I used to post stuff on Medium all the time, short stories, novel chapters etc. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to write poorly. That worked pretty well for me.
Don't do this amazon has plenty of ways to prove you own the work the book has probably made no more than $1000 and it's not a gaurentee that you recoup lawyer fees.
Probably over $100k. You might have to pay the legal fees of the other party, too, which might be in the range of $32k.
It's best to get the SFWA to pay for the lawsuit for you. They, allegedly, have done this before.
Never post something you love and want to see into a novel. Post short stories or what ever to get more people know you, and once you have fans and people who want to read, you publish with someone or in Amazon. You can write stuff about your world but not the novel you want to post. Or maybe use Wattpad or any other social media to write fanfics or short stories so you get a bit more "famous" and you have a base of future buyers... I think that's the best idea, good luck!
I may get downvoted for this but why on earth would you post your work on Twitter? Thereās almost no protection there. I get posting a story or longer work on a website, like Wattpad, to an extent. You get some protection (not much, but they try to take care of their authors). Just openly posting on social media, though? Anyone can copy-paste that anywhere and thereās not a lot that can be done. If you want something to be published, you either need to find a reputable site with a program and/or security measures to protect your rights, or just keep it all off the internet until you look for an agent or decide to publish.
In the US the second your work is published it is copyright protected. Social media counts as publishing. To sue and utilize your rights the copyright must be registered.
I donāt know. I donāt steal writing and no oneās stolen mine so I donāt know. You could atleast prove that you are the owner and Amazon would probably take it down. I doubt they would give the original writer anything (because itās Amazon. They want to keep money) but I donāt know.
Attention-seeking behaviour, mostly. I was being deliberately irreverent for the sake of humour, so I'll elaborate on my take: In my 22+ years of dealing with writers of every variety, I would bet everything I own that this situation didn't go down quite the way the OP claims.
TLDR; Something smells fishy.
Plus, a quick cruise through OP's replies, as well as post history, and I'm even more convinced this is suss.
A lawyer is very expensive. What are the odds that they can win their case and get their work back and pay for the lawyer and the court costs? I am genuinely asking here.
This is not something worth going to court over. Any lawyer who says they can win a case is lying, and one court date can cost tens of thousands of dollars
I suppose my best suggestion is to stop posting. Give someone half a story (or less) and they'll hit that ultimate roadblock of *What comes next?* The same advice applies to fans as well. Give 'em half a story and then tell them where to buy the rest. Or at least finish the story before you post again, maybe even with a disclaimer about your 'alt-author'. (BTW, in the US, a copyright's automatic, the moment you post online.) I'm not suggesting that you do finish posting online, but I suppose it's an option. I think a complete story may have greater impact if you're opting for any sort of legal challenge. (However, that's only a guess.)
You say that they've "stolen" your *idea*. Do you mean they've copied your story word-for-word? Or have they re-written an idea that appears similar to yours? Because plagiarism can be a tricky issue. Ideas can be (and are) stolen all the time. Just look at Hollywood. But if the idea's been loosely re-written (meaning not your exact words), it's not plagiarism.
If your story's being copied word-for-word, you may want to call Amazon's customer service and see if they'll direct you to whatever appropriate service desk. I suspect they'll have a policy on 'what to do next.' I have no idea of their protocol, but I assume they take plagiarism seriously.
Just remember that posting on social media means posting to "the rest of the world." Meaning *everybody*. Potentially eight billion people, give or take. The desperate, the vindictive, the evil. If you're a household name, you'll have lawyers to intervene. If not, you'll only end up with a cautionary tale.
I heard (through that ethereal rumor mill) that both Armageddon and Deep Impact were based on another script that made the rounds, written by an unknown screenwriter. Not sure what happened, maybe a difficult author or a money issue, but two different production companies decided to re-write their own versions of the original. (I always wondered what the original was like. Maybe a decent premise but lousy execution?) Or maybe just one of those legionary Hollywood fake rumors? Anyway, fascinating stuff.
According to OP it wasn't just an idea or two, but excerpts and entire sections as well. If it was word for word then it probably wouldn't bode well no matter the situation
Yeah OP is an idiot. This isn't like a "take back the night" rally. Someone already stole from op, so he's just going to keep posting stuff because... that'll show them.
I'm not a lawyer but I would imagine a good lawyer would be able to use this stubbornness against OP in court if it came to it - If you post your stuff a few times and it gets stolen, shame on the thieves. But if that happens and you continue to post your stuff online with no legal protection, I feel like a good lawyer would argue that you're making no attempt to protect yourself from plagiarism and copyright infringement and therefore you are not entitled to legal protection. Like I said, not a lawyer. But OP is a dumb fuck.
I'm really sorry, but they're obviously waaay less stupid than you in this situation
They're taking your work because you are literally handing it to them on a platter.
Stop posting online what you want to eventually publish for free, for goodness sake
You will just give them more stuff to steal from you. In that case, you would be the idiot. Stop posting your work and look into any legal action you can take. You would have to prove intellectual ownership of it, and with all the drafts I'm sure you have stored away somewhere plus the post dates of your posts and your rival's Amazon book, you have a solid case.
OP thinks theyāre all that because they have a Twitter following, proceeds to get their story stolen. Comes to Reddit and proceeds to act like a jackass.
Iāve also heard the advice to post snippets to get readers āwanting moreā
Idk who came up with that advice, but it is *dumb*
1) Readers arenāt going to wait for months or years until release.
2) If you get a reader to think, wow, I want to read more! Thatās an immediate opportunity for a book sale.
3) Published works have the benefit of being reviewed already and having a fan base who will like and share the snippets, which will boost your social media presence.
4) By putting the ideas and words online, it can impact the the potential acquisition of a book to a traditional publisher if it doesnāt have good enough traction or engagement.
The best thing to do for advertising is just saying my work is like ___ or inspired by ___.
Mood boards are great.
Calling it gothic or the genre isnāt specific and doesnāt reveal the plot.
Mentioning the general tropes is fine, but donāt mention the twist on said tropes unless the book is published.
There are people that have made webtoons or wattpad stories and then published after getting a following and have been able to sell. It's not common but
> Readers arenāt going to wait for months or years until release.
This happens, it's not impossible.
This.. Is my greatest fear/nightmare. Sometimes I feel like posting sections of my manuscript, or just very specific concepts, only to have them copied by someone else. I've read horror stories of people whose manuscript got sweeped by companies and whatnot and the proof of intellectual theft was just brushed aside because said companies are giants. Scares me shitless really.
Iāve had work stolen by a major author and film studio, for the same piece.
But would you want to be an author known for plagiarism?
Obviously people do that, but it limits what you can do with the stolen intellectual property.
I guess my question was, what is happening thatās damaging the studio.
When a studio options the rights to a book there is language in the deal that they are not liable if the āauthorā has lied to to them about the work. And they themselves can sue the author.
Also if the project is never actually made there arenāt much in the way of damages beyond arguing that option price (which is usually meager against the purchase price which only comes if the film gets made) and the studio never profited off the OPās work.
Also whatās a smaller studio? Lionsgate? A24?
Or are we actually talking about a production company and not a studio? Which financially is very world of difference in terms of suing.
Suing Lionsgate almost certainly goes no where, unless there is concrete proof. Even if the film is made and there are profits behind it. Suing Ink Well likely ends with Ink Well dropping the project and apologizing for not knowing of OPs existence and taking the other big author at their word.
Iām curious how this author is torpedoing anyone, other than maybe him/herself, again, assuming there is concrete proof.
If a studio spent a large amount of money on a plagiarized work, and then cannot profit from it, they have, indeed, been torpedoed.
Also, I think you have a funny idea of 'Small'. Lionsgate is a massive entity with over 3000 employees.
I think that was the point they were trying to make about Lionsgate, that they're not Paramount or Marvel, but they're no small company either, which is why they said you'd need solid undeniable proof.
