Grouch.

[saxikath]

So, as some of you know, I maintain a website on the Victorian language of flowers. Every so often I do a Google search to see who's linking to the site.

So today I did that. And found someone who linked to the site... but had also swiped the entire set of information and posted it on their site, including my introductory text and keeping it in the same table format.

I checked my pages, and stupidly I never put a copyright line at the bottom, so I suppose I don't have legal recourse. But I am going to send a rather ticked-off e-mail to this person. Why do people do this sort of thing? Why can't people get it through their heads that intellectual property is intellectual property, whatever its format... especially when she could have accomplished just as much by linking to my site??

Then again, I know from direct personal experience that even professional writers can blithely ignore copyright when it suits them. So I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. But still!

Grump. Grump grump grump.

Comments

[crossfire.livejournal.com]

Ick. I have no idea what makes people steal content like that. It's why I assert copyright on everything I put up, though I have yet to actually use it.

Are you referring to the person on spies.com? She not only took your layout, she still left your email addy in the text. How droll.

She does give you credit, but she also doesn't make it clear just how much credit you deserve. Perhaps you're dealing with a newbie who doesn't know any better?

[tablesaw]

A copyright assertion hasn't been necessary for ages. The moment something is in a static form, it's copyrighted. Sue his ass.

[eleccham.livejournal.com]

Yup, what tablesaw said. Your copyright claim is stronger if it's explicitly stated - but not necessary.

[bookishfellow.livejournal.com]

True, a copyright statement is not necessary. Legally, copyright is inherent in the act of creation.

On a more practical level, it might be worth pointing out to the plagiarist that the information is already on your site, that she already links to your site, and that your site is not going to disappear any time soon, therefore there's no reasonable justification for her reproducing it all anyway. Besides which, it's morally repugnant to cop all that hard work without even changing the first-person pronouns.

(Besides which, you have a number of Faithful Minions who'd be more than willing to flood her inbox with shameful denunciations if you so bid them. Not that you would, but you could.)