Our network is being plagued by cut and paste content! So today we hired a new team member. Let me introduce you to Harlen 'The Copyright Crusader'.
We are a community of PROFESSIONALS! 99% of you understand that. Harlen has been brought on to ensure that the 1% who are bringing the rest of us down are dealt with. He has assured us that his relentless pursuit of justice for the holders of copyright protection will be unmatched. He has guaranteed to crush copyright infringement in 30 days or we don't have to pay him (can't beat that). How you might ask? well............
Every time you submit a post on Activerain you see this:
Some of you choose to ignore it. Some of you think that since you have gotten away with it before, you will continue to get away with it. You will not. Today, on his first day on the job, Harlen suspended the accounts of four members who had previously been warned about this type of behavior. One member had over 150,000 points. That's a lot of time wasted copying content and trying to pass it off as your own. Please, Harlen implores you, do not be the next person this happens to. He will be hunting content to the far and wide reaches of the network and running that content in Google to find the original author.
If you see someone copying content, leave a link to this post in their comment section. Warn them about Harlen and his 'Copyright Crusade'. Because if Harlen sees it before it's pulled down, the first offense will be a two week suspension. No questions asked. (Harlen thinks this is really lenient. Read that image above again.......it says "Posting copyrighted material without permission WILL result in being removed from ActiveRain")
The second time will be a ban from the network. Harlen has guaranteed this garbage will STOP!!! Plagiarism is polluting a network that thousands of people have poured their heart and soul in to making stellar. Harlen promises you that plagiarizers will no longer leave their mark on ActiveRain.
We have something very special here at ActiveRain. Your participation here is not a right, it is a privilege. By abusing that priviledge you are making yourself, and more importantly, the rest of ActiveRain look very unprofessional. Our community guidelines say: ActiveRain is a place where real estate professionals can network with their peers and discuss industry insider topics. It is also a public forum where consumers can pull back the curtain and see what the real estate industry is really about.
Do we really want consumers pulling back that curtain and seeing plagiarism, stealing and dishonest gaming? Harlen does not!!! Harlen believes that we all learned about plagiarism in elementary school. He remembers his fifth grade teacher Mrs. Robinson sending him to the principals office when he copied a passage from Marcus Valerius Martial without citing it:
"Why, simpleton, do you mix your verses with mine? What have you to do, foolish man, with writings that convict you of theft? Why do you attempt to associate foxes with lions, and make owls pass for eagles? Though you had one of Ladas's legs, you would not be able, blockhead, to run with the other leg of wood." - Marcus Valerius Martial
Here is a great resource for what you can and can't do: The wise advice of Lenn Harley
(This is not a joke, even though it is kind of funny)
Friends, followers, and connections are the way of the future.
Make sure you check out some of our Facebook Fan Pages Too!
This is great, Welcome aboard Harlen, now we won't have to spread thin the few resources we have to chase after these copycats since you're going to do it. Now us community builders and support guys can focus more on other priority areas where we are needed in the rain. I'll send you a list of the ones I know of so you can get right to work. BTW - When do you start? :-)
GREAT NEWS - Those that spend, literally, hours working on pieces should not be subject to some jerk cutting and pasting for 2 minutes about stuff he or she doesn't even have a clue about. Thanks for caring guys!
Bob - I think I had a 'rasslin' match with Harlen back in the day. The sucker whooped my butt back then so I'd take him darn serious now. Sounds like a good hire, gentlemen.
Welcome aboard. Good luck with this challenging new position.
Great post Bob. Sorry to hear though that we lost 4 rainers who didn't take it seriously.
Harlen,
I am so glad that you are on board we are very lucky to have you. Bob didn't mention above but you come with quite the impressive resume. I have total confidence that you will have AR cleaned up in no time.
Welcome aboard!
Sardi,
Wow, you're not Harlen? He refuses to take off his mask. I thought it was you for sure. When he barged in here and put me in a sleeper as he demanded the job, he kept saying 'but I'm going to need weekends off and a bus pass to Portland'..........I thought for SURE he was you!
Where's Harlen's cape? I like the mask and look forward to a cleaner Active Rain without the plagiarizing and copy & paste posts.
Do you guys have a job application somewhere?
BTW: GREAT HIRE AND GREAT NEW PROGRAM!! i love wrestling.
As a published author, I appreciate your commitment to keeing us all honest. We'll all benefit from this campaign. Thanks.
I'm glad to hear that Harlen takes his job seriously enough to keep the mask on. That means he's a FOR REAL superhero. The suit is a nice way for a cybergeek to stand out, too.
Good luck, Copyright Crusader!
