere on this blog (along with my Copyscape banner), and on A Canvas Of The Minds, I’ve put the same safeguards into place, generating a unique copyright for everyone involved with the project. I’ve been to the mat many times with sites that insisted on violating intellectual property rights, and I have won every fight.
Today I saw something that upset me and prompted me to write this post. My friend Ruth Jacobs, who writes the incredible Soul Destruction blog, has been victimized. Some jackass blog (and I will not direct you to it here, as the last thing they deserve is more hits) has taken an entire page of Ruth’s writing and posted it as their own. No credit to her, no links, no nothing.
Many of you may say “Such are the hazards of writing on the internet”, to which I respond, “WRONG!!!” Your writing is absolutely protected. But taking additional steps will make you less likely to be targeted. WordPress has set up a wonderful page to help you Prevent Content Theft, and it is worth reading even if your blog is hosted somewhere else.
And if you suspect your work has been used illegally, there is also a page on Content Theft – What to Do.
Sites often think we are easy marks. We’re just individual people, writing our blogs, telling our stories. What can we do about it if they take something from us? Let me tell you, we can do a lot. And the more of us that do it, the stronger a force we become, the more hesitant the thieves are to take us on as “easy pickins”. Help you brother and sister bloggers out. Take action on any content theft you are victim to, no matter how small (just make sure you know what is and isn’t legal – someone linking to your site or quoting you with credit or “reblogging” your posts is not content theft), and notify other bloggers if you think you see their work being abused.
By the way, if you’re a subscriber, you’ll have likely noticed that you no longer get a complete text from me in your email. That’s one step to prevent content theft I seem to have missed on the first go ’round.
Be nice and don’t steal. Those aren’t just someone’s words, they are someone’s soul.
Kisses,
Ruby
Addendum and Apologies: The post in question was actually one written by Ruth, stolen from another wonderful blogger friend, kyle mew. See how widespread and insidious this shit is?
© Ruby Tuesday and I Was Just Thinking. . . 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Ruby Tuesday and I Was Just Thinking. . . with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. This work is protected under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Thanks for this! I really should be taking more steps to ensure MY property isn’t stolen.
I’m so glad that the intense paranoia I was living in the grips of last year is turning out to have some beneficial takeaway.
And yes, you should, because your work is definitely the kind of stuff other people wish they could write.
I’m gonna make that my new tagline: “You WISH you wrote this”
Do it! Do it, do it, do it!!!
It sucks that anyone would steal anyone else’s words. It’s good to know there are steps we can take to avoid being an easy target.
I know, Dani, I hate that this is such an issue. My words are not just words, they are my heart and my soul. I know that I’m a bit (a lot) more intense about that than a lot of people – hence the mad rampage I am on today!
Reblogged this on Sips of Jen and Tonic and commented:
Good information on content theft…because some people never learned it isn’t nice to steal.
Again, thanks for spreading the word, Jen.
Reblogged this on A Canvas Of The Minds and commented:
I am officially declaring September 25th (yes, I know that was yesterday, I have my reasons) International Prevent Content Theft Day, in honor of my friend Ruth Jacobs. While the links in this post are to WordPress pages, the information on protecting your blog can be used pretty much whatever your platform. Any of you who feel that the original post is worth reblogging to your followers, please do it. Knowledge is power!
Yay! I’ve been wondering where and how to put on a copyright on my blog!
I’m glad this helped you! In the past I have tried to make mention of it of few times. Perhaps I need to create something permanent on my blog!
I have got my copyright posted now and I I Thank You!
I’m glad to know it! There’s strength in numbers here.
Oh you bettcha! It also brought your blog to my attention
– a new follower for ya!
Hooray, and thank you! I have to come check you out now!
bueno
Indeed!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am going to use the suggested means to make sure that nobody steals my content (although I’m not really sure why they would) and claims it to be their own. Better safe than sorry!
I’m really glad you found it useful. You would be surprised, people might steal your content because they wish they could write what you have, people may steal your content and use it in ridiculous advertising schemes. . . Gosh, trying to think of what else I have dealt with. But you are absolutely right – much better safe than sorry!