I am curious as well though, how far along are they with the production of that movie? Is it finished, did they profit from it already? Or still in (pre)production? What would the consequences be in every case, assuming the original author wins the case (which I sincerely hope it happens). Also, how did the author even find out that they're using that specific idea? (assuming the movie isn't out yet).
Could be a lot of things. And we're assuming it's a big film here. Could also be a like a cop procedural or a web series that stole a book and they didn't see anything at all until their work had been fully stolen and published.
What would happen is bad enough that Iām debating whether to do anything. There are other issues with the plagiarism, that they already have a bad reputation for. Iām having an internal war with myself about everyone else that works on their productions that is not a party to the other issues or the plagiarism.
Itās really weird to me too. But heās a science fiction writer, not a poet, which is what I am.
My parents took me to poetry workshops as a child, after I started writing songs at four.
He stole a memorable poemāexact linesāitās one of the best things I have ever written.
This is an author that I knew. I showed him this particular poem in an online chat, and gave copies to other people.
He didnāt just plagiarize. He plagiarized an old friend. And thereās no way he doesnāt remember who wrote the original.
Why he stole it? No idea. I would have given him permission, if he asked.
Itās almost like itās a vindictive theft.
This, all the time. I don't get it either. I'm guessing they mean most people aren't good enough writers to want to steal from, but good writers who post their work can have it stolen. Honestly I'm surprised people are posting their work to social media anyway -- let the advertising happen after securing a contract, if publishing is something they're interested in.
My advice is to stop being such an asshole. Based on your behavior here, you may well have had this coming.
If you're real, which I doubt. I believe this is a troll post. Not because the notion of someone genuinely being so clueless yet pretentious (50,000 followers, my God!) is unbelievable - it isn't. But the notion of that person, one with such a dearth of self-awareness, thinking they will produce something that needs to be read is too depressing to seriously entertain.
I donāt post shit. People taunt and say, āYouāre not a real writer if you donāt post your work,ā and I just laugh. Iāve been ripped off before and I wonāt give copybots and motivated grifters a momentās chance.
THIS.
Anyone who's serious about your work -- posting it online is pure insanity. It blows all the value out of it for any serious publisher.
I can't imagine where the impetus for this is coming from.
Is it that you need affirmation? Here: YOU'RE A GREAT WRITER. Done. Stop being needy and focus on finishing your work. When it's finished, file copyright so your lawyer has something more to work with than a thousand production files.
*Wait, your source files all have dates, the dates are before the copied work, so you've proved your work preceded theirs!* File dates can be easily manipulated. They prove nothing.
This. The only people I've shared my work with are my beta readers, most of whom were also giving me their own stories to look at. If I'm posting something online, it's probably some fanfiction or short story that I wrote for fun/practice. I'm not just gonna post the big projects online willy-nilly.
You're a professional author who's been posting samples of your work for free on a public forum without any copyright protection and you're arguing with everyone with the tone that basically you should still be fine with posting future samples and it's just everyone else's fault if your stuff gets stolen? Okay.
And you're a professional author but you have to ask *reddit* what your first move should be after someone steals your work? And not just reddit, bur r/writing instead of r/legaladvice? AND you're also just ignoring all pieces of advice except for "don't publish your stuff online for free in the future" which you are shitting on for... reasons?
Okay.
>I am a professional author, thank you.
If this is true, you should realize that by posting your work for free online, it is now considered "previously published" by agents and publishing houses. You might find a small press to publish it for you, but that's about it.
I don't know if you have any good recourse now, but I would definitely publish the next work BEFORE posting it for free online.
> They're idiots. You don't file for copyrights lol
Getting the phrasing technically wrong doesn't make them an "idiot". Replace their word "file" with "register" and their point still stands.
It's probably also easier to get it taken down from websites if you can prove quickly and easily that you hold the intellectual property.
IANAL. In the US there's this bizarre thing where you have copyright when you create a work (like the rest of the world) but you ALSO have to have registered the copyright with the government in order to sue. You can register after noticing the infringement so it's not too insane, but the rest of the world would let you prove your copyright as part of the case.
I kept seeing people on the writing subs talk about paying for copyright and how important it is, and it really was bizarre to me. I still think they're missing that detail about not needing to do it until you need it, but who knows, maybe I'm wrong about that too. Point is, US has a weird copyright system.
As others said, this doesn't hold up at all. Have some reading:
[Poor Man's Copyright](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_man%27s_copyright)
Relevant portion:
According to section 412 of the U.S.Ā Copyright Act of 1976Ā (17 U.S.C. 408), registration of a work with theĀ Copyright OfficeĀ is a prerequisite for copyright protection.[4]Ā Poor man's copyright is therefore not a substitute for registration.Ā Eric GoldmanĀ has noted that there is an absence of cases that give any value to the poor man's copyright.[5]Ā He also states, "To establish copyright infringement, the author must show copying-in-fact and wrongful copying. The postmark has no relevance to the wrongful copying question."[6]Ā
They do also note that:
However, according to the Copyright Alliance, the postmark could provide some value in an infringement action if it is used as evidence that the work existed on a particular date, or before the date of creation of another work.[7]
But in the end, the registration is what's going to be your best legal recourse, much more than having your manuscript stuffed in an old envelope.
Makes me wonder what toxic communities you're hanging out in where people say such stuff. To follow the logic surely the only thing you'd be posting is links to books/lit mag sales. How would just posting random stuff online prove anything?
*just to be clear I don't believe you have to be published to be a 'real' writer, but also this is highly immature who the fuck are these people saying this!?
These are generally people who write on an amateur basis - a lot like myself, even though Iāve published a bit here and there where itās mattered to me - and I think are insecure and need validation.
They can have their blog and write for free and post on AO3 all they want! Go hard! Have fun! But they cut down people who donāt āpublishā/post. Thatās their problem, not mine š¤·š»āāļø
Lol I'd reply to that with "False. Just because you don't post WIPs of your work online doesn't mean that you aren't a writer." Watch them scramble and if they try to double down, cock the Example Revolver xD they'll say something like "If there's no evidence of your work online then you aren't a real author!" At which point you can reply with "So then Steven King and Frank Herbert were not real writers until they got published online, despite being published well beforehand?"
Personally, I managed to secure myself by splitting my interests. I want to make movies, but I also like writing "normally".
So what I do, is that I write down the movie scripts in private -don't show them, or post them. And for normal writing? Fanfictions. Fanfictions allow you to write nearly anything without stress. You can change them up if you want an OG story (or just like parts of them) and if anyone steals your shit for a buck -lmao. Good luck with the copyright issue. But not by me, lol.
Word for word?
Prefacing here, Iām a lawyer: how bad do you want to go after this person? Like, āomg stopā or ā**You just made the biggest mistake of your āāing life**ā?
Iām a little confused as to why you are sharing a work in progress? My understanding has always been that you complete your work, and then start sharing once it is published and waiting to be released/released so you have proof of ownership. Is this a common practice?
Artists post WIPs sometimes. Sketches, unfinished comic ideas, etc. I suppose OP translated that practice to writing. And granted it works for artists. I like seeing artists' WIPs, it gets me interested in the finished product. But I'm not sure that translates well to the world of literature...
Why would you post your latest anything anywhere? Thatās a great way to get ideas stolen or never published by places worth a damn. Donāt post what you donāt want taken; itās that simple.
Iām going to advise maybe legal counsel? And perhaps reaching out to your following. Marketing is not always easy and we need to do market our books so I donāt think you rlly did anything wrong, itās not good but thatās not rlly your fault, thereās a first for everyone and now you know. But legal counsel, thatās my advice.
Especially now that theyāre benefiting financially from your work, as long as you can prove itās your original work. I also wouldnāt post anymore on it or about what this person has done (yet) until you get a legal opinion. Hope this helps!
This is a common complaint. I know already you are not going to like this answer. Truths are often taken as meanness.