HALLELUJAH!
GOOD LUCK HARLEN AND WELCOME.
My work here is done.
Harlen is no joke. A man in a $2000 Armani suit who wears a mask must be taken seriously...As Bob pointed out, he also carries a big virtual stick and is not afraid to use it.
LOL... Bob, my first choice would have been Jason Sardi .... lol Especially since he use to wrestle, if you didn't know that... and follows it...
In any case, I am glad that you have brought on Harlen. I use to find some things copied over a year ago and would report it... but that takes time, if you don't know the author and how they write.
By the way, I just got a Google alert today... can Harlen take a look at this and tell me what to do?
Google Blogs Alert for: Jeff Belonger
Renting vs Buying -- Knowing your loan options -- Part 3 of 3
By Way Greate(Way Greate)
(Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com --...) It could still be done with a FHA loan, but you need someone that is creative and knows all types. Yes, as it stands, the seller funded down payment assistance programs aren't available, ...
FHA Loan - http://fha-loan-gw.blogspot.com/
Overall.... in my opinion, it's not so much hurting the community, but those that actually take the time and energy to write that particular blog. And boom... just snatch up our work and post it again....Thanks and welcome Harlen....
Those links aren't working jeff. Did you move it to draft?
Harlen, WELCOME! Boy, I bet you'll be really busy! LOL
Nathan or Everard.... I just fixed it.... thanks and let me know... he only copied a paragraph.... but you can't see everything, because the blog page sucks...
Bob- Terrific new hire.
After reading Charlene Storozuk's post on being the victim of plagiarism, I checked my website, only to find that my copyrighted text had also been copied. To date, the perpetrator has failed to remove it. Very frustrating, to put in the effort and then have it lifted and used by someone else. It's nice to know that our writings on AR will be protected.
Welcome aboard, Harlen.
It's a bird... it's a plane... it's Harlen, copywright crusader!!
Welcome aboard!
This is great news! Hopefully, it will lead to more creative & original content that will benefit everybody!
Bob- Way to go! Enforce the law! Thanks for the update. Harlen- Welcome to AR!
Jeff,
Contact blogspot and let them know that your copyrighted material is appearing on one of their subdomains. They will see that it is removed.
(at least that's what Harlen tells me)
:0) Big Smile. You guys are awesome. Nuff said. :0)
Bob,
WOW!!! Now we're a real city...we have a police department...Happy Globe Trotting, Harlan...!!! Thanks, Joe, The Plumber
Great job. Now, maybe we'll see fewer posts about copyright theft. That has to be a good thing.
Welcome to ActiveRain Harlen. I think you are a very much needed asset to ActiveRain, as there is a LOT of work for you here.
It's about time! LOL @ Lenn :)
This is awesome! Go get em!!!
Long over due, and very much appreciated! Does this go for using photos of others, too?
Alright! This will be a great addition to the team. Watch out all you cheaters! smirk smirk
Did Harlan try out for American Idol last season? I distinctly remember a masked man trying out.
Hi Bob,
This is absolutely great for the community, Welcome Harlen! :)
Jennifer,
Written content first. We'll deal with pictures next. Harlen has his work cut out for him with written stuff right now.
John Elwell,
I think that's the word that got me bounced from our third grade spelling bee!! My nemesis if you will.
Hi Bob...Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I now have a new best friend. He is Harlen 'The Copyright Crusader'.
Kate
Okay...now I love you all again lol! This is a great step in the right direction....keeping our pro site pro :)
:)
Harlen is quite the handsome devil. Just in time for Halloween and hopefully he will frighten away all of those right click mavericks.
Most excellent. And Harlen is quite cute.
Bob - This is great news, I was shocked to read 4 rainers are gone.
Stewart - If I want a job, I will show up at your door alright. But it won't be the Sleeper that gets you. Try a Back Brain Heel Kick followed by a Top Rope Brain-buster!
Great...however, we can post links to newspaper articles that we'd like to share with others...correct--Harlan--
All this Hoopla for little ole me? Of course there is, everyone loves Harlen. Everyone on the right side of the law that is. Everyone on the other side, watch out*** (those little **'s are my signature, bullet holes. You didn't think I crushed plagiarism with just my hands, did you?)
Amanda,
Yes, you can link to whatever you want. I'll be posting the rules, (Even though they are everywhere, including most 5th grade english books) soon enough.
YAAAE For Harlen and Active Rain....now for the rest of you thinking about stealing stuff off my Naples, Florida website, consider Harlen's punishment a day at Disney compared to what I have in store for you...there's never been Pink Punch like the way I serve it! :)
Please cover Kelans ears for a moment...