Thanks for all this info…… it’s all news to me!
I aim to get the word out on this one! If content theft happens once, then that’s too frequently. . . And it has happened to me more than once, and now to a friend as well. I hope this is helpful to you!
I posted this on Jen and Tonic’s blog as well.
I had my reviews stolen on more than one occasion. It stemmed mostly from ezinearticles.com. It’s one of the first places I started posting my writing. So many people took my reviews and used them as their own on their sites. They did give me some acknowledgment but no links to my site. And one even took out my links and replaced them with their own affiliate links. I connected them and told them to take it down. Their excuse was they were new at blogging. BUT their blog was about the law…I am not buying it.
Oh well, every once and a while I google my name and blog name to see if my stuff comes up. Not so much but I did remove all my articles off that other site. Live and learn!
It’s ridiculous, the things people do, the lack of ethics. I’m glad your situation was able to be resolved, but the fact that it happened in the first place just blows my mind. Even if I didn’t know what it was legal to do as far as sharing someone else’s work, I would always look at what I believed to be the “right thing”. That is, ask myself if the author is receiving due (obvious) credit, and if I were to find my work used in this way, would it upset me?
I agree that their excuse sounds like crap. Because of the fact that they were blogging about the law, and because when I was new at blogging, I was even more careful about not stepping on anyone’s toes, before I knew all the proper conventions.
You can also set up an automatic Google search where they will email you if your blog’s name (or keywords) come up, and your name as well. I can’t remember off of the top of my head how to do it, but if you’re interested in knowing more, let me know.
I think it’s great that Jen posted this so you could find your way here. She’s pretty awesome, and she has always sent awesome people in my direction.
It makes me so angry when I see this happening. Thanks for spreading the word. There shoudl be a way of chucking people of of the blogosphere for this type of thing. If we were in an academic setting there would be, Thanks Ruby.
You’re welcome, Cate. As it turns out, we’re thinking this case was just some flat-out ignorance, and Ruth feels the situation has been resolved to her satisfaction, which is really what matters. But this info needs to be shared. And unfortunately, when I’ve dealt with this sort of thing with Canvas, it isn’t always bloggers, but add sites and so many other garbage websites. So it’s extra-important to make people aware.
such a good post. agreed. we all work to hard, to have content lifted. i’m going to check those pieces out. so, thanks for posting this. oh, and i arrived here by word of j and t. all the best, sm
I’m so glad that you found valuable content here. This kind of thing is something I really want to keep others aware of. And Jen is great for sharing. She not only helps to spread the word, she also sends nothing but awesome people my way!
I have had a lot of people nick my stuff over the years of writing on the internet. It happened just a week or so ago but it was done out of pure innocence. I’m wondering if its the same situation here?
As it turns out, this issue (which has, happily, been resolved), was actually likely due to ignorance, if not innocence altogether. But I have dealt with a lot of situations where those involved knew what they were doing, they just figured I either wouldn’t notice or wouldn’t put up such a fight!
Obviously every situation needs to be evaluation individually, but I think it’s important that everyone knows what may be going on, how to protect themselves, and what to do to resolve it. I hope all of your situations have had happy resolutions as well!
I’m always scared theu’ll steal my stuff, my writings and my pictures, but for now on I haven’t found out yet… Let’s hope they’ll leave me alone!!
I hope they leave you alone, too! It really is an invasive feeling when something like this happens, but knowing your rights and your recourse can definitely help you to feel less victimized, and more empowered.
I’m not sure how I would find out. I am concerned that people will steal my pictures. After all, who cares about my unemployment saga?
Well, all of the work on your blog is protected, and you do a great job by putting up visible and explicit copyrights. I think that helps a lot to prevent it in the first place, and helps protect you in the event of something happening.
Yes, but I hate having to (in many cases) ruin the beauty of a photo by putting a big glaring (c)ManicMonday all over it. In some cases I don’t, like my frog because it totally ruined the ambiance of the photo. I wish there was an easier way. Do you know of a way to make it so your picture cannot be downloaded?
No, I don’t. I would be surprised if there was anything to prevent that which couldn’t be pretty easily gotten around.