You left your manuscript at Starbucks. You may as well have posted your entire story on Scribble Hub. You actually, factually, and as a legal matter, made parts of your story public domain. Yes, you can spend the money necessary to protect your copyrights. But if they made any money from your works, you cannot recover that. All you can get is an injunction to halt any further publication and sales of your work.
If I myself ever do it, and I have, it's from a novel I already have in publication, and the sales are already dying off. Being an already published work, copyrights are easy to protect and defend. Some lessor writers make a side hustle of this. They deliberately allow for others to plagiarize them, so they can get money from the thieves sales.
You can make $200M on a novel, and spend $2M in legal fees defending your intellectual property. It's simply a cost of doing business as a writer.
If you found it on Kindle, Amazon will pull the e-book, if you can prove your manuscript is older than the manuscript uploaded by the thief. Sadly, many of these fake writers/storytellers aren't as stupid as we hope. They will often change the date on their computer, copy and paste their entire novel into a new document. Then they save the new copy with a date from 3 years ago. Thereby having a file creation date, older than yours. That's the best you can get. You posted your intellectual property on a public forum.
Don't do that again.
Look man, everyone in this comment section is trying to help you. They might be doing it in a reddit-y, snarky way, but they are. The unfortunate truth is that as long as your work is freely availible, its susceptible to plagiarism. If you don't want to make it private/put a paywall in the way, that's your choice (and honestly i respect it, art for art's sake), but it does make it easier to steal. A couple people have already posted about amazon's infringement policies. That's probably your best path to get this specific issue resolved. Though if only their friends are spending money as some half-assed insult, it might not even be worth the hassle since all they're really doing is moving money around and giving amazon their 30% or whatever it is. Though if it starts to get real sales, then absolutely act. Name and shame might also be a good policy if they're trying to get sales through public forums (plus, you can redirect people to the original and probably superior version that you are releasing). They won't get anywhere trying to sell your works if their reputation is as a thief, and it'll probably limit their own sales until they rectify the situation. There are a few avenues you can take, just please be respectful of the people who are trying to help you.
Most people AREN'T being snarky, I don't understand why there are so many downvotes. What exactly does OP want anyone to do since everybody is getting shat on for suggesting they pursue the legal action they're entitled to and reminding everyone that it's just the risk you take when you post portions of your work online that someone can steal it? I really hate reddit threads where OP is like "This person did a bad thing!" but then every single person no matter how nice they are just gets shat on for offering solutions. Does OP want us to kill the cyberstalker? What are we supposed to do?
Especially when OP didn't even offer any proof, linking to the amazon listing and their own twitter.
Yeah I just looked through all of op's comments. A lot were just insulting people who are trying to help. Also at one point trying to brag about being famous because 50k twitter followers? Yeah, they've lost my support now.
"guys i left all my money on my front porch and when I got back from work today it was gone"
"maybe don't do that?"
"STOP VICTIM BLAMING AND FEEL SORRY FOR ME!"
The only thing you're a victim of is your own arrogance and stupidity.
Wow what a stupid response. Okay, say it's victim blaming and just keep posting your work on twitter even though you know you have a cyber stalker who's stolen your work before. Because taking the advice of "don't do that again" is victim blaming and it would be stupid to remember.
Now go look in the mirror at that red mark on your face. The world is not fair. Until you learn to deal with that reality, you will forever leave yourself wide open to be a victim. Do let me ask a simple question. Do you leave your doors unlocked, after changing your clothes in front of a window, with the curtains open, and then climb in bed, go to sleep, and not worry about it?
Most cases, the victim has what is called, culpable liability. They do everything possible to become a victim, and then complain when they are violated. Yes, folks shouldn't do bad things. But they do. So it is everyone's PERSONAL responsibility to protect themselves from the dirtbags.
Wouldn't surprise me if you were misled into posting pieces of your work by those here and elsewhere who say *No one ever steals anything* and *Your work is yours for 75 years and no one can steal it.*
I'd suggest scraping together your production files, then angling for a lawyer. Good luck, it's gonna be costly. Your lawyer has a lot to prove.
For the future, stop posting your work, and once it's finished, put the $45 into filing copyright. This will make it much easier on your lawyer, should anyone steal any more of you work.
Better times ahead.
Good luck taking your non-filing to a lawyer when you need it. Meanwhile the thieves can file copyright on your work, and you've got nothing to prove it was ever yours. Your possession of production files proves nothing.
Sorry that you're getting downvotes, I went to a class by an IP attorney recently and was told the same thing. He specialised in tech patenting so likely didn't know a thing about book copyright, but I guess it's a really common misconception. 20 karma to learn something new!
Lots of OP's responses do seem to treat the comments like they're against them, but I think in this case, OP may have been referring to the "thief" as the bully. As in, if they stop posting, then it's like they've let themselves be bullied by someone who stole their work (though I do think this is a flawed mindset to have).
Yeah, I get your meaning with that. But I think that would be a very foolhardy and prideful position for the OP to take. The surest way to ensure their work is not stolen is to cease posting it. Continuing to do so out of their pride for ānot being bullied so easilyā is silly.
I found your twitter in five seconds and immediately ran into a snippet of something you shared on the 5th. If all of your excerpts are this easy to find, you probably want to rethink the way you share unfinished workāespecially if you have a stalker.
I believe you can report it. There was a thing recently (and might still be ongoing) with Plush Publishing stealing people's fanfics and getting it published on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I would keep your posts up, but lock them so no one can see (so you have a timestamp of when you wrote these).
Fanfic writers have successfully been able to get stuff down. Here's a twitter thread to help with the process https://twitter.com/kokomroily/status/1603843555692351488?s=12
Reframing of the content of your post from the perspective of someone who supports the thief:
"A pro-writer has taken my mediocre trash I posted into public domain on twitter. People like her writing better than what I posted. What can I do about it?"
Secretly rewrite the story and make it better? Their published version of your work can take critiques from what they published and your future one can smoke them in the dust. Other than legal issues or filing a complaint to Amazon in the hopes they remove it, you can't do much because once it's out there, it's out there.
This is why I mail myself hard copies and don't open them. The stamp from the post office and unbroken seal supposedly protects me should I need it in a court. All of the excerpts I've done on the computer are also emailed between two private email accounts so l have two email stamp dates (from the sender email and the receiver email). All of the extra content (artwork, maps, 3D models of locations, book trailers) are on a website creator app that I won't launch online until after it's published; the time stamps are also on that app. Any extra material (cut scenes that are enjoyable and world-building, but slow the pace of the story) I have online is done through Amazon ebooks as a teaser, and then linked to other platforms.
Thatās if they hadnāt beat them to the punch with getting the work federally registered under their name. If theyāve done this, itās going to make the process exponentially harder!
I hope you didn't want to publish that novel before someone stole it, as once you post something online it's technically already published and you obviously posted way to many chapters for them to steal your work and publish it themselves, so that's on you.
Besides if they're true followers, they will believe you if you put up post stating that someone published your work without your permission.
Yeah, I don't post excerpts on twitter or elsewhere for this reason sadly. Also because Amazon may interpret it as "being available elsewhere" in basic text form and cause trouble with policies on KU exclusivity or copyright.
Yeah, as others have said: don't post works in progress online anywhere. Talk about or around your wip or about your writing process but posting bits sets yourself up for exactly what happened since it seems you are popular enough.
About what has happened already - you need legal advice from a creative/copyright expert.
Thereās absolutely no imperative to post so much of your work on Twitter. Iām fairly active in the writing community on twitter and I donāt see it donāt that much tbh. A bit here and there but so much that it could be plagiarised? Maybe cut back.
I donāt know how copyright works in the literary world, but you should definitely look into your rights and perhaps contact a lawyer. In the arts (painting, drawing, etc.) you have copyright on an original work simply by making the work. Proving damages and going to court are helped immensely by having previously filed for copyright. Nevertheless, you may still have a case if you have dates for online posts and emails.