HOT DAMN!!!
You can uncover Kelans ears now. I'm done :-)
Good job, Bob! I know through the years I have been the victim of such cut and paste stealing.
good luck with your assignment Harlen! I hope you get paid!
It's about time. I sure hope to strip the points away!
this is a great addition and makes us feel that the one's who are not abiding by the rules will now not get away with it!!! Good move!
Welcome aboard. Glad there is someone dedicated to make sure all of us play by the rules. Sad that we need you.
There's so much talk about this issue; welcome aboard!
Well this is the best news I've heard in a long time. Go get 'em Harlen!!!!!
Well, I for one, am thrilled that Harlen is onboard. I met him out in the parking lot yesterday as I was coming in to work. Some guy made the mistake of parking in the handicap spot, and Harlen had him sprawled out on the pavement in a leg lock. It didn't look very comfortable. I can't wait to see the moves he's gonna put on some of these content robbers!
Welcome, Harlen! I'm not sad to see perpetrators banished from Active Rain. I'm glad to see The Enforcer here.
Very cool!
It's about time your hired Harlen:) Is there a bullet proof vest under that suit???
I think your punishments are good too easy. I'm just sayin'
Bob... thanks and tell Harlen thanks... lol Seriously, I am going to do that tomorrow. Right now, it's time to watch the Phillies and the World Series...
Welcome Aboard! Wow this is powerful a full staff member monitoring copyright infringments!! Are you going to be monitoring image copyrights too? Either case Welcome and thanks!
Great to see the AR Team taking such a proactive step to protect the integrity of the community. Welcome aboard, Harlen!
I'm really thinking that Harlen needs to have a personal shopper help him with his attire...
Please tell me tomorrow he had nothing to do! that would make me happy. I hope you find he has lots of free time to do other things.
I think this is a GREAT addition - keep us all in line and keep the site legal and professional!
This is a move in the right direction. When he gets to the pictures bet there will be a bunch of missing content -- there are so many copied pictures.
YAY!!!!!! I wish him much luck and success in ridding the network of the blatant plagiarists in our midst.
I love the addition... can we just email Harlen instead of post a link to this blog in the comments. I'm just sayin' I think the little click here if this is yours or you have permission button is enough of a warning.
Bob - I'm 100% behind Harlen... It's not fair to those who work their fingers to the bone to create content!
Harlen's here to protect us.... THANK YOU!
I am confused, I have seen market performance numbers and direct posts from MLS statistics being posted are those infringements also, cause that would take out 400 more AR members out
Welcome Harlen... Most of us are very happy to have you on board!
Harlen,
Welcome to the jungle:)
Great news! I know you guys tried to keep up with the flow of plagerized content.
The evil side of me wants to say that it's about time...but the nicer side of me (there really is one) says: "WAY COOL!"
Here's a hint for where Harlen can start: Take a look at today's featured posts...
Harlen called me today for the first time, said the list he has is short right now, but he claims it's only because it's his first day! Watch out for the man in a mask who walks with a BIG STICK!
As a former school director I was tough on my staff for copyright infringement, especially on computer software. They just did not see how that was illegal. Oh well. Copying another's work without permission, or with permission but not giving credit is wrong anyway you slice it.
So a watchdog here is not a bad idea. However, here are a few caveats that I hope AR keeps in mind.
1. Since one person will be accuser, prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner, even a reasonable doubt may be too high a standard. Perhaps any doubt, a hint of doubt, mere doubt could work better. In other words, the person needs to be very very sure before destroying what could be years of work by an honest person who either committed an error or had accidently typed in a similar thought. Miles of identical text, no. But all of us at times had trouble expressing a thought or two in more than one way. I am just saying since one person will wield so much power, there needs to be GREAT care.
2. I do not have time to read all the blogs, featured or otherwise, but my friends tell me that there do appear to be some that are "AR pets" and get featured more than others. I kind of doubt that and it is likely that they just publish more and are more eloquent in their writing. Harlen needs to make sure that these people are not seen as getting preferential treatment from him. If even a hint of this gets out, I suspect that there will be a backlash that will hurt the site.
3. This is a bit linked to #2. We all know that there are persons who pay for ads and who were paying during the "land rush". Again, everyone needs to be treated fairly. If a paying customer is caught plagarizing, then he or she should get the same treatment as those who do not pay for ads but nonetheless, contribute good pieces. Unequal treatment based on paying or not paying users would be seen as a serious flaw by many on this site and would likely drive users to the other sites that we all know are out there.
