Doomed To Repeat History?
OPEN: JANUS FILE #0366
Okay, it has been just about a week since an email sent from Cooks Source magazine to Monica Gaudio over unauthorized use of one of Ms. Gaudio's article ignited a firestorm of outrage against that magazine. (If you haven't heard about this, just scroll down and read my previous Janus File. That should give you at least the basic information on that little fiasco.) It appears that there is at least one person out there who doesn't appear to put much stock in learning from the mistakes of others, because he is about to make the very same mistake that Cooks Source did.
This time, it's happening to a writer named Suzanne McMinn, who runs a website called Chickens In The Road. She's also a photographer, and based on the photo I have seen on her website, she's a pretty good one at that. One photo on her site is of three goats belonging to some friends. Those friends have that photo on their own website -- with Ms. McMinn's permission, needless to say.
You can already tell where this one is going, can't you?
That photo also now appears in the November issue of Dairy Goat Journal; both in the print and online editions. From what Ms. McMinn has been able to ascertain, the photo was copied from her friends' website, and Ms. McMinn herself has been given neither proper credit not compensation for its use.
Ms. McMinn is not happy about this, to say the very least.
She contacted the publisher of Dairy Goat Journal in an attempt to politely resolve the matter. She asked that proper credit be given to her in the magazine's online edition. The publisher first told her, "It appears to be your photo," when comparing the photo in the magazine with the photo on Ms. McMinn's website. (I've seen the McMinn photo, and the page from Dairy Goat Journal with the disputed photo. trust me, this is the same photo.) And when she very politely listed her requirements for proper credit, the publisher hung up on her.
Okay, now she's pissed. (Hey, if I were in her position, I would be, too.)
Like Ms. Gaudio, Ms. McMinn wrote about this on her blog. And that blog entry managed to make itself known in a comment on the Whatever. I clicked on the link, and well, I think you know the rest.
First of all, how clueless is this publisher? Is he totally unaware of what has been happening this past week? Does he not realize that the Internet is probably now waiting for someone else to do something just as stupid as what Cooks Source did? Does he think that this couldn't happen again?
So far, most of the comments have been of the "I'm really disappointed" variety. Several of her readers have stated that they plan to cancel subscriptions to Dairy Goat Journal and other magazines published by the same company. But so far, no one has said or done anything that would indicate that Dairy Goat Journal is about to make the same mistake that Cooks Source made.
Repeat -- so far. How long is that going to last?
Stay tuned -- I think the Internet is about to pick up its pitchforks and torches again.
CLOSE: JANUS FILE #0366
OPEN: JANUS FILE #0366A
ADDENDUM
Okay, maybe the Internet won't be in an uproar, after all. What a difference less than a day makes.
I 've read the latest developments at Chickens In The Road, and it appears that the publisher of Dairy Goat Journal has decided not to go down the same rocky road that Cooks Source did. Ms. McMinn writes that the publisher called her after reading her most recent entries, and has agreed to pay her $2100 for the photo, which is triple what she would normally charge because of the original unauthorized usage.
The publisher also mentioned the Cooks Source fiasco, which leads me to believe that he had a very clear idea of what could easily become his worst nightmare.
Several commenters have suggested that Ms. McMinn should put a hold on celebrating until the check has arrived in her mailbox, been deposited, and (most importantly) cleared the bank. Good point. A rubber check would turn this from ugly to very ugly.
For the moment, though, I'm willing to believe that someone is willing to learn from the lessons of history, and is not going to repeat them.
CLOSE: JANUS FILE #0366A
Okay, it has been just about a week since an email sent from Cooks Source magazine to Monica Gaudio over unauthorized use of one of Ms. Gaudio's article ignited a firestorm of outrage against that magazine. (If you haven't heard about this, just scroll down and read my previous Janus File. That should give you at least the basic information on that little fiasco.) It appears that there is at least one person out there who doesn't appear to put much stock in learning from the mistakes of others, because he is about to make the very same mistake that Cooks Source did.
This time, it's happening to a writer named Suzanne McMinn, who runs a website called Chickens In The Road. She's also a photographer, and based on the photo I have seen on her website, she's a pretty good one at that. One photo on her site is of three goats belonging to some friends. Those friends have that photo on their own website -- with Ms. McMinn's permission, needless to say.
You can already tell where this one is going, can't you?
That photo also now appears in the November issue of Dairy Goat Journal; both in the print and online editions. From what Ms. McMinn has been able to ascertain, the photo was copied from her friends' website, and Ms. McMinn herself has been given neither proper credit not compensation for its use.
Ms. McMinn is not happy about this, to say the very least.
She contacted the publisher of Dairy Goat Journal in an attempt to politely resolve the matter. She asked that proper credit be given to her in the magazine's online edition. The publisher first told her, "It appears to be your photo," when comparing the photo in the magazine with the photo on Ms. McMinn's website. (I've seen the McMinn photo, and the page from Dairy Goat Journal with the disputed photo. trust me, this is the same photo.) And when she very politely listed her requirements for proper credit, the publisher hung up on her.
Okay, now she's pissed. (Hey, if I were in her position, I would be, too.)
Like Ms. Gaudio, Ms. McMinn wrote about this on her blog. And that blog entry managed to make itself known in a comment on the Whatever. I clicked on the link, and well, I think you know the rest.
First of all, how clueless is this publisher? Is he totally unaware of what has been happening this past week? Does he not realize that the Internet is probably now waiting for someone else to do something just as stupid as what Cooks Source did? Does he think that this couldn't happen again?
So far, most of the comments have been of the "I'm really disappointed" variety. Several of her readers have stated that they plan to cancel subscriptions to Dairy Goat Journal and other magazines published by the same company. But so far, no one has said or done anything that would indicate that Dairy Goat Journal is about to make the same mistake that Cooks Source made.
Repeat -- so far. How long is that going to last?
Stay tuned -- I think the Internet is about to pick up its pitchforks and torches again.
CLOSE: JANUS FILE #0366
OPEN: JANUS FILE #0366A
ADDENDUM
Okay, maybe the Internet won't be in an uproar, after all. What a difference less than a day makes.
I 've read the latest developments at Chickens In The Road, and it appears that the publisher of Dairy Goat Journal has decided not to go down the same rocky road that Cooks Source did. Ms. McMinn writes that the publisher called her after reading her most recent entries, and has agreed to pay her $2100 for the photo, which is triple what she would normally charge because of the original unauthorized usage.
The publisher also mentioned the Cooks Source fiasco, which leads me to believe that he had a very clear idea of what could easily become his worst nightmare.
Several commenters have suggested that Ms. McMinn should put a hold on celebrating until the check has arrived in her mailbox, been deposited, and (most importantly) cleared the bank. Good point. A rubber check would turn this from ugly to very ugly.
For the moment, though, I'm willing to believe that someone is willing to learn from the lessons of history, and is not going to repeat them.
CLOSE: JANUS FILE #0366A