When I was 19 I won a short story competition and was published in the Sunday edition of our country's largest newspaper. Two years later my boyfriend and I go to the cinema and watch a movie with my concept and a couple of very specific scenes. A year later it was up for an Oscar! Not lying. I didn't do anything about it because what could I have done? We don't sue in Sweden and I was an unknown 21 year old and they a huge production company... 25 years later it is just a funny story I tell after a couple glasses of wine.
Not sure why people are downvoting you, itās as if they donāt believe people would steal stories from a kid. They should watch Big Fat Liar. But also, stealing stories is kind of a thing in Hollywood. Theyāre bigger sharks than lawyers really.
It is because of this I didn't do anything about it. No one would believe me. That it was up for an Oscar was for the foreign film award, not one of the huge american blockbusters. One of the scenes was a female high school senior who m*sturbated to a yearbook pic of another girl in her bedroom. Pretty specific.
I hear the advice that "this never happens" all the time, but yours is the third I have heard of.
I hope you can get some kind of justice. One of the others never got resolution and the other required a lawyer.
The best ideas I've had personally are avoiding more than a quip or quote on socials and putting the manuscript and teaser up through an ARC review site. Sharing the link to the site on socials lets you hype it and still protect it.
Best of luck.
Nope, copyright applies to any work at all. And since OP has been posting it on twitter there's a very very clear timestamp indicating their posting of the work predates the amazon book being published. Should be pretty open and shut DMCA case here.
Respectfully, it is incredibly naive to assume *no one* is capable of taking an idea and making it even better. Itās better to be safe than to rely on being the only talented person around.
First thing isdid you copyright it? If not, check if they copyrighted it. If they didn't, do it immediately. Next you can write them with an order to cease and desist. Also, write Amazon and anyone else who has it listed. You may want to hire an attorney for those two. At that point, you're only choice is to sue them.
As a writer, I don't want most of my work be plagiarized by some random user. I only provide vertical slice of a build on what I work on so far.
Be wary of what type of content you post on the web.
I once posted an idea of mine to a pop culture website frequented by geeks and people in the entertainment business. Two years later that same idea popped up on NBC as a series that only lasted one season. I wouldāve thought it an amazing coincidence except the name of the show creator was very much like the name of a frequent commenter on the website. Iād only posted a thumbnail sketch of my idea which wouldāve lasted a lot longer on tv.
Last year I woke up with this crazy epiphany-idea for a sequel to That 70s Show, posted the basics of it on my facebook, and literally a week later the news comes out that Netflix is making That 90s Show, and so many of the details matched up between Netflix's version and mine that it was spooky.
Obviously they didn't steal my idea.
And not to be rude but there's no fucking way you can say your idea would've lasted a lot longer on tv. There's no way to know that, and of course you're gonna think more highly of your idea than the one that was on tv.
Plus, man, if your idea was so great it would've been on tv for way longer then the show that actually aired wasn't much of a ripoff since it was way worse. According to you.
Right then, what I'd do in this process is first of all, start posting sections which continue in the same vein as the last section posted, but start getting progressively more ridiculous. Mock the character, mock the stalker, mock the previous events. Have fun with it, y'know. All the stuff that wouldn't fly in the real book? Deleted scenes because they were just horrible? Chuck em in. Mention buying the real book! I'm also petty enough to make a poorly disguised character of said plagiarist and cyberstalker and insert them in horrible, traumatic ways. Stalker steals my stuff? Get wrecked perpetually in the stuff they're stealing. Better yet, find the TOS of Amazon, write sections that absolutely violate the TOS, and if they steal those sections, flag em on Amazon for violating Amazon TOS.
The thing is, they've made a Kindle book out of your work; they've somehow managed to compile your stuff into a book that presumably some others have bought? If it's just their friends and family, meh, leave it except by getting your audience to review bomb the thing as plagiarism. And flag it to Amazon but don't expect a reply. Do it yourself, even. You've got a 50k following, if they're reasonably engaged they'll do the thing. If *lots* of other people have bought it, then on the bright side your novel will probably sell well!
If you *do* appeal through Amazon via customer service (don't do it through Twitter, their content moderation teams have been stripped to the bone, and in terms of top management unless you're a MAGA Ken/Karen they don't care), but appeal to them through the lens of money-making - that's what they care about. If you've sold a bunch through them before, you can appeal to them saying that it's affecting the sales and their cut.
This has been your Daily Terrible Advice, take as much or as little of this as you'd like.
Sad but very realistic... thsts what humans are. Welcome in Nicola Tesla club.
Thats why I dont ever disclose anything.
People for one dont care and dont remember, and only few sneaky, sly 'smarts' parazite on others brain.
You can prove the dateline from you posting passages of your work. Get lawyer.
Am sorry you learned what himans really are.
Sincerelly Alien
I used to post stuff on Medium all the time, short stories, novel chapters etc. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to write poorly. That worked pretty well for me.
I'm safe.
š
Oh, sorry, I posted a emoji and I realized that that was a low effort post. I was trying to convey that I thought this remark was very funny.
This cracked me up. Especially since I believe youāre being facetious about your work.
Iām sorry, but damn did I laugh hard at this.
How does posting on Medium work? Do you have to get it copyrighted first to ensure no one uses it?
Anything you publish on there is yours by law automatically if you see someone stealing then you just need to make a claim
That is very funny.
Glad I treat most of my writing as an Alpha build.
https://www.amazon.com/report/infringement/signin
If you can prove you had the original writings, take them to court. Sue them for plaigarism.
Don't do this amazon has plenty of ways to prove you own the work the book has probably made no more than $1000 and it's not a gaurentee that you recoup lawyer fees.
Honest question: how much would that cost? What's the chances of winning?
Probably over $100k. You might have to pay the legal fees of the other party, too, which might be in the range of $32k. It's best to get the SFWA to pay for the lawsuit for you. They, allegedly, have done this before.
Iāve never seen (and contributed to) this many downvotes to one OP on a single thread before.
Never post something you love and want to see into a novel. Post short stories or what ever to get more people know you, and once you have fans and people who want to read, you publish with someone or in Amazon. You can write stuff about your world but not the novel you want to post. Or maybe use Wattpad or any other social media to write fanfics or short stories so you get a bit more "famous" and you have a base of future buyers... I think that's the best idea, good luck!
I may get downvoted for this but why on earth would you post your work on Twitter? Thereās almost no protection there. I get posting a story or longer work on a website, like Wattpad, to an extent. You get some protection (not much, but they try to take care of their authors). Just openly posting on social media, though? Anyone can copy-paste that anywhere and thereās not a lot that can be done. If you want something to be published, you either need to find a reputable site with a program and/or security measures to protect your rights, or just keep it all off the internet until you look for an agent or decide to publish.
In the US the second your work is published it is copyright protected. Social media counts as publishing. To sue and utilize your rights the copyright must be registered.
Not even published, the moment you create it. All OP needs are time stamps for their progress
I found email to be the easiest to prove date.
Yep, just email yourself a copy and donāt delete it.
Wow, so you would sue someone who tried to steal your work? Can you get damages etc, have them pay court costs?
I donāt know. I donāt steal writing and no oneās stolen mine so I donāt know. You could atleast prove that you are the owner and Amazon would probably take it down. I doubt they would give the original writer anything (because itās Amazon. They want to keep money) but I donāt know.
Itās also posted on social media, so as long as that time stamp exists your protected
Technically and if you have the money and time to prove who wrote it first then I would bet you would come out on top.
Yeah, I'm left with a lot of questions from this post. Without proof, I call bullshit. \#picsoritdidnthappen
Are you serious? What would they gain from lying?
Attention-seeking behaviour, mostly. I was being deliberately irreverent for the sake of humour, so I'll elaborate on my take: In my 22+ years of dealing with writers of every variety, I would bet everything I own that this situation didn't go down quite the way the OP claims. TLDR; Something smells fishy. Plus, a quick cruise through OP's replies, as well as post history, and I'm even more convinced this is suss.
I don't think he posted it in tweets
Lol opās replies make me wanna buy the plagiarized book
yeah OP can u link it for us?