I know some members spend hours looking for violators who are using their work and that is their crusade. Admirable watchdogs for all of us. But we do need to be very sure that those who are accused are undoubtedly guilty before we kick the chair out from under them. This is even more imperative when it sounds like just one person will be making these decisions with no appeal process, that I am aware of. I am hoping that AR has put in place procedures to ensure that this will indeed be the case here.
I agree with the poster above that mentioned MLS statistics. If AR members would take the time to read the fine print in their MLS, they should think twice before posting that copyrighted material.
Welcome aboard Harlan, it's certainly time to clean up the smog so the rain can be fresh!
Congrats Harlen on the new position! Some of the people commenting are saying they know when their stuff has been copied. How do you know? What's the secret?
Welcome aboard Harlen! Harley-Harlen? Hummm...has a ring to it, doesn't it? Am I on to something here, lol. Melina mentioned in her comment above that maybe Harlen needs a personal shopper. I'd like to be hired for that position, PLEASE? I'm a great shopper and have an eye for clothing. The gals will be all over Harlen with matching face-masks and neckties. I don't mean to be rude Harlen, but I did notice your face-mask clashes with your shirt. The trim on your mask is beige...should be white. So, do I have the job? Can I? Please? I'll be a great Stylist for Harlen. After all, he is now in the public eye and deserves that, doesn't he?
Glad to see you here.
Watch out Bob - Harlen may become my favorite AR guy now! :) I really do appreciate everythig you guys do to make this such a great place to be.
I have a few questions.
1. What about copyright of music? I see several people with mp3 players. Is this legal? (im not trying to get anyone in trouble I just want to make sure)
2. Youtube videos. I see many people post them. A huge percentage of videos are in very direct violation of copyright law. The artists never gave permission to use them and they are all over the place. Will these be banned as well?
3. DMCA. Are we more worried about copyright of written works or like I am asking previously are we talking a full range full blown copyright thing here?
I dont mean to ruffle feathers I just honestly want to know. I see posts about posting pictures and yet I see the rest all the time. Yet all of the things I have mentioned I think need to be considered.
Or not?
This is good news if we are to grow we need to do it on our own.
It's about time! No more red kersplatts ... just zap the buggers from the community! Thanks so much. Will definitely improve AR's reputation.
I think we are going to LOVE Harlen!
I can't believe you got Lenn to wear the mask...
SHAAAAZAM! Crackin' the whip. I have seen one of these posts lately, and I know exactly where the content came from.
Welcome, Harlen, you've got some work ahead of you. And love the outfit!
This is great. I have spent a lot of time writing blogs - have a number of them in draft form - to be original and write quality content. It does compromise the site and our professionality to have blatant cut and paste going on.
Great news. Glad to see some serious and consistent steps to punish those who continue to engage in plagiarism.
This may be nitpicking, but I wonder if some folks just don't understand the copy right wording in the pop-up. Why not also include "or any material that you have cut and pasted"? If they don't see the word copyright someone's blog they might assume, wrongly, that copying is fair game.
Yeah, I know, they should know adn I am proabbly overthinking this, but maybe clarification would help, plus it makes it easier to argue your case that they are in violation.
Jeff
As someone who writes original content, I thank you. Keep up the good work.
Amen! This is long overdue! Hope that it works.
Bob: You know I'm happy about this! Now I can pester Harlan instead of you when someone hijacks one of my blog posts. Thank you for taking this very pro-active approach to this scourge. And welcome aboard Harlan. Your services are much needed.
I have been watching people take "blog ideas", and re-writing them. I guess that is not copyright theft. This should be interesting.
WTG.... And I especially like the disclaimer: "Participation here is a privilege, not a right"!!!
Yay! Everything that makes the site better is good for all of us. :)
Sounds like Active Rain is on the right path.. Way to go crew
That is good news. I would be interested in his "stats" after the 30 days.
You guys are AWESOME!
Harlen's kinda scary looking.
Awesome....truly a superhero fighting crime! Cheers, Harley
This is a great move, not only are we going to have quality control, I just hope as Jeff D and a few others mentioned, that the alleged violators will be fairly and equitably handled;after all we live in a free society.
WidowMaker (Bob), X (Jeff Corbett) and Harlan...
I have to ask about the cut and pasted jokes for points. Will that be considered copyright infringement? We have seen so many members garner thousands and thousands of points for posting nothing more than a joke they pulled off the Web. I'm probably not the only wondering about this :)
A Note To Harlan:
Harlan welcome aboard I just wanted to thank you in advance for what you are about to do. All the dumb-asses stealing content and calling it theirs should be afraid. They should be very afraid. Hell you scare me and I don't scare easily Dude. By the way have we met before? :)
TLW...ROAR!
