[AO3] plagiarism | "tell 'em all I said hi, have a nice day..."

[waltzmatildah]

Hello, hello, anyone who might still be here! I have been disgustingly AWOL and even now am really only popping back for advice, which is incredibly presumptuous of me, but if anyone's going to be able to answer my questions, then it's LJ people!

I've discovered that a person on AO3 has plagiarised a heap of my Grey's Anatomy and Rookie Blue fics

Comments

[swirlsofblue]

Hello! Lovely to see you back here.

Sorry, I don't know if I have any good advice. Maybe try emailing them again, as I seem to remember getting a response within two weeks for a query but I suppose with plagiarism it would take them longer to look into. I would say maybe leave comments on the entry if you want to communicate and in those comments put links to the story they've stolen, that way mods can see and anyone else reading can see. Maybe ask people on tumblr, there seems to always be info on there about dealing with plagiarism.

Also it might be worth looking into how new the person is to fandom, they may not even realise they've done something wrong and may think they're just sharing or something.

Good luck with exams!

[waltzmatildah]

Hello!!! How are you??! I hope all is fabulous for you :D

I've had a look at the person's fannish habits and it seems they've been around a while (they post across about 7 fandoms, I think. Or 4? More than just Grey's though), and I've also spoken with a couple of old LJers that I know IRL (miss_blanche, catteo, and addikat), and they all seem to agree it looks pretty deliberate and calculating. The person hasn't just posted my fic wholesale with their name attached as though they're sharing or recommending something, they've chopped up several of my fics (across two fandoms) and reposted them with some of their own (or someone else's??!) words into 'new' fics. I found one drabble of theirs that was 100 words exactly, 7 of which weren't copy/pastes from various fics of mine. It's almost like this person has gone through all my fics and copy/pasted paragraphs and lines they like and then put them all together into new fics. One of them is 12.5k words long!! There is some serious effort here!! The fics are very discombobulating for me to read, because I know

[swirlsofblue]

Things are going well thanks.

Eep that definitely sounds very deliberate. Good luck with getting it sorted. I never understand these people, if they're going to go through that much effort to put different fics together why not just write their own.

[waltzmatildah]

I just had a google of ‘how to deal with fanfic plagiarism’ to get an idea of what’s generally accepted these days. While there are a minority of people saying “fanfic is plagiarism anyway so you need to put up with it”, it seems most feel it should be called out calmly. From my own point of view, I credit where necessary, and obviously labelling the show and the characters is an important way of doing that. I don’t feel that writing fanfic is the same as copy pasting someone else’s fanfic and calling it your own with no mention of the other person at all. And I do think the former is okay and the latter isn’t. Now I’m trying to decide if this makes me a hypocrite like some would have me believe! Haha!

[bleodswean]

*waves* I haven't had experience with fic plagiarism...because I wouldn't know how to discover it's being done? I would write a fucken enraged message to them and in the comments with links. Love that song!

[waltzmatildah]

Hello!!

Yeah, I only stumbled upon this because I went looking for new Alex/Izzie fic for the first time in about 12 months (exam procrastination sees me retreat to the familiar, clearly), and it was the only thing posted. I then looked at others things posted by this person (that were not Alex/Izzie) and... whaddaya know!

The only way (I can see) to contact someone on A03 is to do it ‘publically’ in a reply comment to their post. There’s no private messaging service that I can find, which is what’s putting me off at the moment. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to post in the comments (even though I really want to!). Plus, I’m pretty sure A03 posters can delete comments on their fics? Maybe I’ll look into that. Eek.

Amy Shark <3

[bleodswean]

Oh, I also meant to say GOOD LUCK on the exams!

Ugh, I don't know. It's soooooooooooo grotesque and really infuriating. I have been plagiarize in non-fiction writing. Who knew the birth/suckling world would be so full of BASTARDS! But it is. Also, in photography.

I think you're brave enough. Your words = YOU!

[waltzmatildah]

Thank you, thank you!!

It is infuriating. I kinda thought it was funny when I was first reading the fic, but then I got to the comments where people had been leaving praise for the writing (and especially some comments on the writing style, because, I mean, GAH!!!) and the poster was replying all, "oh, you're too kind, thank you so much!" (paraphrased) and it made me so mad!! It's been eating away at me for two weeks, so yeah, I should just say something and be done with it.

I was thinking something like:

"I've sought some advice on this situation and have decided to contact you directly regarding your plagiarism of my Grey's Anatomy and Rookie Blue fanfics. I also wanted to let you know that I have made a formal abuse complaint to A03, but wanted to give you the opportunity to remove the fics prior to this becoming a bigger issue than it needs to be.

Kind regards, WM"

Does it need anything else?

[crickets]

Ugh that really sucks about the plagiarism. I think I would attempt to contact them through AO3 and just nicely ask for them to remove the stories. But it's possible they're "AWOL" as well. Depending on when they posted them. Luckily I don't think I wrote pairings that anybody would bother stealing, HAHA. If you never hear back you can always comment to the stories and say "This is my story. LINK." Not nasty, just factual, lol.

I'm so glad I reminded you! So glad you posted! That song is fantastic by the way!!!

And holy crap medical school? I am so proud!! All those Grey's Anatomy episodes really paid off!

Have you seen that youtube Channel with the hot doctor (Dr. Mike I think?) reacting to TV shows. It's great. LOL.

[waltzmatildah]

They last posted in GA in Feb this year, so not too long ago, but maybe they've moved on. If nothing happens, then I think that's what I'll do re. just politely messaging the people who have commented.

Yes, medical school. Eeek! But NOT surgery! No siree! I have not seen that youtube channel. I will have to try and find it!

ETA: I think I found it! I watched the one where he watched the pilot episode and was pleasantly surprised with most aspects (though not the medical accuracy - however he did say he realised the show wasn't about that).

[crickets]

BY THE WAY I am still watching Dr. Mike.

Have you watched The Resident? I forgot to mention it in my post. Other than Grey's I haven't gotten into many medical dramas but this one I LOVE.

[waltzmatildah]

Haha, just noted the last line in this entry. It seems you are my forever pull back to LJ <3

I have watched maybe half the first season of The Resident. I WANTED so bad to love it. Mostly because Cary Agos *heart eyes*, but I just could never really get all that into it! Maybe I should give it another go. I really loved Code Black but I think it was cancelled after its most recent season, unfortunately :(

[ovariesofsteel]

People suck.

That's all I've got!

[waltzmatildah]

OMG hello!

[llywela13]

Oh, that's rubbish!

I don't have any advice you haven't already been given, just stopped by to say hi and offer sympathy.

[waltzmatildah]

Hello!!

Oh, it's been so good to see that a few people do still hang around the old haunt! How are things on your side of the world?

[llywela13]

I'm not really around on LJ these days - I just lurk from time to time. But all is well. Good to 'see' you :D