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Post by Craig Herbertson on Feb 15, 2008 16:34:52 GMT
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Post by Steve on Feb 15, 2008 18:02:46 GMT
How very strange!
Quite flattering of course in a way, but still a bit odd... and a bit off too.
I presume they must have got the story either from a copy of Filthy Creations or from the Workshop here.
Have you contacted the site yet? If I were you, I'd be asking them politely but very firmly what they thought they were playing at? If you don't want the story there, ask them to remove it and throw in a few threats of legal action. That'll probably do the trick, I'd have thought.
We talked a bit about the dangers of this sort of thing, and it was one of the reasons for the Workshop being made members only.
We could all write to them if you like - start a bit of a campaign - perhaps Rog and me should anyway, in our capacity as editors of Filthy Creations.
It's not a good precedent if people are just going to start lifting stories without asking anyone, especially the author!
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Post by sean on Feb 15, 2008 18:16:55 GMT
Wow, that really sucks.
I notice they have a forum, so maybe that would be the place to do the polite but firm 'what the hell' bit.
If that doesn't work, we could ALL join their forum and kick up a fuss about it.
Edit: as it is an American site I would guess that it was snaffled from the workshop rather than the printed version...
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Post by Steve on Feb 15, 2008 18:23:27 GMT
I notice that on the 'Selected Works' page it says (original punctuation retained);
"All works are property of the Individual writer (copyright owner).
No work shall be reproduce [sic] or reprinted without; express permission from the copyright owner ."
I always thought Americans didn't understand irony...
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Feb 15, 2008 18:54:36 GMT
I'm pretty pleased to get things published but the permission thing is kind of crucial. Its good to get a rapport with the people your writing for and also to get a bit of an ad for books or your website if you can.
I might start on the forum but I'll wait for any other opinions.
There's also the thing where a vault member might think they are doing you a favour, which is fine of course. Perhaps someone submitted it and the site owners didn't follow through.
Caig
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Post by Dr Terror on Feb 15, 2008 19:01:52 GMT
I notice they've only put part of the story up.
Anyway that's beside the point. They shouldn't have put any of it there. I agree with Steve, you should contact them.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Feb 15, 2008 19:06:32 GMT
Well, there is a second part too. I spent a while trying to negotiate the site and found it. I subsequently lost it again and however it works it doesn't work well. I haven't been able to find the second part twice.
I just checked. They are up on myspace and have about 3000 more friends than me. It seems to be combination of sf, music and lonely hearts
Craig
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Post by Steve on Feb 15, 2008 19:51:20 GMT
I just checked. They are up on myspace and have about 3000 more friends than me. From what I could see, their forum doesn't seem to have many members at all. Anyway, it's who your friends are that counts, not how many you have... Remember the Spartans! (alright I seem to remember they all got killed, but still...) |
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coral
New Face In Hell
Posts: 3 
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Post by coral on Feb 15, 2008 19:57:56 GMT
Steve is quite right there, it's quality not quantity that counts!
Craig, you really should inquire about this, folk musn't feel able to just help themselves, we'll be right behind you.
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Post by carolinec on Feb 15, 2008 21:25:37 GMT
That's awful that they've just taken it like this. I agree with everyone else, Craig, you really should contact them about it. Personally, rather than use the forum, I think I'd email them direct if it was me. The publisher's info button at the bottom left gives you an email address.
We can only hope that if it is someone here who has given them your story, they've done it for the best intentions, and that it's just that things have gone amiss in that you haven't been contacted about it. I think this really highlights why the workshop needs to stay "members only". It would be awful, though, if people started to feel that they couldn't trust each other.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Feb 15, 2008 21:44:21 GMT
If it was a member of this site I have absolutely no doubt it was with good intentions.
Craig
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Post by weirdmonger on Feb 15, 2008 21:54:45 GMT
That's awful that they've just taken it like this. I agree with everyone else, Craig, you really should contact them about it. Agreed. On a lighter note, I'm always upset that nobody ever wants to pinch my own stuff! There are at least a thousand stories of mine on the Net. ;D |
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Post by sean on Feb 15, 2008 22:11:12 GMT
Personally, rather than use the forum, I think I'd email them direct if it was me. Nah, embarass them in public! Seriously. Judging by the forum and the page, it looks like it has only recently been set up, but regardless (and especially since they have the copyright notices that Steve quoted printed up there) they should know better. It's theft, plain and simple. And the more public the retraction, the less likely they are to target the FC workshop for any more goodies... Craig, I doubt that anyone would have subbed it on your behalf, and I guess that if someone had, they would at least have let you know. I could be wrong though... |
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Post by Calenture on Feb 15, 2008 23:06:12 GMT
I agree with Sean. Embarrass them in public. Just asking who gave them permission to put the story up should be a start. There is just a faint possibility that they've been misinformed by someone; possibly someone has appropriated your name as well as your story. Let's face it, I haven't a clue who I'm talking to on MySpace anymore, the profiles and display names change so frequently.
Yes, it's flattering in a way. But it's still theft. I don't think any of the regular Vault members would have lifted the story (even for the best of reasons). I'm just listing names in my head and none of them seem to fit. I'm trying to remember whether Strange Fruit was posted at this site or the original Vault.
Whether they have 3000 or 10000 MySpace friends, it still doesn't mean a thing. All you have to do is stick up a MySpace blog and every day or three someone wants to be added, and only very rarely are they real friends not just trying to promote their own interests.
I'm glad you stuck this on a public post, Craig, rather than in the workshop. Of course it was to try and protect or hide work from non-members that the workshop became "members-only" in the first place.
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Post by Calenture on Feb 15, 2008 23:09:32 GMT
[On a lighter note, I'm always upset that nobody ever wants to pinch my own stuff! There are at least a thousand stories of mine on the Net. ;D How do you know some haven't been nicked? |
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