Does he wear that mask everday? Wow, he must really stick out in your company culture. On a more serious matter, it's an excellent move.
Thanks! This will be a great improvement to AR. Hopefully the threat of Harlan will be sufficient to deter new plagarized postings and few if any members will have to be removed. Good riddance to those who can't abide by this simple rule.
Yay Active Rain and Harlen! LOL @ Lane!
Great news guys excellent move. Initially a little hard work but after that the message will be out there.
Harlen - For all the Active Rainers who sit down at a keyboard for hours putting a lot of thought into their posts, while others surf, copy & paste, you are the answer to their prayers. Congratulaions on the 4 that you suspended (There are a lot more out there!) How does your "significant other" feel about the mask? :)
Bob, this is great. Another infringement that also needs policing here is when agents post listings that are not theirs and have no permission to do so (in my area, it is a violation of our MLS agreements- MRIS). I see this quite a but with foreclosures, as well as other promenent listings).
Stealing is BAD! Really simple to understand...don't ya think? Go Harlen!!! GBU!
Just a question - out of curiosity...
Let' say our Masked Crusaderfinds "copied" content. If the content isn't on a dated blog, how does he determine who copied who?
I could conceivably (or inconceivably) copy content from Broker Bryant's blog. (I pick on Bryant because I love his posts.) Anyway, let's say I copy his content to my static website.
Harlen finds my content and Bryant's. How does he determine who is the plagerizer? Could Bryant be kicked off AR?
What safeguards do you have in place so that a legitimate, original poster isn't penalized for what someone else does with their content?
Good luck on this one. I can smell copied content from a mile away. Often times I'll do the "exact phrase" search and find copied content. In fact, someone just posted copied content. See here vs here! Perhaps they have permission to copy it? I dunno.
All I can say is, beware folks. It's way to easy to find copied content. Especially once the ActiveRain blog entry is cached.
I want to know where did Harlan get his mask...very cool....I think the featured post feature is also an excellent contribution...the Rain is such a wonderful place to learn, wrok and play....it's too bad that Harlan's job is necessary...let's hope he finds it not so soon and goes on to further his work in other ways at AR.
Harlen looks like a feared Mexican wrestler! I chingow.
Finally,
I have written on this subject several times. It is nice to see Active Rain taking some action to put some teeth into their stated policy! Way to go, guys!
Dude, Harlen is hardcore...he must have been trained by Lenn Harley!
Original content means original! Give credit where credit is due!
Glad you are on board! This media is way too effective to be drawn down by "pirates".
Later! Dave Park
HOORAY!!! Most of us work very, VERY hard writing original content. Thank you for keeping the site clean and readable.
Newbies need extra warning about this - many don't realize what they can and cannot do!
FABULOUS ... no one should steal another's thoughts without proper permission and/or citation crediting them, period! Excellent move! This may encourage MORE posting now as a result!
Good idea! Like you say, 99% of the community has nothing to be worried about!
DM
This is all excellent. I would have like to have seen him wrestling the guy in the handicap parking space. :)
My only question echos the one above about youtube. I see a lot of videos on posts. Is that OK or not? Please put all of this in the rules you post for us. Thanks.
This is such a good move! There was one lender who had a whole bunch of posts that were done by a blog writing service and sold to hundreds of loan officers to post on their blogs and web sites. So what's the fun of blogging when you delegate writing your stuff? Yikes!
SMART MOVE!!
and a WARM welcome to Harlen!!!
Harlen ~ You are a welcome addition to Active Rain. I know you will find plenty of offenders and deal with them appropriately. Have fun!
kk
Good to make example of the person who had over 150000 points
This is AWESOME news! So glad to have Harlen on board to keep everyone in line. Harlen, a big welcome. Where were you last week? I could have used your superhero powers :-).
Go Harlan, you've been a long time coming.
Next you need to hire a big LeRoi to go after the point whores that post increasingly short and irrelevant content just to rack up a big score. They write posts on "causes of indigestion", obviously copied (more work for Harlen) platitudes and trite sayings, and other crap that just takes up space.
Bob,
Thanks for my first big smile of the day. Problem solving with humor...you should be published.
Marcia
It's about time. I would read articles that were sent to me by a service subscription and they were posted by a member here as if they were his words.
Jeez, he has his work cut out for him I guess. Thumbs up!
Bob, Harlan will be very busy and will be making a lot of money, I predict. Betcha Lenn is kicking her heels!
Now we can see who can really write! :-)
If only Harlan could protect us elsewhere. I have had several blogs hi-jacked, and really don't know what to do about it. Perhaps he will also post tips for us relative to protecting our content elsewhere.