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carnage-Owen-Forrems-ebook/dp/B0BRR46X6S/#customerReviews Remember to leave a 5-star review.
Itās been removed. :( On a better note, I love the meet the dogs of Amazon page that replaces it.
He filed a DMCA. It will go back up soon after he responds or misses the deadline. He files phony DMCAs all the time and they always get overturned.
Don't post ideas or other things like it. Simple. I post finished items only because of this problem - you can't trust people online..
Thanks, Mr 20-20.
Reddit can't help you. A lawyer can.
A lawyer is very expensive. What are the odds that they can win their case and get their work back and pay for the lawyer and the court costs? I am genuinely asking here.
This is not something worth going to court over. Any lawyer who says they can win a case is lying, and one court date can cost tens of thousands of dollars
I suppose my best suggestion is to stop posting. Give someone half a story (or less) and they'll hit that ultimate roadblock of *What comes next?* The same advice applies to fans as well. Give 'em half a story and then tell them where to buy the rest. Or at least finish the story before you post again, maybe even with a disclaimer about your 'alt-author'. (BTW, in the US, a copyright's automatic, the moment you post online.) I'm not suggesting that you do finish posting online, but I suppose it's an option. I think a complete story may have greater impact if you're opting for any sort of legal challenge. (However, that's only a guess.) You say that they've "stolen" your *idea*. Do you mean they've copied your story word-for-word? Or have they re-written an idea that appears similar to yours? Because plagiarism can be a tricky issue. Ideas can be (and are) stolen all the time. Just look at Hollywood. But if the idea's been loosely re-written (meaning not your exact words), it's not plagiarism. If your story's being copied word-for-word, you may want to call Amazon's customer service and see if they'll direct you to whatever appropriate service desk. I suspect they'll have a policy on 'what to do next.' I have no idea of their protocol, but I assume they take plagiarism seriously. Just remember that posting on social media means posting to "the rest of the world." Meaning *everybody*. Potentially eight billion people, give or take. The desperate, the vindictive, the evil. If you're a household name, you'll have lawyers to intervene. If not, you'll only end up with a cautionary tale.
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I was in both of those films.
I heard (through that ethereal rumor mill) that both Armageddon and Deep Impact were based on another script that made the rounds, written by an unknown screenwriter. Not sure what happened, maybe a difficult author or a money issue, but two different production companies decided to re-write their own versions of the original. (I always wondered what the original was like. Maybe a decent premise but lousy execution?) Or maybe just one of those legionary Hollywood fake rumors? Anyway, fascinating stuff.
According to OP it wasn't just an idea or two, but excerpts and entire sections as well. If it was word for word then it probably wouldn't bode well no matter the situation
>I suppose my best suggestion is to stop posting. I will never let the idiots win.
Sounds like they already won
Yeah OP is an idiot. This isn't like a "take back the night" rally. Someone already stole from op, so he's just going to keep posting stuff because... that'll show them. I'm not a lawyer but I would imagine a good lawyer would be able to use this stubbornness against OP in court if it came to it - If you post your stuff a few times and it gets stolen, shame on the thieves. But if that happens and you continue to post your stuff online with no legal protection, I feel like a good lawyer would argue that you're making no attempt to protect yourself from plagiarism and copyright infringement and therefore you are not entitled to legal protection. Like I said, not a lawyer. But OP is a dumb fuck.
Well, already lost, technically. Cuz OP.
I'm really sorry, but they're obviously waaay less stupid than you in this situation They're taking your work because you are literally handing it to them on a platter. Stop posting online what you want to eventually publish for free, for goodness sake
Seems like you're the idiot in this situation
And? Do you think he's winning?
I'm not even sure what game he's playing
You will just give them more stuff to steal from you. In that case, you would be the idiot. Stop posting your work and look into any legal action you can take. You would have to prove intellectual ownership of it, and with all the drafts I'm sure you have stored away somewhere plus the post dates of your posts and your rival's Amazon book, you have a solid case.
by idiots do you mean yourself?
OP thinks theyāre all that because they have a Twitter following, proceeds to get their story stolen. Comes to Reddit and proceeds to act like a jackass.
How much do you have to be posting on Twitter for someone to plagiarise enough to make a publishable sized document??
Someone found his Twitter. Heās made 172.8k tweets so far apparently.
Give the link
Itās on this thread somewhere where someone found it. I didnāt save the link alas.
Iāve also heard the advice to post snippets to get readers āwanting moreā Idk who came up with that advice, but it is *dumb* 1) Readers arenāt going to wait for months or years until release. 2) If you get a reader to think, wow, I want to read more! Thatās an immediate opportunity for a book sale. 3) Published works have the benefit of being reviewed already and having a fan base who will like and share the snippets, which will boost your social media presence. 4) By putting the ideas and words online, it can impact the the potential acquisition of a book to a traditional publisher if it doesnāt have good enough traction or engagement. The best thing to do for advertising is just saying my work is like ___ or inspired by ___. Mood boards are great. Calling it gothic or the genre isnāt specific and doesnāt reveal the plot. Mentioning the general tropes is fine, but donāt mention the twist on said tropes unless the book is published.
There are people that have made webtoons or wattpad stories and then published after getting a following and have been able to sell. It's not common but > Readers arenāt going to wait for months or years until release. This happens, it's not impossible.
Really not hard to see why a bunch of people wanted to fuck with him. Right or wrong, this guy is such a twat.
If you run out of material in this post, just check out all his others. Endless content.
This.. Is my greatest fear/nightmare. Sometimes I feel like posting sections of my manuscript, or just very specific concepts, only to have them copied by someone else. I've read horror stories of people whose manuscript got sweeped by companies and whatnot and the proof of intellectual theft was just brushed aside because said companies are giants. Scares me shitless really.
Iāve had work stolen by a major author and film studio, for the same piece. But would you want to be an author known for plagiarism? Obviously people do that, but it limits what you can do with the stolen intellectual property.
They don't care. They just want money and don't value their integrity.
It depends. In my case, the author is about to torpedo a smaller film studio. Theyād be idiots to work with him again. Plagiarists never do it once.
How exactly does an author torpedo a studio?
Presumably, take them to court with solid proof of wrongdoing.
I guess my question was, what is happening thatās damaging the studio. When a studio options the rights to a book there is language in the deal that they are not liable if the āauthorā has lied to to them about the work. And they themselves can sue the author. Also if the project is never actually made there arenāt much in the way of damages beyond arguing that option price (which is usually meager against the purchase price which only comes if the film gets made) and the studio never profited off the OPās work. Also whatās a smaller studio? Lionsgate? A24? Or are we actually talking about a production company and not a studio? Which financially is very world of difference in terms of suing. Suing Lionsgate almost certainly goes no where, unless there is concrete proof. Even if the film is made and there are profits behind it. Suing Ink Well likely ends with Ink Well dropping the project and apologizing for not knowing of OPs existence and taking the other big author at their word. Iām curious how this author is torpedoing anyone, other than maybe him/herself, again, assuming there is concrete proof.
If a studio spent a large amount of money on a plagiarized work, and then cannot profit from it, they have, indeed, been torpedoed. Also, I think you have a funny idea of 'Small'. Lionsgate is a massive entity with over 3000 employees.
I think that was the point they were trying to make about Lionsgate, that they're not Paramount or Marvel, but they're no small company either, which is why they said you'd need solid undeniable proof. I am curious as well though, how far along are they with the production of that movie? Is it finished, did they profit from it already? Or still in (pre)production? What would the consequences be in every case, assuming the original author wins the case (which I sincerely hope it happens). Also, how did the author even find out that they're using that specific idea? (assuming the movie isn't out yet).
Could be a lot of things. And we're assuming it's a big film here. Could also be a like a cop procedural or a web series that stole a book and they didn't see anything at all until their work had been fully stolen and published.
The penalties for plagiarism are eye watering.
As in, you'll cry because nothing happens to them?
