OMG I was plagiarized AGAIN!

By: Judy Bechtle

Last night I received an email that knocked me back eleven years. Someone “borrowed” one of my articles on my blog - http://innerstrength-judy.blogspot.com/. At first I didn’t mind this person using my article, considering the nature of this particular article, but I was upset that I was not asked before hand. I did ask to see how and where it was used. To my horror this person plagiarized my work. She used my full article and changed the title and then gave herself the By: line. This is plain and simple PLAGIARIZIM. I have asked for the By: line to be changed, but that hasn’t happened.

In case you don’t know the rules and moral code of the writing and publishing industry (and I will give her that much credit of not knowing,) let me explain it in simple words. When you take someone else’s writing, or work and put your name on it – you plagiarized their work. The same for claiming you wrote something you DID NOT write. That is against the law! You can be drug into court and prosecuted. It took my time and creativeness to create the article of what I am living through with my husband.

I say that it knocked me back eleven years because I had one of my best manuscripts plagiarized by my critique partner, and college friend, because she knew what it would bring in book store sales. Yes, we are no longer friends. I lost my new agent and the contract and couldn’t do a damn thing about it because at that time my husband had his first of many heart episodes. He wasn’t expected to survive more than six weeks on the first attack. I was the agency’s new rising star – in their words. I had to step back and do nothing against the critique partner’s claim or let my husband die. My lawyers said, “give it time and do what you need to do for now. You will write another novel and then it will prove the first was yours.” So, now I am being told by this person, “I tried to get it off but it was there again so it will just have to be there.” I bet my lawyers can get it off very soon! If you want to use someone’s work then DO NOT change the title or anything in the piece. DO NOT leave out their By: line that goes right under their title. By not doing these simple things you are stealing and may be the worse type of person out here in a writer’s opinion.

IF you choose to use a writer’s work then have the decency to ask first. Get permission. Then give the writer a copy and a link to where and how it is being used. And for God’s sake don’t put your damn name on it anywhere. Once again that is plagiarism.

Writers use the blogs and internet to advertise their work. We get paying jobs that way – sometimes. It is easier, faster, and cheaper, and covers a larger community than sending by the postal service. Yes, it is a compliment to have someone ask for your written piece but we usually also get paid cash for those pieces. And we get a By: Line with our name on it. I didn’t ask for any compensation because I don’t feel there is enough known about Alzheimer’s and it is such a horrible disease that rips the dignity from the person suffering not to leave out the heart ach of having to explain who everyone is and those we people that come are our kids and grandchildren and remind him of their names and birth dates. And so much more.