Growing pains! With the shear number of members we have, even a tiny percentage of bad apples can still be a large number.
Bob: At last! Hello Harlen, goodbye Copycats.
Hello Harlen and goodbye lazy cheaters... Of course this will add to my paranoia regarding "is my content truly original..." but they make meds for that! Thanks you for keeping our voices clear and just that "ours"!
I have another question.
What about people who post stuff that was forwarded to them such as political ramblings. I see many people copy and paste it here as a blog but there is no source cited. They say its not their material but dont check the box. Since it not their material and they are not citing the source, isnt that plagarism? If you were writing a paper and included material and did not cite the source I guess it wouldnt be plagarism but it certainly wouldnt sit well with the professor.
YEAH! Excellent news. Welcome Harlen. I suspect though that you will be (unfortunately) very busy in your new job. LOL @ Lane too. ~Rita
Welcome Harlen, we need you around here, it is great to know that there will rfinally be someone watching over the dots and crosses in all the i's and t's Clean up time!
Antonio
Everyone,
Sorry I haven't been able to respond. Harlen and I have been busy today tracking many leads down. I will come back a little later this evening and answer some of the great questions that have been posed especially as it relates to photos, jokes, fairness and the such.
Glad to know you all are on top of this. It's frustrating that a lazy few are making this something that has to be done.
Excellent. This has been a long time coming. Glad you were able to get some extra help on board!
I really didn't think this was going on to much still after the early days of AR but I guess with a network over 100k now it was bound to rise again...where can i get one of those masks?
Thank you AR...glad you have taken responsibility, and have made the decision to do so...You guys are awesome and I'm glad to have the new..."masked man" on board... It's a great decision and I love it.
Welcome Harlen!
Awesome move, Welcome Harlen!
So, I have to know, what will Harlen be wearing for Halloween? Thanks for keeping our group honest! I'm off to read Lenn's advice.
Bob,
Good to hear that we now got a sheriff with live ones to keep copycats at bay on the Rain. This will preserve the professional nature of the network and if need be, remove those who refuse to abide by the rules.
Excellent - but can you hire someone to answer e-mails to ActiveRain on other issues? Need information on how to change my category due to change in employment status but haven't received a response.
Excellent. For a minute, I thought the reference was to our very own crusader Lenn Harley because of the similar names. And I appreciated the link to Lenn's posts on the subject.
This is great, Bob. I'm glad to see AR now having serious recourse for those who plagiarize.
Jo
If Harlen needs and assistant I'd love to volunteer. I've always wanted a job where I could wear a cape!
The Copyright Crusader is my new hero. He protects the intellectual copy of hard working writers and other creators who are the victims of larceny.
My work is stolen daily, if not more often. And that even includes my work reprinted with permission. Even when you have permission you are bound by law to reprint it as you are licensed to reprint it.
I've written extensively about this issue and have included some incredibly ignorant comments from content crooks who call themselves professionals.
Lifting Editorial Content For Your Blog Or Web Site Is A Federal Crime
http://www.deadlinenews.com/copyright.html
Anyone, anywhere at anytime has my complete and total permission to reprint that story as much as you'd like, anywhere, AS LONG AS the text remains intact as is (skip the ads, graphics, photos, etc.) and unmolested in any way AND so long as it is not used for commercial gain. That means don't insert ads, company come-ons
or anything that detracts from the message. The story must stand on it's own from headline to tagline. Include all the copyright, byline, tagline and headline content. If you have any question about how to do this correctly, contact me.
I have to spend a great deal of time (money) policing my work to make sure it doesn't get stolen. And then I have to teach professionals copyright law, which I think is ridiculous. True professionals KNOW copyright law because it touches everything we do. The story mentioned above has a link to the federal law. EVERY professional should read it and know it. Frankly? I thought only kids, who really don't know, were getting busted for stealing off the Internet. Not that ignorance is an excuse.
I fully plan, time permitting, and with a sufficient violation to make a legal case out of one of these thefts to make a hard and fast example. If you can't do the time (or pay all those dimes), don't commit the crime.
Stop stealing my stuff.
Broderick Perkins
The DeadlineNews Group
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350 E. Mission St. Unit 204
San Jose, CA 95112-3199
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Please include a copy of this email, should you reply, in order to retain the context of this exchange.
Friday, October 31, 2008
14:47
Broderick...
I've seen your stuff right here on AR. I'd like to think that the individuals who have posted it as theirs have since been reprimanded. At the very least I'd like to think that those who lift your stuff on a regular basis read this post and are actively deleting 'your' intellectual property from their sites. Hey. A girl can dream, right? :)
TLW...ROAR!
