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October 12, 2005
You Have Got To Be F*cking Kidding Me!
This is astounding. Absolutely F*cking Amazing. I’m astonished. I noted in the Britblog Roundup that the Mail on Sunday had published a double page spread from Coppersblog. I thought it was a good little earner for David Copperfield, good on ’im.
The bastards not only didn’t pay, they didn’t even ask him!
Look.
C word (plural), F word etc.
Do these people not even have the most basic understanding of copyright? Decency? Jebus! I’ve written to David to see what’s going on so no hue and cry yet. Let’s see what he wants but this, basically, is horrendous. Bastards!
Update: As Peter Briffa points out in the comments, this isn’t the first time.
And as Guido points out, we may have a winner for the Press Plagiarist of the Year Award.
Update, 13th Oct. A note from David to say thanks to all those who’ve emailed. He’ll be getting back to everyone as and when he can dig through the mountain he’s received. The blog is resting, not dead, at least that’s what he hopes.
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference You Have Got To Be F*cking Kidding Me!:
» Bastards from Talk Politics
First there was Shot by Both Sides and now it looks as though Coppersblog has bitten the dust in its present form, and all thanks to the Mail on Sunday.
Regular readers of Tim Worstall's Britblog Roundup will know that only last Sunday, Tim was cong... [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 12, 2005 10:03:33 AM
» Bastards from Talk Politics
First there was Shot by Both Sides and now it looks as though Coppersblog has bitten the dust in its present form, and all thanks to the Mail on Sunday.
Regular readers of Tim Worstall's Britblog Roundup will know that only last Sunday, Tim was cong... [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 12, 2005 10:05:33 AM
» Bastards from Talk Politics
First there was Shot by Both Sides and now it looks as though Coppersblog has bitten the dust in its present form, and all thanks to the Mail on Sunday.
Regular readers of Tim Worstall's Britblog Roundup will know that only last Sunday, Tim was cong... [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 12, 2005 10:07:33 AM
» Play Right from triticale - the wheat / rye guy
I always understood that a plagiarist was somebody who wrote plays, but it seems that soi desant journalists indulge in plagiarism also.... [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 12, 2005 2:34:31 PM
» And Liars from Daily Pundit
Tim Worstall: You Have Got To Be F*cking Kidding Me! This is astounding. Absolutely F*cking Amazing. Im astonished. I noted... [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 12, 2005 6:58:23 PM
» Busy bunny from Blithering Bunny
Laban Tall has a post thats a bit close to the bone for me:
Non-Blogging
Busy bunny? No time to read the papers, let alone blog about them? Ashamed of your miserly post rate?
You need non-blogging coaching from a master:
Anyway, I&#... [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 12, 2005 11:28:18 PM
Comments
What's interesting is that this has happened before to Mil Millington:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/02/16/mail_pinches_more_content_off/
He ended up getting paid. But, really, the MoS ought to have learned its lesson. Millington has had at least one book out of it, and a regular column in the Guardian. But not in the MoS. There must be a moral in this somewhere.
Posted by: Peter Briffa | Oct 12, 2005 9:45:28 AM
Pretty much sums up the MSM attitude to bloggers, you're just a bunch of wierdoes sitting in darkened rooms in your pyjamas.
I wonder if there isn't some way of getting back at the MOS. Google bombing? Mass e-mailing to block their servers? Nasty, I know, and probably not ethical. But then so is lifting a guy's work and printing it without permission, payment or even acknowledgement. This is still considered a heinous offense even by hacks (someone might do it to them after all).
Soddem! How about a mass boycott of MOS?
RM
Posted by: Remittance Man | Oct 12, 2005 10:19:42 AM
Oops, sorry Tim - summat seems to be up with my trackback send.
Posted by: Unity | Oct 12, 2005 10:25:39 AM
I saw that and assumed he'd been paid - given that they "lifted" from him before - guessed they must have made a deal.
I think we may have a winner for "Press Plagiarist of the Year".
(Closing 4th November)
Posted by: Guido Fawkes | Oct 12, 2005 11:02:58 AM
Dear Sir,
I have boycotted the MoS since it first appeared. Do I get a medal?
Posted by: Backword Dave | Oct 12, 2005 11:56:22 AM
Surely (can I call you Shirley?) the alternative approach is through the Press Complaints Commission. Maybe they should develp/enforce a code of conduct for the use of blogged material. This incident could be the catalyst.
Posted by: Gorse Fox | Oct 12, 2005 12:26:41 PM
When I was a teenager, I once wrote an article for a role playing game magazine ("Dragon"). I sold first periodical rights only.
About twenty years later, the company that bought the company that bought the company that had originally published the magazine announced plans to republish the entire magazine run on a CD-ROM.
I sent them a polite letter telling them that they would have to negotiate permissions with me.