I’ve come across some websites that prevent you from downloading. I saw this once on Flickr so there must be a way to do that there. Maybe I should start a Flickr account and just link my photos to that? It’s pretty rare, but I wondered if WP did something since there are so many photo blogs on there. Of course, someone can always just take a screen capture and crop out the photo – you’re right, there are so many ways to get around things.
Yeah, I pretty much think that if you’re going to put it online, you’re going to take that risk, unfortunately.
Which is why I don’t put many pictures online, and never my best stuff.
Reblogged this on Manic Monday and commented:
Be aware of copyright because your work can be stolen. Sadly, it’s the way the internet is.
Thanks again so much for your help in sharing this!
Stupid dummies…the blogosphere really isn’t as big as one would think it is…. Good info here!
Thanks, I’m glad you find it helpful. It blows me away, what people think they can get away with! You’re absolutely right. They are “stupid dummies”!
“Such are the hazards of writing on the internet” only if we accept that and are complicit. I don’t and I’m not! xoM
That is by far one of the most inspiring responses I have received, and it doesn’t surprise me in the least that it’s from you! Keep fighting the good fight, dear Margarita!
This is truly disappointing. I wouldn’t begin to know if someone ripped off my blog posts or not. Who I really feel sorry for are those folks who post snippets of their WIP for novels. What a nightmare that must be.
I can’t even imagine how horrible that would be. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why (from what I’ve heard) agents and publishers will only use work that has never been published elsewhere, even on a personal blog. On the flip side, at least we know they won’t take stuff that has been stolen from its rightful creator. All we can do is watch out for each other and keep fighting!
Thanks for the great info. I will be bookmarking the links and reading them carefully (probably more than once) to insure that when I grow up like Jen my stuff will be safe (or at least safer). And don’t these wanna-be writers (thieves) know that a properly linked blog will provide better traffic than plagiarizing another’s hard work? I call that being lazy.
I have the links bookmarked too, especially for occasions like this one. I think, as people like this are clearly on the fringes of the blogging community, they don’t grasp the whole share, credit, link, give others traffic, get thanks and more traffic of their own thing. Though one way or another, the whole concept of stealing someone else’s words disgusts me.
(Also, Jen is a wonderful person to want to grow up to be like. She’s pretty amazing, that girl!)
Yeah, I’m with Monday. How am I supposed to know if someone is stealing my stuff without continually searching for it? How’d you find out about this instance? I have a paranoia that someone could steal my writing and I’d never know because it’s not like I have a way to regularly patrol the Internet . . .
I’m all paranoid now, so I might email you within the next few days about how to do that copyright notice at the end of the post, ha.
I’ll try to remember to do a post in the next few weeks about setting up searches looking for your work (have to review that to remember), and copyright notices as well. If you don’t see it upcoming, remind me, as I have a bit on my mind right now, but definitely want to get it out there for everyone. For now rest assured that at least your Canvas stuff is safe. I’m all over that one!
I’m confused. Who plagiarized whom????
Laura, a blogger (whose name I again won’t mention, because it seems like it was a (mostly) innocent screw-up on her part and has been resolved) plagiarized work by Ruth, as well as XLondonCallGirl. They were the victims here, and I don’t think they have a bone of thievery in either of there bodies, but it was a very upsetting experience.
Could you walk me through how you only get a snippet of text? I’ve been attempting that for awhile.
Do you mean when your posts go out to subscribers (because you seem to have sorted that one out) or something else? Let me know!
I figured it out
Thanks lovely!
Thought so. Glad you did.
Thanks for sharing this, and thanks to Sips of Jen and Tonic for re-sharing it. I was thinking about copyright, but didn’t really know what to do about it. Not that I suspect somebody to steal from me, but it’s better to be safe than sorry…
It is better to be safe. I hope this info has helped you to figure it out, if you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. And Jen is awesome for passing this along, she really is Superwoman on so many levels!
You just taught me about this. I would never thing someone would really just take somebody’s thoughts as their own. That is the worst!
I know. Things like this make me a little sadder about the people in this world. But I believe firmly they are the exception, not the rule, which is why I keep on going with what I do, and haven’t lost my faith in the human race.