Reporting plagiarism

[HLD]

A reader alerted me to an instance where someone has copied one of my stories from here, changed the names and then re-posted it to another site, trying to pass my work off as their own.

First, has this happened to anyone else?

Second, what recourse do I have?

This isn't an instance where someone has taken the characters from my story and continued on in my universe, or where a writer has taken the basic idea from my story and tried to make it their own.

The story they posted is pretty much word for word my work.

I have contacted the website administrators and asked that they take down the story and consider banning the user.

On one level, I guess I should be flattered that someone would think so much of my story that he/she is willing to lift it and try to make others think it's theirs. But on another, it really hacks me off that someone would stoop so low as to use something that I took a lot of time and energy to create and think changing the names was okay.

If this has been brought up before, please direct me to a thread that has this discussion going on.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lovecraft68]

Send a PM to Laurel-you can find her name on the stickies at the top of the forum-tell her about it and include the link to your story here as well as where it has been placed.

 

[RejectReality]

There's not really a lot you can do. The first thing you've already done. On occasion, the webmaster of the site has some scruples, and they'll take it down when you demonstrate your story was posted before the thief added it to their site.

In most cases, the webmaster and the thief are one and the same.

At that point, your only recourse is to attempt to get them shut down by sending DMCA notices to their host. It's not unusual for the host to make you jump through hoops, ignore it, or say it isn't their problem, though.

In the end, your work is going to get stolen when you post it anywhere on the internet. It's something you're just going to have to learn to live with.

There's a warm fuzzy feeling that comes from shutting one of these sites down or at least getting your story removed, but it's a drop in the bucket. As fast as you remove it from one place, three others are stealing it or excerpts to pad out their malware-infested ad vehicle.

If you spend too much time on these story thieves, you'll end up doing nothing else. It can quickly turn into an obsession and a crusade that eats you alive.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Once upon a time there was a website that had just stolen the first page of every story on lit. The authors notified the Web Host Provider with DMCA notices. The Web Host Provider shut down the site within hours of the notifications.

About a day later the site was back in business on a Chinese Web Host. Even though some authors sent DMCA notices, the web host did nothing.

I think it is still in business today. The site doesn't sell the stories, but sells advertising space.

So if someone is determined to use your stories for either, claiming them as their own or for some other nefarious purpose, they will in most cases succeed.

Sorry...but it's true.

ETA: Actually it looks to be out of business and the domain name is for sale.