Very light rewrite of another's story: fair or foul?

[jasperscribbler]

I read a new story called Vacation Ch. 1, by kendo1, designated as Exhib/Voy. It looked very familiar, so I left a comment to that effect. Then I recalled the original title and found it. Different author: Jackking. Slightly different title: "A Tempting Vacation." So I left another note telling kendo1 that if he isn't also Jackking, he should be ashamed. The new note, which included the info on the original story, somehow disappeared. (Not sure how that could happen.)

This raises a question about ethics. The new story has renamed the characters and changd the vacation location and changed how the characters get to the resort. Some other details are different, and it looks more like a rewrite than like a direct copy and paste. But the events are just about all the same. So are character traits and relationships. The sex scenes are pretty much the same.

I would call this plagarism, despite the effort to make changes. Would others use the same label, or do you think it is a fair way to do a story? I know that if this happened to one of my stories, I would be spitting nails.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I read a new story called Vacation Ch. 1, by kendo1, designated as Exhib/Voy. It looked very familiar, so I left a comment to that effect. Then I recalled the original title and found it. Different author: Jackking. Slightly different title: "A Tempting Vacation." So I left another note telling kendo1 that if he isn't also Jackking, he should be ashamed. The new note, which included the info on the original story, somehow disappeared. (Not sure how that could happen.)

This raises a question about ethics. The new story has renamed the characters and changd the vacation location and changed how the characters get to the resort. Some other details are different, and it looks more like a rewrite than like a direct copy and paste. But the events are just about all the same. So are character traits and relationships. The sex scenes are pretty much the same.

I would call this plagarism, despite the effort to make changes. Would others use the same label, or do you think it is a fair way to do a story? I know that if this happened to one of my stories, I would be spitting nails.

I would also call that plagiarism, and so would anybody else. It is not only unethicalm, it's illegal. The copied story should be deleted, even if the two authors are the same person.

The alleged author can delete public comments with a click of the mouse. The fact that he or she did so here probably makes it more culpable.

Plagiarism is an ongoing problem but it's usually other sites stealing the stories from here and charging people to read them or using them to attract customers.

 

[msboy8]

I would also call that plagiarism, and so would anybody else. It is not only unethicalm, it's illegal. The copied story should be deleted, even if the two authors are the same person.

The alleged author can delete public comments with a click of the mouse. The fact that he or she did so here probably makes it more culpable.

Plagiarism is an ongoing problem but it's usually other sites stealing the stories from here and charging people to read them or using them to attract customers.

I agree BL, I realize that some stories can be on a similar subject, but care must be taken not to plagiarize.

 

[bigbeautiful]

curious

Just curious now that you mention it. I was curious about a story I did. I wrote a story years ago for a friend and sent it only to him but later submitted it on AFF. I used that story as a base of sorts in ways to make another one.

Actually I took the story out and then I re-wrote it since I have learned a lot since my first couple stories years ago when I did it from boredom as a housewife. There was a lot of grammatical errors and so on that I corrected and then added a few lines here and there to make it longer and more enjoyable.

I just submitted the new revised version today on literotica which hasn't been approved yet.

Do you feel that is plagurism? Just curious before I actually have it posted.

Sam

 

[Boxlicker101]

Just curious now that you mention it. I was curious about a story I did. I wrote a story years ago for a friend and sent it only to him but later submitted it on AFF. I used that story as a base of sorts in ways to make another one.

Actually I took the story out and then I re-wrote it since I have learned a lot since my first couple stories years ago when I did it from boredom as a housewife. There was a lot of grammatical errors and so on that I corrected and then added a few lines here and there to make it longer and more enjoyable.

I just submitted the new revised version today on literotica which hasn't been approved yet.

Do you feel that is plagurism? Just curious before I actually have it posted.

Sam

That doesn't sound like plagiarism to me, rewriting a story that you posted on another site and posting it here. I don't know if AFF copyrights stories or not but even if they do, the copyright is still yours and you can do anything you want to with the story. You might ask that question on Authors' Hangout. You could get more authoritative answers there than here.

 

[Sabledrake]

Rewriting your own story isn't. Rewriting someone else's, without their knowledge or permission, IS.

-- Sabledrake

 

[bigbeautiful]

Well that is what I had thought but the way the one reply had sounded was that even if it was the same author it is. And as for AFF it remains the authors copyright but it has some rule about waiting a year or so before posting it anywhere else I believe which it had been over the time limit.

 

[jasperscribbler]

Update

I've corresponded with both the original author and the revisor.

The revisor explained that he couldn't find the original author to ask permission, but thought the story was so good it should be continued by someone. Eh, okay, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as to motives, but still think it went over the line. The new story tracks many plot and character details from the original before then departing substantially from the original plot. So much was changed around that core that it wouldn't have been hard to make the whole thing fresh and original. The revisor is a good enough writer he didn't need to borrow some much that it would raise ethics questions.

The original author (who had posted at another site as well, where he'd left his email address) wrote to say he was continuing the story himself (after a considerable time). That is good news. It was a terrific story to begin with.

I don't know if the original author has contacted the revisor, but I haven't seen a new chapter in the revision appear since these questions were raised.

 

[Reverse_Cowboy]

Just curious now that you mention it. I was curious about a story I did. I wrote a story years ago for a friend and sent it only to him but later submitted it on AFF. I used that story as a base of sorts in ways to make another one.

Actually I took the story out and then I re-wrote it since I have learned a lot since my first couple stories years ago when I did it from boredom as a housewife. There was a lot of grammatical errors and so on that I corrected and then added a few lines here and there to make it longer and more enjoyable.

I just submitted the new revised version today on literotica which hasn't been approved yet.

Do you feel that is plagurism? Just curious before I actually have it posted.

Sam

That's deffinately not plagiarism. the deffinition of plagiarism according to dictionary.com is...

a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work 2: the act of plagiarizing; taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own.

So you can't plagiarize yourself. In fact i think its commendable to re-write your own work to make it even better as your ecperience and skills grow.

 

[windstormy]

Ok, this raises a question for me...

I've been working on a series of novels in which a specific idea was approached. I noticed in reading a story just the other day, that the same idea was approached in that story, but in a slightly different way. Now, I'm concerned that someone might think I stole the idea, yet my series was begun about a year ago, though not published yet. So, let me take a deep breath here and see what you guy might think.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I've been working on a series of novels in which a specific idea was approached. I noticed in reading a story just the other day, that the same idea was approached in that story, but in a slightly different way. Now, I'm concerned that someone might think I stole the idea, yet my series was begun about a year ago, though not published yet. So, let me take a deep breath here and see what you guy might think.

I would think it would depend on just how general the idea was. For instance, if your idea is: "Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl." don't worry that somebody else has done it. That's an extreme example but I think you know what I mean. If the details are different enough, you're clear.