They did not respond, and went ahead with the CD-ROM.
I took them to small claims court (now lawyers needed, only a $20 filing fee).
The maximum damages in small claims court was $2,000, so that's what I asked for.
Got every penny of it.
So: my recommendation is obvious.
Posted by: TJIC | Oct 12, 2005 1:29:47 PM
I got plagiarized by the Chicago Tribune several months ago - I emailed the author and the editor and all I got was deny, deny, deny. I think it happens more than everybody knows or cares to think about.
My saga here:
http://lifeinthegreatmidwest.blogspot.com/2005/06/things-that-make-you-go-hmmm.html
Posted by: Dan from Madison | Oct 12, 2005 1:51:32 PM
One of the best ways to find out if your blog or website is being plagiarized is this search engine:
http://www.copyscape.com/
I check it every so often, to make sure nothing is being taken from my websites.
Posted by: ScottC | Oct 12, 2005 2:13:39 PM
I have had my reviews pinched by metal mags several times. And at least some of my scribblings on my blog. However, in this case I would agree they should be sued. Wonder if we can find a friendly lawyer to do it pro-bono.
Thanks for that link. I just found out that my tune showed up on a Blogcritics pod-cast...which is rather neat.
Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge | Oct 12, 2005 3:14:28 PM
On the other hand, bloggers often pinch commercial stories verbatim... they credit, sure, but those aren't the terms the AP or whatever request for trade of their services.
More respect for agreements could be had on both sides...?
Posted by: John Dowdell | Oct 12, 2005 3:43:56 PM
Fucking cunting cunts.
TJIC's advice makes sense... I hope he sues the MoS and gets loads of money from them.
Tim adds: Don’t hold backPhil, tell us what you really think!
Posted by: Phil Hunt | Oct 12, 2005 5:24:33 PM
This example is a blatant display. A f*cking audacity.
But just consider how many tips, leads, and one-liners are likely lifted from blogs by the MSM without giving proper credit...
No shame. No redress.
Posted by: California Conservative | Oct 12, 2005 6:20:10 PM
I ran into something a bit like that last month while I was inspecting hurricane damage in Mississippi. I came back to my hotel to find that CNN was doing a piece on my site highlighting the damage photos I was posting. I never received an email or phone call heads up on it. I don't mind the exposure, but I almost had a heart attack trying to explain it to my company's media relations dept.
Posted by: Critical Matt | Oct 12, 2005 6:31:20 PM
Thanks for the copyscape.com link!
Posted by: -keith in mtn. view | Oct 12, 2005 6:47:08 PM
Hey, at least they didn't claim it was a 1971 blog post by General Staudt.
Posted by: TallDave | Oct 12, 2005 6:56:48 PM
You blogger chappies may wear pyjamas; this commenter sports a nightshirt.
Posted by: dearieme | Oct 12, 2005 10:53:43 PM
Oh, please. Most of Blogdom is one giant
copyright theft ring -- the cutting and pasting of copyrighted material, and then commenting on it. Give me a break. If there's one segment of the Internet that's got no grounds for complaining about copyright violations, Blogdom is it.
Posted by: Dexter Westbrook | Oct 12, 2005 11:27:20 PM
Dexter, excerpting properly credited copyrighted text for the purpose of critical commentary is a legal and commonly accepted practice. Taking an entire article without permission, especially if you do not credit it, is not. Get with the program.
Posted by: Tim in PA | Oct 13, 2005 4:34:55 AM
And, of course, Tim Bloggers are not selling copywrited material as opposed to a paper. Makes a big diff.
Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge | Oct 13, 2005 12:02:49 PM
We don't make money on blogging (well some do ads but that is hardly an income) so there is little moral case for payment. In any case if the MoS doesn't want to pay they certainly owe a duty to give a byeline (with blog address) to people writing their stuff. I realise that would basically be pleading guilty but equally if they just asked a lot of us would be happy to be paid in egoboo.
Having dealt with the PCC I can assure you that they are just press lobbyists whose code of conduct isn't worth spit. Some people may remember their chairman having to resign because his other job was certifying that Enron's accounts were as truthful as the best of British
journalism.
Posted by: Neil Craig | Oct 30, 2005 12:41:01 AM
We don't make money on blogging (well some do ads but that is hardly an income) so there is little moral case for payment. In any case if the MoS doesn't want to pay they certainly owe a duty to give a byeline (with blog address) to people writing their stuff. I realise that would basically be pleading guilty but equally if they just asked a lot of us would be happy to be paid in egoboo.
Having dealt with the PCC I can assure you that they are just press lobbyists whose code of conduct isn't worth spit. Some people may remember their chairman having to resign because his other job was certifying that Enron's accounts were as truthful as the best of British
journalism.
Posted by: Neil Craig | Oct 30, 2005 12:41:48 AM
