STEALING STORIES

Hello Fanfiction Authors (And Readers),

It has come to my attention this morning (thank you Filou!) that someone has stolen my story, word for word, and posted it as their own. I'm so angry I could burst! The reason I want to share this with you is twofold.

First, keep an eye on your stories and constantly check ffnet to see if anyone is using your works without permission. Yes, it is only fanfic, but it is your writing and you own it and for someone to pass it off as their own is horrible.

The second reason is this: I would love if this person was bombarded with reviews/emails telling them they suck. Yes, I am a vengeful person. Lol. I just want to make sure they never do it again.

Here is the link to their story: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

I've already emailed ffnet to get them to pull it down, citing my own story Four Years as proof. (Honestly, it's Word for Word. Could you be so stupid??)

If you feel the need to express yourself about plagirism to this author, it would be very much appreciated. I hope it gets pulled down soon.

Thanks,

Lindsey aka willgirl

In case anyone wants to do a side by side comparison, here's my story:

[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

Okay, that's just pathetic. I mean how lame do you have to be to steal someone else's work - word for freakin' word mind you - and pass it off as your own? And did you go to her FF page? She's talking about how she's such a fan and finally putting up one of her own stories. Riiiiight. It's just so sad that I feel like laughing. BTW, I'm reading your story now, and it's quite good.

RM

I sent this message to the other folks that have already reviewed this witch's stolen story!!


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I'm writing to let you know that you have placed a review on a story that has been found out to be plagiarized, not sort of, but word for word!! Here's the information you need to know...

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THIS IS THE IMPOSTER!!!!

bonesfan1989
[Only admins are allowed to see this link]
(1 story)

Things Changing for the Better (with 2 chapters)
[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

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SHE IS THE REAL DEAL!!!

willgirl
[Only admins are allowed to see this link]
(66 stories)

Four Years, published in April 2007, with 22 chapters and 228 reviews to date!
[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

Wow, that's ridiculous. I was sure to post something. Thanks for the warning. I'm sorry this happened. . You're a great author, though, despite someone else's apparently greedy need to copy you.

I just read that story, which is what sparked the story I was working, on, but I didn't steal your story. It just inspired mine. I hope thats alright?

RGPageantqueen wrote:I just read that story, which is what sparked the story I was working, on, but I didn't steal your story. It just inspired mine. I hope thats alright?

Inspiration and plagiarism are two different things. Four Years is a great story

RGPageantqueen wrote:I just read that story, which is what sparked the story I was working, on, but I didn't steal your story. It just inspired mine. I hope thats alright?

Your's is an original work inspired by another author's work, which is perfectly okay with proper attribution in my opinion. Heck DB is beta'ng a few stories for me now, one of which is inspired by another author but our work is totally different. So as long as what you're doing is really you then it's okay, and it is, so it is.

BTW El, you're Abbey is cute, and the baby lisp kills me. It reminds me of an exchange in Pratchett's Hogfather, between a little five year old girl named Twyla and her governess Susan, "...exagerated lisping is a hanging offense" lol


RM

Ok this is just insane. I mean really how idiotic can you be? Did she really think that she could get away with posting a fic word for word that was written by someone else as her own?

It's not even my story and I'm pissed off. I can only imagine how you feel Will.

Sany wrote:Ok this is just insane. I mean really how idiotic can you be? Did she really think that she could get away with posting a fic word for word that was written by someone else as her own?

It's not even my story and I'm pissed off. I can only imagine how you feel Will.

The thing that gets me is it's so freakin' blatant - all she did was change the title and publish it under her name. I mean, WTF?! See this is what happens when you remove corporal punishment from the schools. Stop beatin' the little perishers and all hell breaks loose.

RM

I left her a happy comment, and by happy i mean a very angry and pissed off comment. What a moron. I mean seriously. Can you get anymore stupid? I mean, can you?

RGPageantqueen wrote:I left her a happy comment, and by happy i mean a very angry and pissed off comment. What a moron. I mean seriously. Can you get anymore stupid? I mean, can you?

Well, theoretically yes, I mean of course you can get more stupid, only at that stage of stupidity if someone didn't remind them to breath the idiots would asphyxiate.