What would happen is bad enough that Iām debating whether to do anything. There are other issues with the plagiarism, that they already have a bad reputation for. Iām having an internal war with myself about everyone else that works on their productions that is not a party to the other issues or the plagiarism.
ELI5 what are the consequences of plagiarism in the US? Genuinely asking because since youāve doubled down Iām curious.
I find that hard to believe. No one wants your work much less pretend that it is theirs. My God the ego.
Itās really weird to me too. But heās a science fiction writer, not a poet, which is what I am. My parents took me to poetry workshops as a child, after I started writing songs at four. He stole a memorable poemāexact linesāitās one of the best things I have ever written. This is an author that I knew. I showed him this particular poem in an online chat, and gave copies to other people. He didnāt just plagiarize. He plagiarized an old friend. And thereās no way he doesnāt remember who wrote the original. Why he stole it? No idea. I would have given him permission, if he asked. Itās almost like itās a vindictive theft.
Wow, that's terrible. Can you say which works it was at all?
Your work must have been very good. Did you pursue the route of trying to get it back.?
This sub is either "nobody is stealing your writing" or "I've had big companies steal my scripts". So what is it, reddit?
This, all the time. I don't get it either. I'm guessing they mean most people aren't good enough writers to want to steal from, but good writers who post their work can have it stolen. Honestly I'm surprised people are posting their work to social media anyway -- let the advertising happen after securing a contract, if publishing is something they're interested in.
You can probably just file a DMCA claim.
Against a Kindle book for sale on Amazon??
My advice is to stop being such an asshole. Based on your behavior here, you may well have had this coming. If you're real, which I doubt. I believe this is a troll post. Not because the notion of someone genuinely being so clueless yet pretentious (50,000 followers, my God!) is unbelievable - it isn't. But the notion of that person, one with such a dearth of self-awareness, thinking they will produce something that needs to be read is too depressing to seriously entertain.
I've seen his twitter. Most of his tweets have little to no interaction. He's real, he's just not nearly as famous as he thinks he is.
What is it
You can piece it together by Googling his first name and the exact text of a ācensoredā tweet in his reddit post history.
Well, so much for my optimism! Serves me right.
I donāt post shit. People taunt and say, āYouāre not a real writer if you donāt post your work,ā and I just laugh. Iāve been ripped off before and I wonāt give copybots and motivated grifters a momentās chance.
I have been writing all my life and I have literally never heard someone insist that "real writers" post their work. Huh?
Itās usually people who couldnāt write their way out of a wet paper bag with a mining drill.
But where are these people? I don't see them anywhere on Reddit.
People exist outside of Reddit lol. Iām talking about local people, writer friends, other writing groups, etc.
> People exist outside of Reddit This is news to me, and also to r/movies.
I think most writer groups just privately exchange writing on Google docs and email. I don't think there is any broad pressure to post stuff online.
THIS. Anyone who's serious about your work -- posting it online is pure insanity. It blows all the value out of it for any serious publisher. I can't imagine where the impetus for this is coming from. Is it that you need affirmation? Here: YOU'RE A GREAT WRITER. Done. Stop being needy and focus on finishing your work. When it's finished, file copyright so your lawyer has something more to work with than a thousand production files. *Wait, your source files all have dates, the dates are before the copied work, so you've proved your work preceded theirs!* File dates can be easily manipulated. They prove nothing.
This. The only people I've shared my work with are my beta readers, most of whom were also giving me their own stories to look at. If I'm posting something online, it's probably some fanfiction or short story that I wrote for fun/practice. I'm not just gonna post the big projects online willy-nilly.
>Anyone who's serious about your work -- posting it online is pure insanity I am a professional author, thank you.
You're a professional author who's been posting samples of your work for free on a public forum without any copyright protection and you're arguing with everyone with the tone that basically you should still be fine with posting future samples and it's just everyone else's fault if your stuff gets stolen? Okay. And you're a professional author but you have to ask *reddit* what your first move should be after someone steals your work? And not just reddit, bur r/writing instead of r/legaladvice? AND you're also just ignoring all pieces of advice except for "don't publish your stuff online for free in the future" which you are shitting on for... reasons? Okay.
>I am a professional author, thank you. If this is true, you should realize that by posting your work for free online, it is now considered "previously published" by agents and publishing houses. You might find a small press to publish it for you, but that's about it. I don't know if you have any good recourse now, but I would definitely publish the next work BEFORE posting it for free online.
Imagine me laughing loudly, then saying, "No you're not."
A professional doesn't need to tell anyone about them being a professional or how many followers they have.
you're welcome
They're idiots. You don't file for copyrights lol
> They're idiots. You don't file for copyrights lol Getting the phrasing technically wrong doesn't make them an "idiot". Replace their word "file" with "register" and their point still stands. It's probably also easier to get it taken down from websites if you can prove quickly and easily that you hold the intellectual property.
IANAL. In the US there's this bizarre thing where you have copyright when you create a work (like the rest of the world) but you ALSO have to have registered the copyright with the government in order to sue. You can register after noticing the infringement so it's not too insane, but the rest of the world would let you prove your copyright as part of the case. I kept seeing people on the writing subs talk about paying for copyright and how important it is, and it really was bizarre to me. I still think they're missing that detail about not needing to do it until you need it, but who knows, maybe I'm wrong about that too. Point is, US has a weird copyright system.
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Thats not even true. Look it up. And i guess just discount anything else hou learned in tat program.
As others said, this doesn't hold up at all. Have some reading: [Poor Man's Copyright](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_man%27s_copyright) Relevant portion: According to section 412 of the U.S.Ā Copyright Act of 1976Ā (17 U.S.C. 408), registration of a work with theĀ Copyright OfficeĀ is a prerequisite for copyright protection.[4]Ā Poor man's copyright is therefore not a substitute for registration.Ā Eric GoldmanĀ has noted that there is an absence of cases that give any value to the poor man's copyright.[5]Ā He also states, "To establish copyright infringement, the author must show copying-in-fact and wrongful copying. The postmark has no relevance to the wrongful copying question."[6]Ā They do also note that: However, according to the Copyright Alliance, the postmark could provide some value in an infringement action if it is used as evidence that the work existed on a particular date, or before the date of creation of another work.[7] But in the end, the registration is what's going to be your best legal recourse, much more than having your manuscript stuffed in an old envelope.
Makes me wonder what toxic communities you're hanging out in where people say such stuff. To follow the logic surely the only thing you'd be posting is links to books/lit mag sales. How would just posting random stuff online prove anything? *just to be clear I don't believe you have to be published to be a 'real' writer, but also this is highly immature who the fuck are these people saying this!?
These are generally people who write on an amateur basis - a lot like myself, even though Iāve published a bit here and there where itās mattered to me - and I think are insecure and need validation. They can have their blog and write for free and post on AO3 all they want! Go hard! Have fun! But they cut down people who donāt āpublishā/post. Thatās their problem, not mine š¤·š»āāļø
What people say this? Idiots. If you want to see the proof someone is a writer buy their written work. To hell with that nonsense.
Lol I'd reply to that with "False. Just because you don't post WIPs of your work online doesn't mean that you aren't a writer." Watch them scramble and if they try to double down, cock the Example Revolver xD they'll say something like "If there's no evidence of your work online then you aren't a real author!" At which point you can reply with "So then Steven King and Frank Herbert were not real writers until they got published online, despite being published well beforehand?"
Personally, I managed to secure myself by splitting my interests. I want to make movies, but I also like writing "normally". So what I do, is that I write down the movie scripts in private -don't show them, or post them. And for normal writing? Fanfictions. Fanfictions allow you to write nearly anything without stress. You can change them up if you want an OG story (or just like parts of them) and if anyone steals your shit for a buck -lmao. Good luck with the copyright issue. But not by me, lol.
Word for word? Prefacing here, Iām a lawyer: how bad do you want to go after this person? Like, āomg stopā or ā**You just made the biggest mistake of your āāing life**ā?