Broderick, thank you so much for taking the time to comment here and help educate people.
With your one line at the end you said so much: Stop stealing my stuff.
Does flagging the post as plagiarism still work?
Thanks for finally putting some teeth into the warnings.
Next we need someone to go after spam posts.
Welcome aboard, Harlen! You will be a busy guy!
Alright, I went through all 126 of my past blog posts and everything is tidy. I only found a couple of images that could possibly be considered borderline copyright violations. Either way, I removed them and I am 100% white hat :)
Woo hoo!! I missed this blog until Connie Telebanyi (i'm sure I just butchered that spelling, sorry!) posted about it .... I'm so glad to know about it!!
Bob, I am glad to see (well kind of see; even thought I can't make him out) Harlen on board. I work hard on my post and it gets frustrating to see the cut and paste. Will he also be looking for copying of pictures? I get frustrated with that also. I have seen pictures taken straight from a subdivision HOA site and put on a blog.
Harlen, Harlen, Harlen! This is well overdue and really look forward to the change and look forward to the integrity this will help bring to the community.
YES....... I knew something would be done if we kept complaining about it.
I told AR to do this a year ago, and finally it is done, thank you!
We have been so busy @ All In One Staging & Redesign and I have not been able to spend much time here on AR lately, but to see this is such a relief!
We are moving shop soon, (grew out of the space we had) but soon after I hope to read some more great posts by great Stagers here!
Thank you again AR, I'm so glad you heard me, us I should say and take action on these ppl.
Brian Bloom
What do you do if an Active Rain member prior to joining Active Rain, and even while a member of Active Rain, has a business whereby he occasionally provides free content that anyone can use on their web sites?
He does not copywrite or license such work, and those who choose to use it understand that others might also choose to use it. He has the original documents and would be justified in using the content here at Active Rain to help Active Rain members and their consumers. However, if you were to run it through Google, you'd probably find 30 web sites with the same content.
I understand copyright infringement but your post makes it appear that "no questions asked" will mean that he wouldn't have an opportunity to defend himself.
Understanding that some people will abuse whatever system they happen to be in (the 80/20 rule probably applies here), I think the way your post is worded makes it seem that the accused have no recourse.
Jim Frimmer sent me over here since I'm the subject of his comment.
Many home inspectors at Active Rain, of which I am one, might have a problem here. Let me explain why.
The world's largest home inspector trade association is the InterNational Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) with over 9,000 members. The founder and owner of that organization, Nick Gromicko, previously was a Realtor, as was I. Nick and I have written hundreds, perhaps thousands cumulatively, of articles for the InterNACHI membership as a benefit of membership. Those articles regularly show up on InterNACHI member web sites. I've already seen some of that content here at Active Rain. It makes me proud.
The articles are owned by no one per sé. Nick has been providing content since around 1994 when he founded InterNACHI, and I've been providing content since March 2003 when I jointed InterNACHI. Sure, there are some people who join InterNACHI for a year or so just to get at the content we have written, but neither of us have the time to track down who is using our content but not a member of InterNACHI. We have far more important things to do.
If you run all of the blogs of the Active Rain home inspectors through Google, you'll probably find that some of it comes from their web sites, much of it duplicated, and much of it written by Nick and me. The earliest entry on any web site does not mean that that person owns the content. It just means that he was the first to put it on his web site in a place accessible to the public. It would be grossly unfair to summarily suspend or dismiss such a member.
Because I've written so much content prior to joining Active Rain, I would not hesitate to use any of it for a blog entry here. Thusly, it would be grossly unfair to summarily suspend me for using content that I wrote, notwithstanding that someone else is using it on their web site and I have chosen not to.
I'm probably using it as part of my own marketing campaigns because I rotate content every month. I probably also have it in a non-public area of my own web site so that I can use it as a link in my home inspection reports in order to provide my Clients with something above and beyond what my competition provides.
The other problem with the copyright avengers is that just because something appears on a web site does not mean that they wrote it or own it, even if it is the earliest known content on the Internet. I've already seen at least one person who copied some text directly from a book that I have in my library with no quotes and no source attribution. It's an older book and out of print, although still available at amazon.com. What do you do there? I emailed her privately but I never went back to see if she had changed her blog entry; too many much more important things to do.
With over 40 years of experience in all areas of real estate, I have a huge library, do a lot of reading, and am always writing new content to keep my marketing and web site fresh.