RM

I love you guys. You make me smile. And yes, draw inspiration. I have no problem with that. Copying word for word? I do have a problem with that! Craziness!

THX1138 wrote:

Sany wrote:Ok this is just insane. I mean really how idiotic can you be? Did she really think that she could get away with posting a fic word for word that was written by someone else as her own?

It's not even my story and I'm pissed off. I can only imagine how you feel Will.

The thing that gets me is it's so freakin' blatant - all she did was change the title and publish it under her name. I mean, WTF?! See this is what happens when you remove corporal punishment from the schools. Stop beatin' the little perishers and all hell breaks loose.

RM

I know I looked. it's nuts. I mean really do you think that you can get away with stealing someone's fic just because they haven't posted anything, or updated something in a few months? I mean come on. Everyone pretty much knows everyone, and if they don't they know someone that knows the person that wrote the fic. It's just insane.

Part of me wonders though if this was an attempt to just get attention. Like back when a girl posted a flame she had gotten on her fic on another fic. The exact same flame.

Oi I could go on with this rant but I think I'll stop, or I could be here for days.

you know, I read the 1st chap and thought, "Haven't I seen this some place? Is it a repost?" But I couldn't remember where exactly (meaning no offense, so many great stories, and I read so many a night...). I bounced her a review that said more or less that I remembered reading it before and was going to report her. There is a report abuse specific email on FF:

Report Member Abuse/Spam [Only admins are allowed to see this link]
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Use this email to alert administrators of site abuse by other members: spamming, submission of content against site guidelines, etc.

Please be detailed as possible in your report and when applicable, include web link to the story, review, member profile, or any other evidence in question.

Found it by clicking Help rather than hovering over it.

I copy and paste ff stories I really like into Microsoft Word, and save them to my documents. But, I never post them, as they aren't mine. I save them to keep my favorites organized and also so if the Internet isn't working, I can read them still. Would that be considered plagerism???

@bones206: Not at all! I do the same thing. I have several of my fav stories on my computer. It's only plagarism when you take someone's work and pass it off as your own.

bones206 wrote:I copy and paste ff stories I really like into Microsoft Word, and save them to my documents. But, I never post them, as they aren't mine. I save them to keep my favorites organized and also so if the Internet isn't working, I can read them still. Would that be considered plagerism???

No, not at all. Plagerism is the act of presenting someone elses work as your own. You're just being an avid reader, nothing wrong with that.

RM

Exactly so, not plagarism. Might be best to have the author listed as well (to be on the safe side).

I've thought about doing that, too. Just haven't gotten around to it.

thanks!

dawnsfire wrote:Exactly so, not plagarism. Might be best to have the author listed as well (to be on the safe side).

I've thought about doing that, too. Just haven't gotten around to it.

There are a few authors who've put out massive works, like Mama's "Boy from Philly", where I've encouraged them to put the story out there in Adobe document form so it can be downloaded for ease of portability and offline reading. I honestly can't think of a greater compliment you could pay an FF writer than to download their whole story to read offline because you like it so much.

RM

I just got a reply from the author regarding my pm...

"dis is my first time up here posting anything so if it sounds like something
u read b4 i will gladly rewrite it 2 make it sound different but i can assure
u i dnt copy ppl things."

First of all, someone that types like that could in no way write such a well written story. Second...it's word for word...does she think we're stupid??

*rolls eyes* I replied back and said that it's not just similar, it's WORD FOR WORD. This is what she said...

"its kool ive read things that sounds similar so if it pleases everyone i will
go baq n redo da whole thing.... i hate it so sound like something somebody
else wrote."

And she redoes it like that, that's one story I can guarantee I won't read, even without the plagarism issue.



be interesting if she responds to everyone--esp me, 'cause I told her to leave my stories alone! Sooooo modest.

dawnsfire wrote:And she redoes it like that, that's one story I can guarantee I won't read, even without the plagarism issue.

Well, she removed it, at least. But she put some thing on her profile that she doesn't steal other people's stories...well, I think that's what it says, she uses text speak, and it's hard to understand.