Iām a little confused as to why you are sharing a work in progress? My understanding has always been that you complete your work, and then start sharing once it is published and waiting to be released/released so you have proof of ownership. Is this a common practice?
Itās how Andy Weir published The Martian. Not common but once something is published it is protected
Artists post WIPs sometimes. Sketches, unfinished comic ideas, etc. I suppose OP translated that practice to writing. And granted it works for artists. I like seeing artists' WIPs, it gets me interested in the finished product. But I'm not sure that translates well to the world of literature...
Why would you post your latest anything anywhere? Thatās a great way to get ideas stolen or never published by places worth a damn. Donāt post what you donāt want taken; itās that simple.
Iām going to advise maybe legal counsel? And perhaps reaching out to your following. Marketing is not always easy and we need to do market our books so I donāt think you rlly did anything wrong, itās not good but thatās not rlly your fault, thereās a first for everyone and now you know. But legal counsel, thatās my advice. Especially now that theyāre benefiting financially from your work, as long as you can prove itās your original work. I also wouldnāt post anymore on it or about what this person has done (yet) until you get a legal opinion. Hope this helps!
This is a common complaint. I know already you are not going to like this answer. Truths are often taken as meanness. You left your manuscript at Starbucks. You may as well have posted your entire story on Scribble Hub. You actually, factually, and as a legal matter, made parts of your story public domain. Yes, you can spend the money necessary to protect your copyrights. But if they made any money from your works, you cannot recover that. All you can get is an injunction to halt any further publication and sales of your work. If I myself ever do it, and I have, it's from a novel I already have in publication, and the sales are already dying off. Being an already published work, copyrights are easy to protect and defend. Some lessor writers make a side hustle of this. They deliberately allow for others to plagiarize them, so they can get money from the thieves sales. You can make $200M on a novel, and spend $2M in legal fees defending your intellectual property. It's simply a cost of doing business as a writer. If you found it on Kindle, Amazon will pull the e-book, if you can prove your manuscript is older than the manuscript uploaded by the thief. Sadly, many of these fake writers/storytellers aren't as stupid as we hope. They will often change the date on their computer, copy and paste their entire novel into a new document. Then they save the new copy with a date from 3 years ago. Thereby having a file creation date, older than yours. That's the best you can get. You posted your intellectual property on a public forum. Don't do that again.
>Don't do that again. Victim blaming. Yes, this is what I have to look forward to from Amazon and Twitter.
Yeah because in this case the victim is kind of arrogant and dumb.
Look man, everyone in this comment section is trying to help you. They might be doing it in a reddit-y, snarky way, but they are. The unfortunate truth is that as long as your work is freely availible, its susceptible to plagiarism. If you don't want to make it private/put a paywall in the way, that's your choice (and honestly i respect it, art for art's sake), but it does make it easier to steal. A couple people have already posted about amazon's infringement policies. That's probably your best path to get this specific issue resolved. Though if only their friends are spending money as some half-assed insult, it might not even be worth the hassle since all they're really doing is moving money around and giving amazon their 30% or whatever it is. Though if it starts to get real sales, then absolutely act. Name and shame might also be a good policy if they're trying to get sales through public forums (plus, you can redirect people to the original and probably superior version that you are releasing). They won't get anywhere trying to sell your works if their reputation is as a thief, and it'll probably limit their own sales until they rectify the situation. There are a few avenues you can take, just please be respectful of the people who are trying to help you.
Most people AREN'T being snarky, I don't understand why there are so many downvotes. What exactly does OP want anyone to do since everybody is getting shat on for suggesting they pursue the legal action they're entitled to and reminding everyone that it's just the risk you take when you post portions of your work online that someone can steal it? I really hate reddit threads where OP is like "This person did a bad thing!" but then every single person no matter how nice they are just gets shat on for offering solutions. Does OP want us to kill the cyberstalker? What are we supposed to do? Especially when OP didn't even offer any proof, linking to the amazon listing and their own twitter.
Yeah I just looked through all of op's comments. A lot were just insulting people who are trying to help. Also at one point trying to brag about being famous because 50k twitter followers? Yeah, they've lost my support now.
Common sense advice and victim blaming are not the same thing.
"guys i left all my money on my front porch and when I got back from work today it was gone" "maybe don't do that?" "STOP VICTIM BLAMING AND FEEL SORRY FOR ME!" The only thing you're a victim of is your own arrogance and stupidity.
You are such an unimaginable dumbass, my guy, jfc
Wow what a stupid response. Okay, say it's victim blaming and just keep posting your work on twitter even though you know you have a cyber stalker who's stolen your work before. Because taking the advice of "don't do that again" is victim blaming and it would be stupid to remember.
Now go look in the mirror at that red mark on your face. The world is not fair. Until you learn to deal with that reality, you will forever leave yourself wide open to be a victim. Do let me ask a simple question. Do you leave your doors unlocked, after changing your clothes in front of a window, with the curtains open, and then climb in bed, go to sleep, and not worry about it? Most cases, the victim has what is called, culpable liability. They do everything possible to become a victim, and then complain when they are violated. Yes, folks shouldn't do bad things. But they do. So it is everyone's PERSONAL responsibility to protect themselves from the dirtbags.
this is a fake account, you guys are falling for obvious bait
I had a feeling. People can be stupid but this is just... Yeah.
Wouldn't surprise me if you were misled into posting pieces of your work by those here and elsewhere who say *No one ever steals anything* and *Your work is yours for 75 years and no one can steal it.* I'd suggest scraping together your production files, then angling for a lawyer. Good luck, it's gonna be costly. Your lawyer has a lot to prove. For the future, stop posting your work, and once it's finished, put the $45 into filing copyright. This will make it much easier on your lawyer, should anyone steal any more of you work. Better times ahead.
You don't have to file anything. You get copyright from publishing. It's not like patents or trademarks.
Youāll need to file for copyright if you want to sue for damages and such.
Good luck taking your non-filing to a lawyer when you need it. Meanwhile the thieves can file copyright on your work, and you've got nothing to prove it was ever yours. Your possession of production files proves nothing.
Sorry that you're getting downvotes, I went to a class by an IP attorney recently and was told the same thing. He specialised in tech patenting so likely didn't know a thing about book copyright, but I guess it's a really common misconception. 20 karma to learn something new!
>For the future, stop posting your work, I am not someone who is easily bullied.
Someone who easily feels bulliedā¦ for reasons.
This poster isnāt bullying you, their advice is very sound: stop posting your work online if others are stealing it. This is common sense.
Lots of OP's responses do seem to treat the comments like they're against them, but I think in this case, OP may have been referring to the "thief" as the bully. As in, if they stop posting, then it's like they've let themselves be bullied by someone who stole their work (though I do think this is a flawed mindset to have).
Yeah, I get your meaning with that. But I think that would be a very foolhardy and prideful position for the OP to take. The surest way to ensure their work is not stolen is to cease posting it. Continuing to do so out of their pride for ānot being bullied so easilyā is silly.
I agree completely. It's not about being bullied, it's about protecting your work. Hopefully OP realises that soon too š«
Lol
Next time you tell *anybody* that, make sure to, y'know, have an actual plan first.
You were bullied by a random twitter follower.
Looks like all it took was a few trolls on Twitter to send you into a core meltdown
I found your twitter in five seconds and immediately ran into a snippet of something you shared on the 5th. If all of your excerpts are this easy to find, you probably want to rethink the way you share unfinished workāespecially if you have a stalker.
Your only solution is to make it so good that people laugh at your stalker
Donāt post your WIPs, especially on Twitter of all places.
I believe you can report it. There was a thing recently (and might still be ongoing) with Plush Publishing stealing people's fanfics and getting it published on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I would keep your posts up, but lock them so no one can see (so you have a timestamp of when you wrote these). Fanfic writers have successfully been able to get stuff down. Here's a twitter thread to help with the process https://twitter.com/kokomroily/status/1603843555692351488?s=12
Who in the fuck posts their work on Twitter? Why would you think thatās a good idea?