So my word of caution would be not to let the Lenn Harleys and other copyright masked avengers run amok too much here at Active Rain and summarily suspend or terminate someone "no questions asked." I realize that this is a private enterprise, just like InterNACHI is, but remember that it is, indeed, the Internet, and suspending or terminating the wrong person for the wrong reason with "no questions asked" could inspire such people to, as Paul Harvey said, tell "the rest of the story" far and wide on the Internet. Each circumstance needs to be handled on a case by case basis to determine what truly might be going on.
There actually are those of us who like to see our content spread far and wide on the Internet, notwithstanding whether or not we have been paid for it or get credit for it.
As my wise old grandmother said, "If you LOVE to provide FREE HELP, you'll make a lot of money." That's been true in whatever industry I've worked in since I started researching and writing for college students when I was 10.
My other comment would be about sites where one can buy content and then use it with limitations. Dreamstime comes to mind.
I've been buying images from Dreamstime for about five years now and using them as permitted (you can read their permissions and restrictions here). However, Dreamstime has 4,100,000 images available for purchase and 1,000,000 registered users.
If you look at their images, you can see that many have been downloaded hundreds of times, so with the power of Google's search engines, it is highly likely that duplicate images will show up in a search.
Now I happen to be one who keeps all my receipts for my purchases since they are tax deductible in my businesses, but I would be hard pressed to find any one specific receipt for any one specific image.
The Internet is still too new, court case law too little, legislation too little, and too many gray areas to suspend or terminate an Active Rain member "no questions asked." I've come to expect more from Active Rain than that and hope that questions will, indeed, be asked. Everyone has a right to defend themselves and to meet their accusers.
Russel...
I also had such concerns but what I know to be true will prevail. Each case will be looked at individually. That's the way it works around here. I don't see that changing.
AR Upper Management knows of these things. They're our think tank :)
And for the record we (Hubby and I) were contacted for hijacking an image before we knew better. We paid to play and learned our lesson the Cha Ching way :)
TLW...ROAR!
Questions will be asked folks. We will not simply suspend people without contacting them unless the offenses are determined to be egregious. And even if that is the case, we will allow folks to explain what is happening. We are not robots, we are human beings with a heart and a brain and after getting an explanation, we will do our best to determine if it was a suspendable offense.
On the matter of using content that you have permission to use, but did not author......there is a little box every time you post something that you can check that alerts us you have permission but did not author the post. In that case, you will not get points. Points are only awarded for content that a person wrote themselves. If you don't check that box, and you do it repeatedly, you may be given a suspension. You may also have large numbers of points removed. It's not fair to our other members that spend hours writing their posts and get the same amount of points as someone who takes content they did not author and posts it without reporting that they did not author it.
There are a ton more questions on this topic. The bottom line is: You are the one at risk. ActiveRain is protected by the DMCA but you as an individual are not protected. Resources abound for finding out what is OK and what is not. If you want to stay on the safe side of the law and you intend on posting content that you did not author, you had best find those answers.
Right now, today there are people on the internet that have ways of tracking images that you take without permission. They are hunting people down who use their images and suing them. They are winning. You can expect the same thing to happen at some point with written content. It's in your best interest to make sure the stuff you are using is legal for you to use. If you only post stuff you write, you don't have a worry at all.
Like TLW just said, we will look at each case. It won't be a blanket solution because the issue is very complex.
Harlen is really busy all day researching and tracking this stuff, however, my phone is always open for you to call and discuss any of these issues with me. 425.216.2754 is my office and 425.753.7340 is my cell phone.
Whoa...
Okay then :)
I still miss that $800 dollars I had to pay. But alas it did serve to let folks know it ain't okay to jack the images. So, I guess it was money well spent :)
TLW...ROAR!
Bob - And here I thought your number was (nun) yab-izns
Georgina,
That's actually Harlen's number :-)
http://activerain.com/blogsview/774296/Schaumburg-Illinois-Market-Conditions-Lyn-Sims-847230-7324-SCHAUMBURG-IL-REAL-ESTATE
http://www.city-data.com/terms.html
is Harlen still with us?
Does he work primarily with images?
Or with content, text that is copy and pasted??
Welcome Harlen! It's good to see that someone is out there protecting us from copyright violations.
Maureen-
I see Harlen almost daily...If you notice any copyright infringements feel free to email me and ill pass it along for Harlen to check out :)
looks like this did not quite catch on, or am I wrong
Halen it's time for you to come back to work. Need to send a message in 2012 to clean up the network and add a new tone of professionalism to the AR network.
Bring Back Harlen!!!!
Bring Back Harlen!!!!
Bring Back Harlen!!!!
Bring Back Harlen!!!!
Bring Back Harlen!!!!
Bring Back Harlen!!!!
Bring Back Harlen!!!!