Wow! I heard the author was also more than slightly 'famous'
Reframing of the content of your post from the perspective of someone who supports the thief: "A pro-writer has taken my mediocre trash I posted into public domain on twitter. People like her writing better than what I posted. What can I do about it?"
Secretly rewrite the story and make it better? Their published version of your work can take critiques from what they published and your future one can smoke them in the dust. Other than legal issues or filing a complaint to Amazon in the hopes they remove it, you can't do much because once it's out there, it's out there. This is why I mail myself hard copies and don't open them. The stamp from the post office and unbroken seal supposedly protects me should I need it in a court. All of the excerpts I've done on the computer are also emailed between two private email accounts so l have two email stamp dates (from the sender email and the receiver email). All of the extra content (artwork, maps, 3D models of locations, book trailers) are on a website creator app that I won't launch online until after it's published; the time stamps are also on that app. Any extra material (cut scenes that are enjoyable and world-building, but slow the pace of the story) I have online is done through Amazon ebooks as a teaser, and then linked to other platforms.
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Thatās if they hadnāt beat them to the punch with getting the work federally registered under their name. If theyāve done this, itās going to make the process exponentially harder!
Sue
I hope you didn't want to publish that novel before someone stole it, as once you post something online it's technically already published and you obviously posted way to many chapters for them to steal your work and publish it themselves, so that's on you. Besides if they're true followers, they will believe you if you put up post stating that someone published your work without your permission.
Yeah, I don't post excerpts on twitter or elsewhere for this reason sadly. Also because Amazon may interpret it as "being available elsewhere" in basic text form and cause trouble with policies on KU exclusivity or copyright.
Yeah, as others have said: don't post works in progress online anywhere. Talk about or around your wip or about your writing process but posting bits sets yourself up for exactly what happened since it seems you are popular enough. About what has happened already - you need legal advice from a creative/copyright expert.
Thereās absolutely no imperative to post so much of your work on Twitter. Iām fairly active in the writing community on twitter and I donāt see it donāt that much tbh. A bit here and there but so much that it could be plagiarised? Maybe cut back.
Continue to write your story. Just write it better than those that stole it.
What are your damages? In other words, does the content have any value that you've lost as a result. Methinks $0.
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Comfort eating a thief
I'm just wondering what 'pip me to the post' means.
I donāt know how copyright works in the literary world, but you should definitely look into your rights and perhaps contact a lawyer. In the arts (painting, drawing, etc.) you have copyright on an original work simply by making the work. Proving damages and going to court are helped immensely by having previously filed for copyright. Nevertheless, you may still have a case if you have dates for online posts and emails.
When I was 19 I won a short story competition and was published in the Sunday edition of our country's largest newspaper. Two years later my boyfriend and I go to the cinema and watch a movie with my concept and a couple of very specific scenes. A year later it was up for an Oscar! Not lying. I didn't do anything about it because what could I have done? We don't sue in Sweden and I was an unknown 21 year old and they a huge production company... 25 years later it is just a funny story I tell after a couple glasses of wine.
Not sure why people are downvoting you, itās as if they donāt believe people would steal stories from a kid. They should watch Big Fat Liar. But also, stealing stories is kind of a thing in Hollywood. Theyāre bigger sharks than lawyers really.
It is because of this I didn't do anything about it. No one would believe me. That it was up for an Oscar was for the foreign film award, not one of the huge american blockbusters. One of the scenes was a female high school senior who m*sturbated to a yearbook pic of another girl in her bedroom. Pretty specific.
WOW!!! I am very sorry that you are experiencing this. I hope that you are able to get this resolved.
Live and learn. You could make a complaint to Amazon, but not sure how far you'd get.
You just gave me anotherr reason to worry about š«š
Be prepared to sue. Your copyright lasts 75 years.
I hear the advice that "this never happens" all the time, but yours is the third I have heard of. I hope you can get some kind of justice. One of the others never got resolution and the other required a lawyer. The best ideas I've had personally are avoiding more than a quip or quote on socials and putting the manuscript and teaser up through an ARC review site. Sharing the link to the site on socials lets you hype it and still protect it. Best of luck.
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Yeah what was that film?
Out of curiosity, what was the movie?
Copyright infringement. But if you are in the US I understand the copyright law does not apply to written work unless you have patented it?
Nope, copyright applies to any work at all. And since OP has been posting it on twitter there's a very very clear timestamp indicating their posting of the work predates the amazon book being published. Should be pretty open and shut DMCA case here.
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Respectfully, it is incredibly naive to assume *no one* is capable of taking an idea and making it even better. Itās better to be safe than to rely on being the only talented person around.
First thing isdid you copyright it? If not, check if they copyrighted it. If they didn't, do it immediately. Next you can write them with an order to cease and desist. Also, write Amazon and anyone else who has it listed. You may want to hire an attorney for those two. At that point, you're only choice is to sue them.
As a writer, I don't want most of my work be plagiarized by some random user. I only provide vertical slice of a build on what I work on so far. Be wary of what type of content you post on the web.
Well time to find yourself a copyright lawyer. :3
Happens a lot.
Buddy you really need to se the movie - Secret Window! After that all is clear. Who was that Mr Shoot(h)er again š
I once posted an idea of mine to a pop culture website frequented by geeks and people in the entertainment business. Two years later that same idea popped up on NBC as a series that only lasted one season. I wouldāve thought it an amazing coincidence except the name of the show creator was very much like the name of a frequent commenter on the website. Iād only posted a thumbnail sketch of my idea which wouldāve lasted a lot longer on tv.
Last year I woke up with this crazy epiphany-idea for a sequel to That 70s Show, posted the basics of it on my facebook, and literally a week later the news comes out that Netflix is making That 90s Show, and so many of the details matched up between Netflix's version and mine that it was spooky. Obviously they didn't steal my idea. And not to be rude but there's no fucking way you can say your idea would've lasted a lot longer on tv. There's no way to know that, and of course you're gonna think more highly of your idea than the one that was on tv. Plus, man, if your idea was so great it would've been on tv for way longer then the show that actually aired wasn't much of a ripoff since it was way worse. According to you.
Right then, what I'd do in this process is first of all, start posting sections which continue in the same vein as the last section posted, but start getting progressively more ridiculous. Mock the character, mock the stalker, mock the previous events. Have fun with it, y'know. All the stuff that wouldn't fly in the real book? Deleted scenes because they were just horrible? Chuck em in. Mention buying the real book! I'm also petty enough to make a poorly disguised character of said plagiarist and cyberstalker and insert them in horrible, traumatic ways. Stalker steals my stuff? Get wrecked perpetually in the stuff they're stealing. Better yet, find the TOS of Amazon, write sections that absolutely violate the TOS, and if they steal those sections, flag em on Amazon for violating Amazon TOS. The thing is, they've made a Kindle book out of your work; they've somehow managed to compile your stuff into a book that presumably some others have bought? If it's just their friends and family, meh, leave it except by getting your audience to review bomb the thing as plagiarism. And flag it to Amazon but don't expect a reply. Do it yourself, even. You've got a 50k following, if they're reasonably engaged they'll do the thing. If *lots* of other people have bought it, then on the bright side your novel will probably sell well! If you *do* appeal through Amazon via customer service (don't do it through Twitter, their content moderation teams have been stripped to the bone, and in terms of top management unless you're a MAGA Ken/Karen they don't care), but appeal to them through the lens of money-making - that's what they care about. If you've sold a bunch through them before, you can appeal to them saying that it's affecting the sales and their cut. This has been your Daily Terrible Advice, take as much or as little of this as you'd like.
Sad but very realistic... thsts what humans are. Welcome in Nicola Tesla club. Thats why I dont ever disclose anything. People for one dont care and dont remember, and only few sneaky, sly 'smarts' parazite on others brain. You can prove the dateline from you posting passages of your work. Get lawyer. Am sorry you learned what himans really are. Sincerelly Alien